PHILADELPHIA 

IN  THE  WORLD  WAR 
1914-1919 


©  Rau  Art  Studios,  Inc. 


Philadelphia 

in  the 

World  War 


1914-1919 


'Published  for 
Th  e  Ph  1  ladelphiaWar History  Committee 

Wynkoop  HallenbeckCrawford  Co. 

"Trinting  Tfeadquarters  " 

Troducers  of  Warnistories 

80  Lafayette  Street 

C^wYork^ 

1922 


JD570 


Publisher's  Note:  We  cannot  let  this  opportunity  pass 
without  taking  occasion  to  express  our  thanks  and  the  very 
great  appreciation  that  we  have  for  the  fine  spirit  of  co- 
operation which  Mr.  John  Frederick  Lewis,  Chairman  of 
the  Philadelphia  War  History  Committee,  has  shown  in 
the  preparation  and  publication  of  this  volume,  which  is  one 
of  such  historical  interest  and  value  as  to  be  handed  down 
through  posterity.  In  this  expression  of  our  appreciation  we 
wish  to  include  also  Mr.  J.  Jarden  Guenther,  Secretary,  and 
the  other  members  of  the  Committee,  whose  whole-hearted 
cooperation  and  sustained  effort  have  made  the  book  possible. 

Wynkoop  Hallenbeck  Crawford  Co. 


Copyright  1922,  by 
Wynkoop  Hallenbeck  Crawford  Co. 


FOREWORD 

Philadelphia's  patriotism  and  unswerving  loyalty  to  the 
Nation  were  never  more  plainly  manifested  than  during 
the  World  War.  Her  people  gave  without  stint,  of  their 
time  and  their  means;  many  were  wounded,  and  some, 
alas,  made  the  supreme  sacrifice  at  their  Country's  call. 
It  is  appropriate  that  a  record  of  their  work  shall  be  pre- 
served in  permanent  form  for  widespread  circulation. 
Interest  and  sentiment  alike  suggest  that  all  information 
concerning  the  activities  of  Philadelphians,  whether  in 
military,  naval,  civil,  industrial  or  financial  circles  during 
the  war,  shall  be  preserved  for  historical  reasons,  and  as 
an  inspiration  to  future  generations. 

The  Philadelphia  War  History  Committee,  which  was 
appointed  September  22,  1919,  by  the  Honorable  Thomas 
B.  Smith,  then  Mayor  of  Philadelphia,  and  continued  in 
office  during  my  administration,  has  been  steadily  at  work 
since  its  appointment,  gathering  material  for  a  compre- 
hensive history,  and  while  it  has  not  been  possible  to  bring 
within  the  compass  of  a  single  volume  all  the  details  of  the 
work  of  our  people,  it  is  hoped  that  this  volume  will  be 
welcomed  by  every  Philadelphian  as  a  worthy  memorial  of 
the  services  of  our  fellow  citizens  during  one  of  the  most 
vital  chapters  in  the  history  of  the  United  States. 

J.  HAMPTON  MOORE, 

Mayor 


877015 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Philadelphia's  War  Chronology 15 

Mayor  Smith's  War  Committees 46 

Philadelphia  Home  Defense  Reserve 55 

Philadelphia  School  Mobilization  Committee 60 

Joint  Councilmanic  Committee 65 

Student  Military  Training  Camps      . 78 

Philadelphia  Military  Training  Corps 81 

Military  Training  in  Local  Schools  and  Colleges 83 

U.    of    P.;    Drexel;    Hahnemann;    Jefferson;    St.    Joseph's;    Temple 

Pennsylvania  Women's  Division  for  National  Preparedness 90 

Local  Belgian  Relief  Committee 93 

History  of  the  28th  Division 94 

Work  of  the  Draft  Boards 126 

History  of  the  79th  Division 134 

History  of  Other  Philadelphia  Units 154 

American  Field  Service;  414th  Telegraph  Battalion;  19th  Engineers; 
Airmen  of  Philadelphia;  American  Foreign  Legion;  16th  Infantry; 
Women  in  the  Service;  Tank  Corps;  406th  Telegraph  Battalion;  State 
Fencibles;  Pioneer  Infantry  Regiments;  First  Troop,  P.  C.  C;  U.  S. 
A.  A.  S. ;  Military  Intelligence;  Colored  Units;  Baldwin's  Siberian 
Contingent. 

Base  Hospital  Units 201 

No.  10;  No.  20;  No.  34;  No.  38;  Hospital  Unit  A;  Red  Cross  General 
Hospital  No.  1. 

Frankford  and  Schuylkill  Arsenals 231 

Army  Casualty  List 249 

Fourth  Naval  District  Report  and 258 

Philadelphians  in  the  Navy;  Recruiting  for  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.;  Naval 
Intelligence;  Naval  Militia  of  Pennsylvania;  Camouflage  Painting; 
Naval  Base  No.  5;  U.  S.  Naval  Commissary  Schools. 


CONTENTS—  Continued 

PAGE 

Naval  Casualty  List 331 

History  of  Philadelphia  Marines 333 

Marine  Casualty  List 342 

Pennsylvania  and  Philadelphia  Councils  of  National  Defense     ....  343 

The  Port  of  Philadelphia 357 

Work  of  U.  S.  Shipping  Board  and  Local  Ship  Yards 361 

Cramps;  Merchant   Shipbuilding   Corp.;  N.   Y.   Shipbuilding  Corp.; 

Sun  Shipbuilding  Co.;  Traylor. 

Manning  the  Merchant  Marine 399 

Philadelphia  Ordnance  District 403 

Some  Wartime  Industries  of  Philadelphia 410 

Alexander  Brothers;  Alteneder;  American  Metal  Works;  American 
Pulley  Co.;  Baldwin;  Bethlehem  Steel  Co.;  Blaisdell  Pencil  Co.; 
J.  G.  Brill  Co.;  E.  G.  Budd;  Ford  Motor  Co.;  Abram  Cox;  Day  and 
Zimmermann,  Inc.;  Heller  and  Brightly;  Janney,  Steinmetz  &  Co.; 
Lupton;  John  Lucas  &  Co.;  Fayette  R.  Plumb,  Inc.;  Jacob  Reed's 
Sons ;  Shoemaker  and  Busch ;  Smith,  Kline  and  French  Co. ;  Summerill 
Tubing  Co. ;  J.  S.  Thorn  Co. ;  John  Wood  Mfg.  Co. ;  Tacony  Steel  Co. ; 
A.  H.  Fox;  Taylor- Wharton ;  Hale  and  Kilburn;  du  Ponts;  Hercules 
Powder  Co.;  Midvale  Steel  Co.;  Niles-Bement-Pond. 

Bell  Telephone  Co.  of  Penna 457 

Board  of  Trade .462 

Chamber  of  Commerce 465 

Commercial  Museums 466 

War  Industries  Board    .  469 

Some  Federal  Agencies 474 

Federal  Reserve  Bank;  War  Savings  Division;  Liberty  Loans;  Foreign 
Language  Division;  Four-Minute  Men;  Fuel,  Food  and  Railroad 
(including  B.  &  0.  R.  R.;  P.  R.  R.;  P.  &  R.  Ry.)  Administrations; 
Employment  Service;  American  Railway  Express. 

The  Newspapers'  Part  in  the  War 515 

The  Pennsylvania  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts  and  Local  Artists      .      .      .     517 
American  Red  Cross 523 


CONTENTS—  Continued 

PAGE 

Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsylvania d54 

Relief  Activities 

American  Friends  Service  Committee;  National  League  for  Woman's 
Service;  Navy  League;  P.  R.  R.  Women's  Division  for  War  Relief; 
Pennsylvania  Society,  Colonial  Dames  of  America;  Women's  Land 
Army;  Women's  Permanent  Emergency  Association  of  Germantown. 

k  *•  •*•  ...     620 

Religious  Activities 

Protestant  Churches  and  Organizations. 

Roman  Catholic  Archdiocese. 

Jewish  Congregations  and  Organizations. 

War  Time  Recreational  Work 

A.  L.  A.;  Free  Library;  Community  Singing;  Historical  Hikes;  J.  W.  B.; 
K.  of  C;  Benedict  Service  Club;  Salvation  Army;  United  Service 
Club;  W.  C.  C.  S.;  War  Emergency  Unit;  Historical  Society  of  Penn- 
sylvania; Y.  M.  C.  A.;  Y.  W.  C.  A.;  War  Welfare  Council. 

Women's  Clubs 

Civic;  New  Century;  Philomusian. 

694 
Men's  Clubs 

Aero;  Art;  Engineers;  Markham;  Mercantile;  Penn;  Philadelphia; 
Philadelphia  Country;  Racquet;  Rotary;  University;  Union  League; 

Franklin  Institute. 

711 
University  of  Pennsylvania 

"i  ^ 
Bureau  of  Municipal  Research 

North  American  Civic  League  for  Immigrants  ....•• 

^,.    ,     r.  •  ^16 

Boy  and  Girl  Scouts 

719 
British  and  Canadian  Recruiting  Mission ■      -      • 

725 
The  Return  of  Troops 

™    .  .  .745 

Vocational  Training 

War  Department's  Work  for  Demobilized  Troops 

.756 
The  American  Legion 

Military  Order  of  Foreign  Wars 

759 
Military  Order  of  the  World  War 

National  American  War  Mothers 

_      .      —  .  762 

Philadelphia  s  Service  Flag ;      •      •      • 


INTRODUCTION 

PHILADELPHIA  is  probably  the  most  native  American  of  all  the  large 
cities  in  the  United  States,  and  is  certainly  second  to  none  in  patriotism. 
Her  loyalty  has  been  shown  upon  every  battlefield  which  has  marked  the 
Nation's  history — in  Mexico,  in  the  Philippines,  in  Cuba,  and  alas,  in  France — 
and  none  the  less  by  those  who,  kept  at  home,  spared  neither  time  nor  treasure 
for  those  who  went  away.  It  is  well  to  record  such  loyalty  and  to  publish  the  same, 
so  that  the  present,  as  well  as  the  future,  may  know  what  was  done  and  may 
again  be  done  by  a  united  people. 

This  book  is  such  a  record.  It  aims  to  be  a  comprehensive  history  of  the  part 
Philadelphia  played  in  the  World  War.  To  publish  everything  her  people  did  is 
manifestly  impossible.  Neither  Municipal,  State  nor  Federal  archives  have 
yet  been  completed,  but  it  is  hoped  that  in  the  following  pages  no  important 
work  has  gone  without  mention,  and  that  at  least  some  credit  has  been  given  to 
all  the  different  activities  in  which  her  people  were  engaged.  Nearly  100,000  of 
her  young  men  and  women  were  in  the  Army  or  Navy,  or  in  some  branch  of  the 
Federal  service  directly  connected  therewith,  and  few  indeed  of  her  400,000  homes 
but  witnessed  some  effort  towards  winning  the  war. 

Philadelphia  was  the  most  congested  war  material  producing  district  in  the 
United  States,  and  the  total  amount  of  her  output  and  its  varied  character  are 
extraordinary.  Her  ships,  her  locomotives  and  her  trucks,  her  guns,  rifles  and 
shells,  her  medicines  and  chemicals,  and  her  military  and  naval  supplies  of  all 
kinds,  were  produced  in  enormous  quantities,  with  amazing  speed,  and  promptly 
sent  wherever  needed. 

From  the  day  Archduke  Ferdinand  of  Austria  was  assassinated,  June  28, 
1914,  the  work  of  the  municipality  and  her  citizens  began,  preparedness  merely, 
but  none  the  less  earnest  work  against  possible  eventualities.  The  War  Chronology 
prepared  by  Mr.  Clark  and  published  herewith  will  give  at  a  glance  the  gradual 
sequence  with  which  the  road  to  war  was  marked. 

On  March  20,  1917,  the  Mayor  appointed  a  Home  Defense  Committee, 
and  from  that  time  until  February  4,  1921,  when  the  last  of  122  ships  were  deliv- 
ered by  the  American  International  Shipbuilding  Corporation  from  the  plant  at 
Hog  Island,  the  city's  activities  never  ceased.  When  President  Wilson,  on  April 
6,  1917,  declared  a  state  of  war  with  Germany  to  exist,  instant  support  was  offered 
the  Government.  While  the  Philadelphia  Home  Defense  Committee  was  still 
in  session,  the  Mayor  wired  the  President  pledging  the  ungrudging  support  of 
all  the  men  and  women  of  Philadelphia  and  all  the  City's  resources  to  maintain 
the  honor  and  dignity  of  the  Nation  and  to  protect  the  lives  and  property  of 
Americans  on  land  and  sea,  and  this  pledge  was  carried  out  to  the  letter. 

The  work  of  the  Philadelphia  Home  Defense  Committee  was  afterwards 
largely  taken  over  by  the  Pennsylvania  Committee  of  Public  Safety  when  a  Phila- 
delphia Branch  was  appointed  for  the  Council  of  National  Defense,  and  after 
the  termination  of  hostilities,  when  the  work  of  the  Philadelphia  Council  was 
completed,  its  Chairman,  Judge  Martin,  suggested  that  the  historical  research 


which  it  had  conducted  should  be  continued  by  the  appointment  of  a  Philadelphia 
War  History  Committee.  The  Council  had  collected  a  large  number  of  photo- 
graphs showing  the  war-time  activities  in  Philadelphia,  and  had  commenced 
the  work  of  securing  the  war  records  of  Philadelphia  men  and  women  in  service. 
A  house  to  house  canvass  had  been  made  by  the  Police  Department,  and  some 
55  000  records  obtained,  but  much  remained  to  be  done.  The  suggestion  of  Judge 
Martin  was  accepted  and  a  Committee  appointed  which  organized  as  follows: 
John  Frederick  Lewis,  Chairman;  J.  Jarden  Guenther,  Secretary;  Mrs.  J.  Willis 
Martin,  Mrs.  Barclay  H.  Warburton,  Franz  Ehrlich,  Jr.,  James  E.  Lennon,  Dr. 
Edward  B.  Gleason,  John  V.  Loughney  and  Howard  Wayne  Smith.  This  Com- 
mittee received  a  small  balance  of  an  appropriation  which  had  been  made  by 
City  Councils  to  the  Philadelphia  Council  of  National  Defense,  subsequently 
followed  by  a  small  appropriation  for  clerical  and  stenographic  service,  and  with 
these  funds  and  the  assistance  of  the  Women's  Committee  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Council  of  National  Defense,  all  the  material  in  this  book  has  been  gotten  together 

for  publication.  , 

To  J.  Jarden  Guenther,  the  Secretary  of  the  Committee,  acknowledgment 
is  made  for  faithful  and  skilful  service,  but  the  printing  and  publication  of  the 
book  are  due  entirely  to  the  public  spirit  and  enterprise  of  the  Wynkoop  Hallenbeck 
Crawford  Company  of  New  York,  which  has  made  an  enviable  record  issuing  war 

histories.  _•'"'„  T 

John  Frederick  Lewis. 


PHILADELPHIA'S  WAR  CHRONOLOGY 


By  William  Bell  Clark 


PHILADELPHIA'S  varied  part  in  the  World  War  from 
June,  1914,  to  the  beginning  of  1921,  is  here  arranged  in 
chronological  order.  The  dates  of  the  great  national  or 
international  events  of  the  same  period  are  shown  in  italics 
and  form  a  basis  of  correlation  with  the  local  happenings. 
•  In  no  sense  is  this  a  complete  chronology  of  the  city 
in  the  war.  To  attempt  to  tell  everything  that  happened, 
even  through  the  medium  of  a  sentence  apiece,  would  re- 
quire more  space  than  this  entire  volume.  Hence,  only 
the  more  important  events  are  set  forth.  For  illustration: 
the  histories  of  the  national  guard  units  or  the  drafted  men  are  not  attempted 
after  the  departure  from  the  city.  Those  desirous  of  following  them  can  do  so 
elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

In  arranging  the  chronology,  the  files  of  the  local  newspapers  were  used  and 
the  compiler  sought  to  refrain  from  interpolating  anything  which,  censured  during 
the  war  period,  has  been  made  public  since.  For  this  reason  there  will  be  found 
little  regarding  what  happened  at  the  Navy  Yard  after  April,  1916.  The  work  of 
the  Yard  remained  a  closed  book  to  the  public  until  the  war  ended. 

Questions  of  space  made  it  imperative  not  to  attempt  to  recount  every  draft 
call  from  the  city;  every  launching  at  the  numerous  shipyards;  every  meeting  or 
rally  of  the  loan  and  other  campaigns,  etc.  The  principal  dates  are  given  through- 
out in  the  cases  of  the  loans — opening,  closing,  subscriptions — and  one  or  two 
important  incidents. 

The  war  period,  particularly  the  year  1918,  was  filled  with  propaganda.  At 
times  it  required  a  nice  distinction  to  ascertain  just  what  was  news  and  what 
represented  press  agenting  of  war  activities.  This  was  particularly  true  in  the 
recruiting  campaigns  and  the  many  activities  under  the  Food  and  Fuel  Adminis- 
trations and  various  branches  of  the  Pennsylvania  Committee  of  Public  Safety 
and  Council  of  National  Defense. 

Undoubtedly  there  will  be  many  who  may  feel  that  their  own  activities 
have  been  slighted  or  overlooked.  To  them  it  can  only  be  said  that  space 
was  at  a  premium  and  all  that  could  be  crowded  into  that  space  appears  in 
the  chronology. 

15 


1914 
June       28 — Archduke  Francis   Ferdinand,   of  Austria-Hungary,   and  his   wife,   assassinated   in 

Serajevo. 
July         6 — Pennsylvania  Naval  Militia  (Philadelphia  Battalion),  sails  for  two  weeks'  practise 

cruise  on  U.  S.  S.  Rhode  Island. 
July         9 — First  annual  German  Day,  held  at  Lemon  Hill,  by  German-American  societies  of 

the  city. 
July       20 — U.  S.  Destroyer  O'Brien  launched  at  Cramps. 
July  .    ZS-B-Aristria-Hungarian  ultimatum  delivered  to  Serbia. 

,  V    •  )+*wn&a  S.   S.  Prinz  Adalbert  sails  with  Philadelphia  passenger,  Dr.  Maximilian 
tt  (  ,      ,  Roedmann;  ship  subsequently  put  into  Falmouth,  England,  and  is  seized  as  prize. 
#1$Y   :   25- — Aiufi  o- Hungary  receives  and  rejects  Serbia's  reply  to  the  ultimatum. 
July       26 — Austria-Hungary  and  Russia  begin  mobilization. 
July        28 — Austria-Hungary  declares  war  against  Serbia. 

Paris  Bourse  closed. 
July       29 — Russia  completes  mobilization  in  districts  of  Odessa,  Kiev,  Moscow  and  Kazan. 

Austro-Hungarian   Consulate   at   8th   and   Spruce   streets   besieged    by    reservists 
awaiting  call  to  arms. 
July       30 — Russia  orders  complete  mobilization  in  all  districts. 

Philadelphia  Stock  Market  feels  first  effects  of  war  alarms. 
July       31 — Germany  sends  Russia  ultimatum  to  stop  every  war  measure  within  twelve  hours. 
London  Stock  Exchange  closed. 
Philadelphia  Stock  Exchange  closed. 

Cancelation  of  sailing  orders  for  German  liner  Imperator  temporarily  maroons  a 
number  of  Philadelphians  in  Hamburg,  including  Morris  L.  Clothier,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  George  W.  Kendrick,  3d,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herbert  J.  Tily. 
Aug.         1 — France  orders  mobilization. 

Germany  declares  war  against  Russia. 

Austro-Hungarian  Consulate  receives  Imperial  order  calling  home  every  Austrian 

and  Hungarian,  between  21  and  33. 
American  liner  Merion  sails  from  Philadelphia  with  150  passengers. 
Thirty  million  in  gold  transferred  from  local  U.  S.  Mint  to  Sub-Treasury,  New  York. 
Aug.         2 — Germany  demands  free  passage  for  her  troops  across  Belgium. 
Aug.         3 — Germany  declares  war  against  France. 

Germany  serves  ultimatum  on  Belgium  and  violates  teller's  border. 

France  declares  war  on  Germany. 

Philadelphia  Clearing  House  decides  to  issue  certificates  to  protect  gold  supply 

from  depletion  by  European  demands. 
Newspapers  begin  to  list  hundreds  of  local  tourists  caught  in  the  war  zone. 
Aug.        4 — Great  Britain  serves  ultimatum  on  Germany  regarding  violation  of  Belgian  neutrality. 
German  armies  begin  attack  on  Liege  forts. 
Germany  declares  war  on  Belgium. 
President  Wilson  issues  Neutrality  Proclamation. 

North  German  Lloyd  liner  Kronprincessin  Cecilie,  after  vainly  trying  to  make 
German  port  with  $10,600,000  in  gold,  runs  into  Bar  Harbor,  Me.,  the  local  pas- 
sengers on  board  including  Morris  L.  Cooke,  Dr.  Francis  X.  Dercum,  Robert 
Glendinning,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph  B.  McCall,  Joseph  B.  McCall,  Jr.,  and  Miss 
Leonore  McCall. 
British  Consulate  instructed  to  inform  British  ships  not  to  enter  German  ports. 
Fifty  French  reservists  leave  local  consulate  for  New  York. 
Aug.         5 — Great  Britain  declares  war  against  Germany. 

North  German  Lloyd  liner  Bradenburg  reaches  port  after   pursuit   off  Delaware; 

left  Bremen,  July  23d  with  387  passengers. 
Hamburg-American  liner  Prinz  Oskar  arrives  in  Delaware. 
Aug.         6 — Austria-Hungary  declares  war  against  Russia. 
Serbia  declares  war  against  Germany. 
Philadelphia  Sub-Treasury  accepts  deposits  for  Americans  marooned  abroad. 

16 


Aug.        6 — Mauretania  reaches  Halifax  with  the  Philadelphians  who  had  been  delayed  in  Ham- 
burg when  Imperator  failed  to  sail. 
Aug.         7 — Italian  liner  Ancona  arrives  at  Philadelphia. 

First  Brigade,  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania,  leaves  for  two  weeks'  training  at 
Mt.  Gretna. 
Aug.         8 — Montenegro  declares  war  against  Austria-Hungary. 
Aug.         9 — Austria-Hungary  declares  war  against  Montenegro. 

Montenegro  declares  war  against  Germany. 
Aug.       10 — German  warships  "Goeben'  and  "Breslau"  enter  the  Dardanelles. 

American  liner  Haverford  arrives  from  Liverpool  with  555  passengers  who  had  been 

kept  in  ignorance  of  war  declarations. 
Italian  liner  Ancona  sails  with  800  passengers,  mostly  reservists. 
Aug.       13 — France  and  Great  Britain  declare  war  against  Austria-Hungary. 
Aug.       14 — First  British  Expeditionary  Force  begins  to  arrive  in  France. 
Aug.       15 — Haverford  sails  for  Liverpool  with  seventy-three  passengers. 
Aug.       17 — Last  Liege  forts  fall. 
Aug.       18 — Charles  J.  Hexamer,  president  of  National  German  Alliance,  issues  appeal  to  keep 

Japan  out  of  the  war  and  save  the  Pacific  from  Japanese  domination. 
Aug.       19 — U.  S.  Destroyer  Nicholson  launched  at  Cramps. 

Aug.       22 — North  German  Lloyd  liner  Bradenburg  sails  with  heavy  cargo  of  coal.      (Note: 
The  Bradenburg  eluded  the  Allied  blockade,  coaled  a  German  raider,  and  reached 
Norway  in  safety.) 
Aug.      23 — Japan  declares  war  against  Germany. 
Belgian  forts  at  Namur  fall. 

Serbia  defeats  Auslro-Hungarian  invaders  at  Jadar. 
Aug.       24 — British  forced  back  at  Mons. 
Aug.       26 — British  defeated  at  La  Cateau. 
Aug.       27 — Austria-Hungary  declares  war  against  Japan. 

Paul  Hagemans,  Belgian  Consul-General,  denounces  bombing  of  defenseless  cities 
by  Zeppelins. 
Aug.       28 — Austria-Hungary  declares  war  against  Belgium. 

British  light  cruisers  defeat  Germans  at  Helgoland  Bight. 
Aug.       30 — Bussian  army  annihilated  at  Tannenburg. 

Sept.        1 — American  liner  Merion  reaches  Philadelphia  with  408  passengers. 
Sept.        3 — Twelve  Philadelphia  nurses,   headed  by  Miss  Margaret  Lehman,  leave  for  Bed 

Cross  work  in  Europe. 
Sept.        5 — The  Battle  of  the  Marne  opens. 

Merion  sails  for  Liverpool  with  forty-eight  passengers. 
Sept.        9 — German  armies  retreat  toward  the  Aisne. 
Sept.      11 — German  and  Austro-Hungarian  Consuls  devise  plan  to  give  Central  Empire  war 

news  jointly. 
Sept.      13 — Battle  of  the  A  isne  opens. 
Sept.      14 — Italian  liner  Ancona  arrives  at  Philadelphia  with  111  passengers. 

Haverford,  American  Line,  arrives  at  Philadelphia  with  458  passengers. 
Sept.      19 — Knights  Templar  of  First  (Pennsylvania)  Division,  at  fourteenth  Annual  Field  Day 

on  Belmont  Plateau,  pray  for  restoration  of  peace  in  Europe. 
Sept.      20 — First  Belgian  Mission  to  the  United  States,  headed  by  M.  H.  Carton  de  Wiart. 

Minister  of  Justice,  visits  Philadelphia. 
Sept.      21 — Secretary  of  the  Navy  Daniels  present  at  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard,  for  opening 

of  work  on  new  $200,000  shipway. 
Sept.      22 — British  cruisers  "Aboukir"  "Hogue"  and  "Cressy"  torpedoed  and  sunk  by  U-9. 
Sept.      30 — Battle  of  the  Aisne  ends  in  a  draw. 
Oct.         5 — American  liner  Merion  arrives  at  Philadelphia  with  418  passengers. 

Citizens'    Permanent    Belief    Committee,    Mayor    Blankenburg,   Chairman,   issues 
appeal  for  money  for  war  sufferers  to  be  expended  by  Bed  Cross. 
Oct.         9 — Antwerp  falls  to  the  Germans. 

17 


Oct.       12 — Mrs.  Edward  S.  Sayres  organizes  Local  Belgian  Relief  Committee. 

Oct.        14 — Belgian   Consul   General  Hagemans  makes  appeal  in    connection   with   the    visit 

of  Mme.  Emile  Van  der  Velde,  wife  of  the  Belgian  Minister  of  State. 
Oct.        19 — American  liner  Haverford  arrives  at  Philadelphia  with  428  passengers. 
Oct.        20 — Committee  of  Mercy,  forerunner  of  Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsylvania,  formed  at 

meeting  at  home  of  Mrs.  Eli  Kirk  Price,  1709  Walnut  Street. 
Oct.       22 — Child  Federation  opens  booth  in  City  Hall    courtyard    for    Christmas    gifts    for 

orphaned  little  ones  of  Europe. 
Oct.       28 — Germans  open  attack  on  Ypres  front  in  race  for  Channel  ports. 
Oct.       30 — Emergency  Aid  Committee  of  Pennsylvania  formed,  and  headquarters   opened   at 

1428  Walnut  Street. 
Nov.        1 — Cradock's  British  fleet  dispersed  and  partly  destroyed  by  Von  Spee's  German  Squadron 

off  Coronet,  Chili. 
Nov.        3 — Russia  declares  war  against  Turkey. 

Great  Britain  declares  the  North  Sea  a  "military  area"  and  restricts  neutral  shipping 
Martin  G.  Brumbaugh  elected  Governor  of  Pennsylvania. 
Nov.        4 — Emergency  Aid  Committee  sends  first  consignment  of  16  cases  for  European  relief. 
Nov.        5 — Great  Britain  and  France  declare  war  against  Turkey. 
Nov.        7 — Japan  captures  German  Chinese  concession  at  Tsintau. 

John  Wanamaker  charters  Norwegian  S.  S.  Thelma,  as  Belgian  food  ship,  and  Com- 
mittee of  Publishers  is  formed  to  raise  money  to  stock  same. 
Nov.        9 — German   commerce   destroyer   "Emden"   sunk   by    Australian    cruiser   "Sydney"   off 

South  Keeling  Island. 
Nov.      12 — German  attack  on  Ypres  front  ends. 

Belgian  relief  ship  Thelma  sails  with  1,700  tons  of  food. 
Nov.      23 — Turkey  declares  war  against  the  Entente. 

Nov.      25 — Second  foodship,  the  Orn,  sails  for  Beligum  with  2,000  tons  of  food. 
Nov.      27 — British  super-dreadnaught  "Audacious"  sunk  by  mine  off  north  coast  of  Ireland. 
Foodship  Thelma  reaches  Falmouth,  England. 


Mayor  Blankenburg  and  Committee  speeding  the  Relief  Ship  "Orn" 

18 


Nov.      28 — Emergency  Aid  Committee  takes  over  basement  of  Lincoln  Building  for  five  depart- 

-  ments. 
Nov.      29 — Food  ship  Thelma  leaves  Falmouth. 
Dec.         2 — Serbia  declares  war  against  Turkey. 

$198,891.06  and   $60,000  worth  of  food  raised  in  Philadelphia  and  surrounding 

towns  for  Thelma  and  Orn,  according  to  report  of  Publishers'  Committee. 
Dec.         5 — Foodship  Thelma  reaches  Rotterdam. 

British  S.  S.  Batiscan,  with  6,700  tons  of  wheat  and  grain,  sails  from  Philadelphia 

under  auspices  of  American  Commission  for  Relief  in  Belgium. 
Dec.         8 — Von  Spee's  German  Squadron  destroyed  by  Slurdee's  British  fleet  off  Falkland  Islands. 
Dec.       10 — Councils   appropriate   $50,000  for  relief  of  the  city's  destitute;  fund  administered 

jointly  with  Emergency  Aid. 
Dec.       14 — Emergency  Aid's  three  day  "Made  in  America  Bazaar,"  opens  in  Horticultural  Hall, 

Broad  Street,  below  Locust  Street. 
Dec.  19 — Food  ship  Orn  arrives  at  Rotterdam. 
Dec.       25 — British  S.  S.  Ferrona,  with  256,005  bushel*  of  wheat,  sails  from  Philadelphia  under 

auspices  of  American  Commission  for  Relief  of  Belgium. 
Dec.       26 — American   Government  protests  against   Great  Britain's   "military  area"    order    and 

irregularities  of  such  a  blockade. 
Dec.       30— British  S.  S.  Industry,  with  5,000  tons  of  foodstuffs,  including  $57,000  worth  pur- 
chased by  Philadelphia  Belgian  Relief  Committee,  sails  from  Philadelphia  under 

auspices  of  American  Commission  for  Relief  of  Belgium. 
1915 
Jan.         7 — Great  Britain's  reply  to  American  protest  declares  that  increased  American  trade  with 

neutrals  implies  additional  contraband  goods  destined  for  Germany. 
Hebrews  at  meeting  in  Mercantile  Hall  inaugurate  $100,000  campaign   for   relief 

of  starving  Jews  in  war  zone. 
Jan.         8 — Battle  of  Soissons  opens. 

Jan.        11 — "Made  in  America  Bazaar"  profits  announced  as  $50,301.10. 
Jan.        15 — Battle  of  Soissons  ends. 
Jan.        19 — Governor  Brumbaugh  inaugurated. 

Jan.       24 — German  cruiser  "Biucher"  sunk  in  sea-fight  on  Dogger  Bank. 
Feb.         4 — Germany  proclaims  a  "war  zone"  around  the  British  Isles. 
Feb.         9 — American  liner  Haverford  arrives  with  seventy  passengers. 
Feb.       10 — Great  Britain  amplifies  reply  of  January  7th. 

American  note  protests  German  "war  zone"  order. 
Feb.       12 — "Self-Sacrifice  Day,"  for  poor  of  city,  held  under  auspices  of  Emergency  Aid   to 

raise  $100,000.     (Fund  completed  in  ten  days.) 
Feb.       18 — German  "war  zone"  order  becomes  effective. 
Feb.       20 — American  note,  identical  to  Great  Britain  and  Germany,  suggests  compromise  to  make 

situation  of  neutrals  more  tolerable. 
March     5 — Philadelphia    Committee    on    American    Ambulance    Hospital,    at    Paris,    reports 

$23,222.73  raised  for  establishment  of  Philadelphia  ward. 
March   10 — German  commerce  raider  "Prinz  Eitel  Friedrich"  enters  Newport  News.     (Subsequently 

interned.) 
Battle  of  Neuve  Chapelle  opens. 
March   12 — British  abandon  attack  at  Neuve  Chapelle. 
March  22 — Austrian  fortress  at  Przemysl  (Galicia)  falls  to  Bussians. 
March  28 — British  S.  S.   "Falaba"  sunk  by  submarine  in  St.  George's  Channel;  one  American 

life  lost. 
April      11 — German  commerce  raider  " Kronprinz  Wilhelm"  enters  Newport  News.     (Subsequently 

interned.) 
April      22 — Germans  first  use  gas  in  second  Battle  of  Ypres. 
April      24 — British  Expeditionary  Force  lands  at  Gallipoli  (Dardanelles). 
April      27 — Italian  liner  Ancona  arrives  with  444  passengers. 
April      28 — German  aeroplane  drops  three  bombs  on  American  S.  S.  "Cushing." 

19 


April     29 — Home  of  Dr.  Pasquale  Gorgas,  physician  to  Italian  Consulate,  bombed  because  be 

refused  to  give  sick  certificates  to  reservists  to  avoid  war  service. 
May        1 — Germany    begins  offensive    on    entire  Russian  front.     American  tanker   "Gulflighl" 

torpedoed,  eleven  killed. 
May        7 — Cunard  liner  "Lusitania"  torpedoed  and  sunk  off  Old  Head  of  Kinsale,  south  of  Ireland; 
1,153  lost,  including  188  Americans. 
Philadelphians  lost  on  Lusitania:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paul  Crompton  with  six  children 
and  governess,  Miss  Dorothy  Allen,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harry  J.  Kesser,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
William  S.  Hodges  and  two  sons,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  H.  Robinson,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  E.  Booth  Jones  and  two  children,  David  Todd  and  George  Nicoll. 
Philadelphians  saved  on  Lusitania:  Samuel  M.  Knox,  Herman  A.  Meyers,  Thomas 
J.  Williams. 
May        9 — Battle  of  Artois  begins. 
May       10 — President  Wilson  makes  "Too  Proud  to  Fight"  speech  at  Convention  Hall  to  4,000 

newly  naturalized  citizens. 
May      13 — America  sends  first  "Lusitania"  note. 

May      18 — Street  sale  of  Polish  flags  marks  Polish  Flag  Day  observance,  under  auspices  of 
Polish  Committee  of  Emergency  Aid. 
"Peace  Day"  observed  in  city  schools. 

Charles  P.  Weikel  is  first  Pbiladelphian  to  enroll  in  newly  created  Naval  Reserve. 
May       19 — Portugal  declares  war  against  Germany. 

Battle  of  Artois  ends. 
May      24 — Italy  and  San  Marino  declare  war  against  Austria-Hungary. 

May      31 — German  reply  on  "Lusitania"  justifies  attack  on  contention  that  vessel  was  semi-military. 
June        2 — American  liner  Dominion  arrives  with  114  passengers  from  Liverpool  and  Queens- 
town;  one  dies  of  fright  during  submarine  scare. 
June        8 — Secretary  of  State  Bryan  resigns  on  eve  of  second  American  note  on  "Lusitania." 
June      12 — Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  announce  receipt  of  order  in  amount  of  $6,000,000 

for  250  locomotives  for  Russia. 
June       14 — Italian  liner  Ancona  leaves  for  Italy  with  400  reservists. 
July         9 — First  Brigade,  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania,  leaves  for  Mt.  Gretna,  for  two 

weeks'  encampment. 
July       10 — German  reply  to  second  "Lusitania"  note  makes  no  disavowal. 

July       14 — French  War  Relief  Committee  of  Emergency  Aid  observes  Bastile  Day,  and  makes 
plea  for  relief  contributions. 
French  residents  observe  Bastile  Day  at  Central  Park. 
July       19 — Eddystone  Munitions  Corporation,  incorporated  by  Baldwin  Locomotive  Company 

to  handle  munitions  orders  amounting  to  $81,200,000. 
July       21 — Third  American  note  on  "Lusitania"  declares  German  reply  "very  unsatisfactory." 
July       22 — Italian  liner  Ancona  sails  for  Italy  with  300  reservists. 

Philadelphia  Branch  of  National  Security  League  holds  conference  on  national 
defense  at  Racquet  Club,  John  Wanamaker  advocating  nation  pledge  its  resources 
in  the  sum  of  $100,000,000,  to  redeem  Belgium  and  restore  peace  in  Europe. 
July  28 — Italian  Consulate  issues  final  call  to  arms,  more  than  3,000  reservists  having  already 
responded,  but  25,000  estimated  in  district  embracing  all  of  Pennsylvania  and 
West  Virginia. 
July       29 — Members  of  Atlantic  Deeper  Waterways  Association,  after  inspecting  defenses  of 

Delaware,  declare  them  inadequate. 
Aug.        5 — Warsaw  (Poland)  captured  by  Germans. 

City  Solicitor  Michael  J.  Ryan,  in  requested  opinion,  holds  that  reservists  who  leave 
city  and  desert  dependents,  should  be  arrested, 
^sug.  £      9 — Many  Philadelphians  leave  city  to  attend  four  weeks'  military  training  camp  at 

Plattsburg,  N.  Y. 
Aug.       17 — American  liner  Dominion  arrives  and  crew  describe  how  American  liner  Merian, 
camouflaged  as  a  super-dreadnaught,  was  sunk  by  German  submarines  under 
that  impression  at  the  Dardanelles. 

20 


Aug.       18 — Emergency  Aid  forms  Italian  Relief  Committee. 

British  liner  "Arabic"  sunk  off  Ireland,  forty-four  passengers,  including  two  Americans, 
lost. 
Aug.       21 — Italy  declares  war  against  Turkey. 
Aug.       28 — Provisional  battalion  of  175  men  of  Second  Infantry  leave  for  Panama-Pacific 

Exposition. 
Sept.        4 — State  Fencibles  open  three-day  training  camp  at  Broomall,  Delaware  County. 
Sept.        6 — Constatter    Volksvest    Verein,  at  Central  Park,  opens  for  three-day  celebration, 

funds  to  go  to  German  war  sufferers. 
Sept.        8 — Many  Philadelphians  attend  second  Plattsburg  training  camp. 
Sept.      10 — President  Wilson  requests  Austria-Hungary  to  recall  Ambassador  Conslanlin  Theodor 

Dumba. 
Sept.      17 — Baldwin's  receive  contract  for  British  high  explosive  shells,  said  to    amount  to 

$40,000,000. 
Sept.      18 — Colonel  Fred  Taylor  Camp,  Sons  of  Veterans,  observe  "Preparedness  Day,"  in 

Kensington. 
Sept.      20 — Italians  forego  usual  parade,  celebrating  King  Victor  Emmanuel's  triumphal  entry 

into  Rome  forty-five  years  previous,  and  donate  funds  instead  to  Italian  war 

relief  work. 
Sept.      25 — British  and  French  offensives  at  Loos  and  in  Champagne  open. 
Oct.         6 — Loos  and  Champagne  fighting  ends. 

German  and  Auslro-Hungarian  invasion  of  Serbia  begins. 
Oct.        12 — Emergency  Aid  opens  free  employment  bureau  at  1519  Arch  Street. 
Oct.        14 — Bulgaria  declares  war  against  Serbia. 
Oct.        15 — Great  Britain  and  Serbia  declare  war  against  Bulgaria. 
Oct.       16 — France  declares  war  against  Bulgaria. 
Oct.        19 — Italy  and  Russia  declare  war  against  Bulgaria. 

Oct.       22 — Drexel  Biddle  Bible  Class  opens  six  weeks'  military  instruction  camp  at  Landsdowne. 
Oct.       25 — Emergency  Aid's  report  of  first  year's  work  shows  14,119  home  relief  cases  worked 

upon;  temporary  positions  secured  for  5,408  women  and  2,046  men,  and  permanent 

positions  secured  for  2,088  women  and  2,755  men. 
Nov.        1 — Government  seeks  sixty-three  Philadelphians  who  failed  to  return  passage  money 

loaned  them  when  caught  in  Europe,  at  outbreak  of  the  war. 
Nov.        2 — Thomas  B.  Smith  elected  mayor  of  Philadelphia. 
Nov.        5 — American  note  to  Great  Britain  protests  irregularities  of  Allied  blockade. 

France  declares  war  against  Turkey. 
Nov.        7 — Italian  liner  "Ancona"  sunk  by  submarine  in  Mediterranean;  nine  American  passengers 

lost. 
Nov.      10 — News  of  the  sinking  of  the  Ancona  results  in  furious  denunciations  in  Italian  colony. 
Nov.      11 — Madame  Paderewski,  wife  of  the  pianist  and  Polish  patriot,  sells  "Polish  Refugee 

Dolls"  at  the  Bellevue-Stratford. 
Nov.      23 — Philadelphia  Committee  on  American  Ambulance  Hospital,   Paris,   sends  second 

$15,000  for  Philadelphia  ward. 
Nov.      29 — Emergency  Aid  opens  week's  "Rummage  Sale"  at  war  relief  shop,   in  Widener 

Building. 
Dec.         4 — Henry  Ford's  "Out  of  the  Trenches  by  Christmas"  Peace  Party  sails  for  Europe. 
Dec.         6 — American  note  to  Austria-Hungary  denounces  sinking  of  "Ancona,"  and  demands 

punishment  of  U-boat  captain  and  reparation. 
Dec.       13 — Owen  Wister,   novelist,   appointed  to  publicity  committee  of  American  Defense 

Society. 
Steps  taken  to  form  Pennsylvania  branch  of  Navy  League. 
Dec.       14 — Women  meet  at  home  of  Mrs.  George  W.  Childs  Drexel  and  form  Pennsylvania 

Women's  Division  for  National  Preparedness. 
Dec.       19 — American  second  note  to  Austria-Hungary  renews  "Ancona"  demands. 
Dec.       21 — Security  League  holds  mass  meeting  in  Academy  of  Music,  with  James  M.  Beck 

and  E.  Alexander  Powell  as  chief  speakers,  and  inaugurates  campaign  for  100,000 

members  in  fifteen  days. 

21 


Dec.       24 — Remnant  of  Serbian  Army  escapes  invaders  and  reaches  Adriatic  shore. 
Dec.       29 — Austria-Hungary  yields  to  American  demands  on  "Ancona." 


1916 


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2 — British  S.  S.  "Persic"  sunk  in  Mediterranean;  American  Consul  lost. 
8 — British  complete  withdrawal  from  Gallipoli  (Dardanelles). 
13 — Major-General  Leonard  Wood  addresses  Pennsylvania  Women's  Division  for  National 

Preparedness,  in  Garrick  Theater. 
17 — Polish  Relief  Committee  of  Emergency  Aid,  holds  mass  meeting  at  Moose  Hall, 

Miss  Henrietta  Ely,  of  Rockefeller  Relief  Commission  to  Poland,  being  the  speaker. 
18 — American  note  to  Allies,  in  urging  disarmament  of  merchantmen,  contends  that  such 

armament  constitutes  an  auxiliary  cruiser. 
19 — National  Americanization  Committee  begins  two-day   conference  with  meeting  at 

Stotesbury  home. 
20 — Theodore  Roosevelt,  in  address  before  National  Americanization  Committee,  in 

Metropolitan  Opera  House,  condemns  hyphenated  citizens  and  urges  small,  efficient 

standing  army,  susceptible  to  trained  reinforcements. 
22 — Emergency  Aid  report  shows  that  $543,177  has  been  expended  in  war  relief  work 

since  inception. 
24 — Pennsylvania  Women's  Division  for  National  Preparedness  opens  week's  campaign 

to  enroll  women  in  well-defined  program  for  war  or  calamity  work;  recruiting 

station  established  in  Widener  Building. 
25 — Twenty-five  young   women   canvassers  begin  drive  for   membership  in   Security 

League. 
27 — Philadelphia  General  Relief  Committee  (Hebrew),  begins  campaign  to  raise  $50,000 

for  Jewish  war  victims  by  a  "tag  day." 
31 — Jewish  citizens,  at  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  pledge  $200,000  in  three  hours  for 

Jewish  war  victims. 
Pennsylvania  Division  of  Navy  League  appoints  committees  and  prepares  for  mem- 
bership campaign  with  Alexander  Van  Rensselaer  as  Chairman. 
1 — British  South  African  liner  "Appam"  arrives  at  Newport  News  under  German  prize 

crew,  having  been  taken  at  sea  January  15th  by  German  commerce  raider  "Moewe." 
8 — Drexel  Biddle  Bible  Class  plans  reserve  regiments  in  every  ward  in  city  to  be  known 

as  Drexel  Biddle  Military  Corps. 
10 — Secretary  of  War  Garrison  resigns  as  protest  against  American  military  program. 

German  and  Austria-Hungarian  Ambassadors   announce   that  after,  February  29th, 

all  armed  merchant  vessels  will  be  treated  as  auxiliary  cruisers. 
15 — American  note  to  belligerents  says  this  country  urges  no  changes  in  existing  rules  of 

warfare. 
21 — Germans  begin  attack  on  Verdun. 

Polish  law  and  medical  students  hold  ball  in  Lithuanian  Hall  for  Polish  war  sufferers. 
28 — First  American  presentation  of  Polish  Opera  "Verbum  Nobile,"  given  at  Metro- 
politan Opera  House,  under  auspices  of  Polish  Relief  Committee  of  Emergency 

Aid. 
9 — Portugal  commandeers  forty  German  and  Austrian  vessels  in  its  ports  and  Germany 

declares  war  as  a  result. 
Pancho  Villa  and  band  of  Mexican  outlaws  raid  Columbus,  N.  M. 
11 — Major-General  Leonard  Wood  addresses  Princeton  Club  of  Philadelphia,  on  pre- 
paredness. 
A.  J.  Drexel  Biddle,  by  telegram,  offers  Drexel  Biddle  Military  Corps  to  nation  in 

case  of  war  with  Mexico. 
15 — Austria-Hungary  declares  war  on  Portugal. 
18 — Secretary  Tumulty,  for  President  Wilson,  and  Adjutant-General  G.  W.  Read,  for 

War  Department,  acknowledge  Drexel  Biddle  Military  Corps  offer. 
23 — Third  payment  of  $15,000,  made  by  Philadelphia  Committee  of  American  Ambulance 

Hospital,  Paris. 
24 — British  S.  S.  "Sussex"  sunk  in  English  Channel;  twenty-five  American  passengers  on 

board  saved. 


22 


March  31 — Navy  League  begins  enrolling  civilians  for  volunteer  naval  service;  headquarters 

at  Racquet  Club. 
April        1 — Navy  League  secures  1,000  civilian  volunteers  in  first  day. 

April      11 — Chairmen  of  state  branches  of  Pennsylvania  Women's  Division  for  National  Pre- 
paredness, meet  here  to  plan  extension  of  work. 
April      17 — Company  A,  Philadelphia  Reserves,  Navy  League,  drills  at  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard. 
April      18 — American  note  on  sinking  liner  "Sussex"  without  warning,  sent  to  Germany. 
April      24 — Southeastern  Chapter,  American  Red  Cross,  formed  a  campaign  for  50,000  members, 
launched  with  exhibit  in  Widener  Ruilding. 
German  Bazaar  opens  for  week  at  Convention  Hall,  Broad  Street  and  Alleghany 
Avenue,  under  German  Red  Cross  and  German  Relief  Society. 
April      26 — Campaign  opens  to  raise  $500,000  in  ten  days  to  equip  citizens'  army  of  48,000  men 
as  part  of  Drexel  Biddle  Military  Corps;  banquet  at  Hotel  Adelphia,  with  General 
Leonard  Wood  as  chief  speaker. 
General  Townsend  and  British  force  surrender  at  Kut-el-Amara   (Mesopotamia),  to 
Turks. 
May        2 — Twenty-three  Philadelphians  leave  on  Navy  League  practise  cruise  on  U.  S.  Battle- 
ships Missouri,  Wisconsin  and  Ohio. 
May        3 — First  City  Troop  opens  classes  for  rookies  to  be  held  each  Wednesday  and  Thursday 

evenings  in  May  and  June.  t 

May        4 — German  note  renews  "Arabic"  pledges  and  assurances;  admits  "Sussex"  may  have  been 
sunk  by   U-boat,  but  gives  conditions  of  reparation  based  on  restriction  to  Allied 
blockade. 
Citizens  Army  of  Drexel  Biddle  Military  Corps  parades  and  attends  mass  meeting 
at  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  where  Governor,  Mayor  and  others  speak. 
May        8 — American  note  refuses  to  consider  other  questions   in   dispute   in  settling  sinking  of 
"Sussex." 
German  note  admits  sinking  "Sussex"  and  offers  reparation. 
May       18 — Austria-Hungarian  offensive  in  Italy  opens. 
May      31— First  day  of  the  Naval  Battle  of  Jutland. 

Plattsburg  rookies,  awaiting  camp  opening,  drill  at  Second  Regiment  Armory. 
June         1 — Battle  of  Jutland  ends  with  the  British  suffering  great  losses,  but  retaining  control 

of  the  sea. 
June        3 — Brusiloff  begins  Russian  offensive  against  Austria-Hungary. 
June        5 — Many  Philadelphians  attend  third  Plattsburg  training  camp. 
June        6 — Lord  Kitchener  lost  when  British  cruiser  "Hampshire"  strikes  mine  and  sinks   in 

North  Sea. 
June      10 — First  Brigade,  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania,  fights  sham  battle  on  Belmont 
Plateau,  and  camps  in  Fairmount  Park,  as  part  of  campaign  for  1,800  new  members, 
June       17 — U.  S.  Naval  Transport  Henderson  launched  at  Fourth  Annual  "Navy  Day"  cele- 
bration, at  League  Island. 
June       18 — Austrian  offensive  against  Italy  ends. 

President  Wilson  orders  National  Guard  of  country  to  Mexican  border. 
June       19 — Pennsylvania  National  Guard  receives  orders  to  mobilize  at  Mt.  Gretna,  not  later 
than  following  Wednesday. 
Mayor  Smith  issues  proclamation  to  display  flags  during  National  Guard  mobili- 
zation. 
June      20 — Brigadier-General  William  G.  Price,  Jr.,  orders  First  Brigade  (Philadelphia),  National 
Guard  of  Pennsylvania,  to  be  under  arms  in  armories,  on  morning  of  June  22d. 
Large  commercial  and  mercantile  houses  assure  employes  in  Guard  that  they  will 
be  paid  in  full,  or  in  part,  while  on  duty. 
June      21 — First  Brigade,  National  Guard  of    Pennsylvania,  ordered  to  Mt.  Gretna  on  June 
24th. 
Colonel  Charles  C.  Allen,  of  First  Infantry,  discharges  entire  band,  which  requested 
two  weeks'  delay  in  mobilization  to  fulfill  concert  orders. 
June      22 — Officers  of  First  Brigade  sworn  into  Federal  service  at  headquarters  in  Lincoln 
Building;  men  assemble  in  armories. 

23 


June      22 — Citizens  Soldiers'  Aid  Committee,  formed  at  meeting  in  Mayor's  reception  room, 

with  300  in  attendance;  an  executive  committee  of  twenty-five,  to  be  appointed 

by  the  Mayor,  authorized. 
June      23 — First  Brigade  passes  in  farewell  parade  down  Broad  Street. 
June      24 — First  Brigade,  in  special  trains  of  two  sections  for  each  regiment,  departs  for  Mt. 

Gretna. 
Emergency  Aid  Committee  proffers  aid  to  Citizens  Soldiers'  Aid  Committee  in  case 

of  war  with  Mexico. 
June      25 — Four  Philadelphia  cavalry  troops,  company  of  engineers  and  hospital  and  ambulance 

company  entrain  for  Mt.  Gretna. 
June      27 — Citizens  Soldiers'  Aid  Committee  completed,  with  Mayor  Smith,  as  Chairman,  launch 

work  for  relief  of  militiamen's  dependents. 
June      28 — Mayor's  office  and  Franklin  National  Bank  Building  used  as  recruiting  'offices  for 

volunteers  for  National  Guard. 
June      30 — Second  Begiment  leaves  for  Mt.  Gretna  for  border. 
July         1 — Verdun  fighting  ends. 

Battle  of  the  Somme  opens. 

Second  Begiment,  National    Guard  of    Pennsylvania,  passes    through  B.   &  O. 

Station,  at  1  a.m.;  luncheon  served  by  Pennsylvania  Women's  Division  for  National 

Preparedness;  vast  crowd  greets  soldiers  after  waiting  for  twenty-four  hours. 
First  Begiment,  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania  leaves  Mt.  Gretna  for  border. 
July         2 — Third  Begiment  leaves  Mt.  Gretna  for  border. 
July         6 — Four  Philadelphia  cavalry  troops  leave  Mt.  Gretna  for  border. 
July         7 — Philadelphia  cavalry  troops  pass  through  B.  &  O.  Station,  at  1  a.m.;  greeted  by 

crowd;  fed  by  West  Philadelphia  branch,  Pennsylvania  Women's  Division  for 

National  Preparedness. 
Sixth  Infantry,  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania,  leaves  Mt.  Gretna  for  border. 
July         8 — Brusiloff's  Russian  offensive  against  Austria-Hungary  ends  after  remarkable  success. 

National  Guard  personnel  sent  to  border  shows  First  Infantry,  53  officers  and  876 

men;  Second  Infantry,  54  officers  and  984  men;  and  Third  Infantry,  51  officers 

and  875  men. 
July       10 — German  merchant  submarine  " Deulschland"  arrives  at  Baltimore. 
July       15 — One  hundred  and  twenty-five  Philadelphians  in  Naval  Militia  embark  at  League 

Island  for  two  weeks'  practise  cruise. 
July       16 — First  phase  of  Somme  offensive  ends. 
July       17 — Citizens  Soldiers'  Aid  Committee,  at  meeting  at  City  Hall,  receives  generous  pledges 

for  support  of  guardsmen's  families. 
July       18 — Second  phase  of  Somme  offensive  begins. 

Great  Britain  publishes  blacklist  of  American  firms.     Eighty-three  on  original  list. 

Seven  removed  subsequently. 
Aug.         1 — Citizens  Soldiers'  Aid  Committee  sends  appeal  for  financial  help  to  14,000  citizens. 
Emergency  Aid  Home  Belief  Division  and  Pennsylvania  Women's  Division  for 

National  Preparedness  take  joint  headquarters  at  222  S.  18th  Street. 
German  merchant  submarine  " Deuischland"  leaves  Baltimore. 
Aug.        9 — War  Department  order  transfers  Second  Infantry  to  Second  Artillery  at  El  Paso, 

Texas. 
Aug.      15 — Three  hundred  and  fifty  volunteers  of  the  Association  of  United  States  Naval 

Volunteers,  which  separated  from  Navy  League,  depart  for  practise  cruise  on 

U.  S.  S.  Rhode  Island. 
Aug.       16 — Second  phase  of  Somme  battle  ends. 
Aug.       27 — Roumania  declares  war  against  Germany  and  Austria. 
Aug.      28 — Italy  declares  war  against  Germany. 
Aug.       29 — Germany,  Austria  and  Turkey  declare  war  against  Roumania. 

Congress  passed  Naval  Defense  Act  with  three-year  building  program. 
Sept.        2 — German-Austria-Hungarian  invasion  of  Roumania  begins. 
Sept.        3 — Third  phase  of  Somme  battle  begins. 
Sept.        7 — United  States  Shipping  Act  approved  by  President. 

24 


Sept.      15 — Secretary  Daniels,  of  Navy,  in  address  at  League  Island,  before  Atlantic  Deeper 

-   Waterways  Association,  pledges  Navy's  support  for  inland  waterways. 
Sept.      19 — War  Department  announces   that  brigade  of  Pennsylvania  National  Guard  will 

soon  be  ordered  home  from  border. 
Oct.         2 — Prinz  Eitel  Friederick  and  Kronprinz  Wilhelm,  interned  German  raiders,  arrive  at 

Philadelphia  Navy  Yard,  from  Norfolk,  with  their  crews  and  also  prize  crew  from 

Appam,  totaling  about  750  men;  vessels  stored  in  Back  Channel  and  crews  begin 

erection  of  German  village  ashore. 
Special  Joint  Committee  on  Care,  Sustenance  and  Relief  of  Men  in  the  Naval 

Military  Service  of  the  United  States,  meets  at  City  Hall  to  arrange  to  continue 

work  of  Citizens  Soldiers'  Aid  Committee. 
Oct.         3 — Convention  Hall  leased  by  Councils'  special  committee  for  entertainment  of  national 

guardsmen  returning  from  border. 
Oct.         5 — Mayor  appoints  a  general  committee   to  act  in  conjunction   with  council  manic 

committee  in  welcoming  home  guardsmen. 
Oct.         7 — German  U-boat,  U-53  visits  Newport  and  leaves  within  three  hours. 
Oct.         8 — U-53  attacks  Allied  and  neutral  shipping  off  Nantucket,  sinking  one  Norwegian,  one 

Dutch,  and  six  British  freight  and  passenger  steamers. 
Oct.         9 — First  Infantry,  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania,  arrive  home,  parades  on  Broad 

street,  and  is  banqueted  at  Convention  Hall. 
Oct.        10 — Third  Infantry,  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania,  arrives  home,  parades  on  Broad 

Street,  and  is  banqueted  at  Convention  Hall. 
Oct.        12 — National  Defense  Council,  named  by  President  Wilson. 

Oct.       21 — Philadelphia  Committee  for  Armenia  Relief  takes  up  collections  throughout  the  city. 
Oct.       22 — Three  thousand  Armenians  and  500  Syrians  hold  services  in  St.  Stephen's  Church 

in  behalf  of  afflicted  brethren  in  Asia  Minor. 
Oct.       24 — French  attack  at  Verdun. 
Oct.       31 — Southeastern   Chapter,   Red   Cross,   holds  first  annual  meeting  and  reelects   Dr. 

Richard  H.  Harte  to  continue  in  charge  of  work. 
Nov.        1 — German  merchant  submarine  "Deutschland"  arrives  at  New  London,  Conn. 

British  S.  S.  "Marina"  sunk  off  Ireland,  six  Americans  lost. 
Nov.        4 — Company   B,   Engineers,    National   Guard  of  Pennsylvania,   return  from  border. 

parade  on  Broad  Street  and  are  banqueted  at  State  Fencible's  Armory. 
Nov.        7 — Woodrow  Wilson  reelected  for  second  term. 
Nov.      12 — Third  phase  of  Somme  battle  ends. 
Nov.      17 — German  merchant  submarine  "Deutschland"  in  attempting  to  leave  New  London,  runs 

down  accompanying  tug  and  is  forced  to  return  to  pier;  five  of  tug  crew  drowned. 
Nov.      21 — German  merchant  submarine  "Deutschland"  sails  for  home. 
Nov.      28 — Provisional  government  of  Greece  declares  war  against  Bulgaria  and  Germany. 
Dec.         6 — Bucharest,  Boumania,  captured. 

Lieutenant  Arnold  Bleeker,  member  of  crew  of  Kronprinz  Wilhelm,  drowned  when 

catboat  capsizes  in  Back  Channel. 
Dec.       11 — Second  "Made  in  America  Bazaar,"  conducted  for  week  by  Emergency  Aid,  opens 

in  Horticultural  Hall. 
Dec.       12 — Germany  invites  peace  negotiations  and  asks  President  Wilson  to  transmit  offer  to  England 

and  France. 
Dec.       15 — Conquest  of  Boumania  completed,  its  army  escaping  to  Bussia. 
Dec.       16 — French  reconquer  much  of  ground  lost  at  Verdun. 
Dec.       18 — American  note  to  all  belligerents  asks  terms  to  bring  war  to  an  end. 
Dec.       30 — Twelve  army  aviators  complete  wing  flight  from  Mineola  to  League  Island. 

1917 
Jan.         4 — Allies  refuse  to  consider  German  peace  offer. 

Four  Philadelphia  troops  request  no  entertainment  upon  return  from  border. 
Jan.        12 — Allies  give  outline  of  war  aims,  including  restoration  of  Allied  territory,  reparation, 

dismemberment  of  Austria-Hungary  and  partition  of  Turkey. 
Jan.        16 — Four  Philadelphia  cavalry  troops  arrive  at  West  Philadelphia  Station  and  go  to 
armories. 

25 


Jan.        18 — President  Wilson  delivers  "Peace  Without   Victory"  address  to  Senate,  and  outlines 

"League  of  Peace." 
Jan.        31 — German  note  announces  that  all  ships  will  be  sunk  on  sight  in  war  zone,  but  offering 
safety  for  one  American  vessel  weekly  to   Falmouth,  England,  if  given  distinctive 
marks  and  forbidden  to  carry  contraband. 
Feb.         3 — President  Wilson  gives  German  Ambassador  von  Bernstorff  his  passports  and  recalls 
Ambassador  Gerard. 
President  Wilson  addresses  Congress  and  gives  reasons  for  action. 
Great  crowds  watch  bulletin  boards  in  all  sections  of  the  city. 

Owners  of  twenty-three  high  power  motor  boats  offer  them  to  the  Government. 
Army  recruiting  stations  open  recruiting  campaign  in  entire  district. 
Stoneman  Fellowship,  at  Baptist  Temple,  pledge  10,000  men  for  war  duty. 
Special  police  guard  placed  around  Midvale  Steel  Works. 

Pennsylvania  Women's  Division  for  National  Preparedness  announces  itself  as  ready 
to  serve. 
Feb.         4 — Mayor  promises  police  cooperation  with  federal  authorities  in  guarding  Government 
property. 
Southeastern  Chapter,  Red  Cross,  is  ordered  to  place  local  unit  on  war  basis. 
Philadelphia  Navy  Yard  closed  to  the  public. 
Feb.         5 — Philadelphia  Turngemeinde  closes   its  radio   station  on   Turngemeinde  Building, 
Broad  Street  and  Columbia  Avenue. 
German  sailors  on  merchant  ships  in  harbor  to  be  arrested  if  they  go  ashore. 
State  leaders  of  Pennsylvania  Women's  Division  for  National  Preparedness  arrange 

for  conference  of  all  branches  for  February  8th. 
Collector  of  Port  Berry  orders  no  vessel  to  sail  without  proper  clearance  papers. 
Southeastern  Chapter,  Red  Cross,  starts  to  raise  $15,000  for  naval  base  hospital; 
has  two  army  base  hospitals  ready. 
Feb.         6 — William  Howard  Taft,  at  dinner  of  League  to  Enforce  Peace,  in  Bellevue-Stratford, 

declares  that  America  is  being  driven  into  war. 
Feb.         7 — Delegates  to  National  German  Alliance  convention  here,  pledge  loyalty  to  the 

United  States. 
Feb.         8 — Forty-three  branch   chairmen   of  Pennsylvania   Women's   Division  for   National 
Preparedness  meet  and  plan  two  naval  hospitals,  one  for  League  Island  and  one 
for  Fort  Mott  (Delaware). 
Crews  of  German  merchantmen  allowed  on  shore. 
Feb.         9 — Herbert  Hoover,  at  City  Club  address,  makes  appeal  for  war  sufferers  of  Northern 

France  and  Belgium. 
Feb.       11 — Second  Artillery,  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania,  returns  from  border. 

Red  Cross  appeals  for  $100,000  to  establish  three  base  hospitals. 
Feb.       12 — Second  Artillery,  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania,  parades  on  Broad  Street  with 

full  equipment,  and  is  banqueted  at  Armory. 
Feb.       14 — Ambassador  Bernstorff  sails  from  New  York. 

Feb.       15 — Agitation  begun  to  remove  interned  German  seamen  from  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard. 
Feb.       16 — Urquhart  Chapter,  Women's  Division,  opens  working  headquarters  at  1802  Chestnut 

Street. 
Feb.       19 — Begin  erecting  barbed  wire  fence  around  German  village  at  Navy  Yard. 
Feb.       25 — Cunard  liner  "Laconia"  torpedoed,  three  Americans  (two  women)  lost. 
Feb.       26 — President  Wilson  asks  Congress  for  power  to  arm  American  merchantmen. 
March     1 — Zimmerman's  "Mexican- Japanese"  note  made  public. 
March     4 — Pacifist  filibuster  in  Senate  defeats  armed  merchantman  bill. 
March     5 — President  Wilson  inaugurated  for  second  term. 

Pennsylvania    Women's    Division    for    National    Preparedness    and    Southeastern 
Chapter,  American  Red  Cross,  effect  merger. 
March     9 — President  calls  session  of  Congress  for  April  16lh. 

March  10 — Federal  agents  arrest  Frederick  Rohner,  Adelbert  K.  Fischer,  Mrs.  Helene  Fischer 
and  two  chauffeurs  on  charge  of  receiving  nineteen  chronometers  smuggled  from 
interned  German  raiders  at  Navy  Yard. 

26 


March    10 — Philadelphia  Medical  Auxiliary  of  Council  of  National  Defense  formed  at  meeting 

-  in  Bellevue-Stratford. 
March  11 — British,  under  General  Maude,  capture  Bagdad. 
March   12 — Belgian  Relief  Committee  begins  campaign  to  care  for  100,000  Belgian  children 

for  six  months. 
March   14 — Enlistments  in  Naval  Coast  Defense  Reserve  begin  at  Naval  Home  on  Grays  Ferry 

Road. 
March  15 — Czar  of  Russia  abdicated. 

German  armies  retire  to  Hindenburg  line,  behind  Somme  battlefields. 
Rumor  circulated  that  three  interned  Germans  were  shot  by  marines  for  attempting 
radio  messages  from  decks  of  interned  raiders. 
March  17 — American  S.  S.  "City  of  Memphis"  sunk  by  U-boat. 

George  Wentworth  Carr,  chairman  of  Committee  on  Home  Defense  for  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  Mayor  Smith  and  naval  officers  confer  on  plan  for  voluntary  military 
organization  of  15,000  men  to  cooperate  with  Naval  Coast  Defense  Reserve. 
Women's  Section  of  Navy  League  formed  for  relief  work. 
German  interned  raiders  towed  out  of  Back  Channel  to  new  berths  at  Navy  Yard, 

and  crews  ordered  removed  to  Forts  McPherson  and  Oglethorpe,  Georgia. 
Governors  of  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,   Delaware,   Maryland,  and  New  York, 
meet  at  Union  League  and  adopt  resolution  calling  on  President  to  secure  funds 
and  equipment  to  put  National  Guard  in  shape  for  immediate  work. 
Recruiting  office  for  6,000  men  for  Naval  Coast  Defense  Reserve  opened  in  Mayor's 
reception  room. 
March  19 — American  S.  S.  "Illinois"  and  "Vigilancia"  sunk  by  U-boats. 

A.  J.  Drexel  Biddle  opens  campaign  to  recruit  division  of  20,000  men  at  1917  Mt. 

Vernon  Street. 
Fourteen  German  seamen  attempt  to  escape  from  interned  raiders  at  Navy  Yard; 
twelve  are  recaptured  and  Navy  Department  reports  two  drowned. 
March  20 — Philadelphia  Home  Defense  Committee  formed  at  meeting  at  Mayor's  office,  with 
300  citizens  in  attendance.     Mayor  Smith  elected  Chairman;  John  C.  Bell,  Vice- 
Chairman;  George  W.  Carr,  Secretary;  and  Joseph  E.  Widener,  Treasurer. 
Emergency  Aid  and  National  League  for  Women's  Service  plan  to  coordinate  all 
women's  work  in  state. 
March  21 — President  advances  date  of  extra  session  of  Congress  to  April  2d. 

Navy  enrols  first  woman  for  active  duty,  Miss  Loretta  Walsh,  734  Pine  Street. 
Governor  Brumbaugh  appoints  Pennsylvania  Committee  of  Public  Safety,  including 

forty  Philadelphians,  and  George  Wharton  Pepper,  as  Chairman. 
American  tanker  Healdton,  twenty-one  days  out  of  Philadelphia,  torpedoed  and 
seven  Americans  lost. 
March  22 — Appeal  made  for  700  men  for  Philadelphia  Naval  Militia. 

March  23 — Mayor  announces  the  names  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  City  Home 
Defense  in  addition  to  the  officers:  E.  T.  Stotesbury,  Finance  Committee; 
A.  J.  Drexel  Biddle,  Home  Reserve;  John  F.  Lewis,  Decorations  and  Posters; 
W.  W.  Roper,  Recruiting  Stations;  William  Potter,  Edward  A.  Noppel,  Mrs. 
J.  Willis  Martin,  Clarence  Wolf,  Ernest  T.  Trigg,  John  B.  Mayer  and  Cyrus 
H.  K.  Curtis. 
March  26 — German  sailors,  guarded  by  police  and  marines,  leave  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard  for 

south,  on  two  special  trains. 
March  27 — Enrolment  of  women  for  national  service  and  for  Navy  League  work    opens  at 

1428  Walnut  Street. 
March  28 — Albert  W.  Straub,  Director  of  Atlantic  Division,  Red  Cross,  tells  women  of  South- 
eastern Chapter  of  dastardly  plot  to  spread  death   among    wounded  American 
soldiers  by  poisoning  bandages. 
Pennsylvania  Committee  of  Public  Safety  organizes  at  Harrisburg,  with^George 

Wharton  Pepper,  Permanent  Chairman,  and  Effingham  B.  Morris,  Treasurer. 
British  War  Relief  Bazaar  opens  in  Horticultural  Hall. 
Independence  Hall  thrown  open  for  Naval  Coast  Defense  Reserve  recruiting. 

27 


March  28— Philadelphia  National  Guard 
regiments  open  recruiting 
campaigns. 

March  29 — Joseph  R.  Wilson  plans  to 
raise  regiment  of  "President's 
Guards"  and  offer  it  to 
President  Wilson. 

March  30 — First  Infantry,  National  Guard 
of  Pennsylvania,  mustered  into 
Federal  service  and  assigned  to 
guarding  bridges  and  munition 
plants  eastof  the  Susquehanna. 

March  31 — Third  Infantry,  National  Guard 
of  Pennsylvania,  sworn  into 
Federal  service. 

Vast  patriotic  meeting  at  Inde- 
pendence Square,  addressed  by 
Senator  Hiram  Johnson  and 
others,  and  preceded  by  many 
parades  of  military,  patriotic 
and  fraternal  bodies  gathering 
from  all  sections  of  the  city. 
1 — Police  prohibit  Peace  Meeting,  advertised  for  South  Broad  Street  Theater,  by 
Emergency  Peace  Federation. 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley  Co.   of   America. 

National  Guardsman  guarding  a  Bridge 


April 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Dr.  Conwell  leading  in  prayer  at  Patriotic  Meeting  in  Independence  Square. 


28 


April       1 — Philadelphia  Military  Training  Corps,  including  Drexel  Biddle,  Land  Title  and 

Maccabean  units,  hold  review  at  Landsowne,  and  addressed  by  Brigadier-General 

Waller,  Marine  Corps. 

April        2 — President  Wilson  addresses  Congress,  advising  declaration  of  war  against  Germany. 

Third  Infantry,  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania  departs  in  four  sections  for  guard 

duty  in  western  part  of  State. 
War  Department  accepts  offer  of  International  Motor  Club  of  Philadelphia  tender- 
ing its  services. 
Recruiting  for  "President's  Guards"  opened  at  3303  Race  Street. 
Battleships  of  Atlantic  Reserve  Fleet  open  recruiting  drive  from  automobiles. 
State  Fencibles  establish  recruiting  booth  at  City  Hall. 
April        3 — Senate  passes  State  of  War  Resolution. 

U.  S.  Battleship  Kansas  opens  recruiting  tent  on  City  Hall  plaza. 
April        4 — Plans  made  for  volunteer  police  force  of  20,000  men,  composed  of  single  men  over 
forty-five,  or  married  men,  ineligible  for  military  duty. 
National  Security  League,  at  Scottish  Rites  Hall,  endorses  conscription. 
April        5 — Governor  requests  Philadelphia  Defense  Committee  to  cooperate  with  State  Com- 
mittee of  Public  Safety. 
April        6 — House  passes  State  of  War  Resolution. 

PRESIDENT  WILSON  DECLARES  A  STATE  OF  WAR  WITH  GERMANY. 
Hamburg-American   liners  Rhselia  and  Prinz  Oskar,  which  had  been  idle    in  port 

since  1914,  are  seized  by  Federal  authorities;  machinery  found  damaged. 
Naval  Militia  ordered  to.  mobilize  at  First  Regiment  Armoryi 
All  recruiting  in  city  spurred. 

Proclamation  by  mayor  in  ten  languages,  warns  aliens  to  obey  the  law. 
April        7 — Cuba  and  Panama  declare  war  against  Germany. 

Home  Defense  Committee  announces  formation  of  motor  transportation  corps. 
Home  Defense  Reserve  to  have  forty-one  companies  of  about  500  men  each. 
Rattleship  Ohio  opens  recruiting  tent  on  City  Hall  plaza. 
April        9 — Rritish  Armies  open  Arras  offensive. 

Philadelphia  Naval  Militia,  170  men,  report  for  duty  at  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard. 
Engineers'  Club  gets  behind  movement  to  form  another  Philadelphia  engineer  com- 
pany for  National  Guard  (Company  E). 
Austria-Hungarian  steamer  Franconia  seized  by  Federal  authorities  in  Delaware; 
machinery  found  damaged. 
April      10 — Explosion   of  undetermined   origin   at   the   Eddystone  Ammunition   Corporation, 
near  Chester,  kills  121  men  and  women  workers,  including  thirteen  Philadelphians, 
and  injures  300,  including  many  from  this  city. 
April      11 — Brazil  severs  diplomatic  relations  with  Germany,  and  seizes  forty-six  German  ships. 
April      12 — Belgian  Relief  Committee  receives  $52,500  from  six  groups  of  Chamber  of  Commerce 

for   child   relief  work. 
April      14 — Navy  Department  orders  all  wireless  stations  in  city,  whether  receiving  or  sending, 
dismantled,  save  those  government  owned  and  operated. 
Three  "anti-war"  moving  pictures  withdrawn  from  circulation  by  State  censors. 
April      15 — First  stage  of  Battle  of  Arras  ends. 

April      17 — Mayor  Smith  names  Committee  of  300  to  entertain  French  and  British  War  Missions. 
Engineers  Club  asked  to  secure  volunteers  for  regiment  of   engineers  for  Roosevelt 

Division. 
Emergency  Aid  votes  for  three-course  dinners  for  food  conservation. 
April      18 — Mayor  and  committee  call  on  Secretary  Tumulty  and  Assistant  Secretary  of  State 
Phillips,  at  Washington,  and  are  assured  visit  of  foreign  war  missions  to  Philadel- 
phia. 
Twenty-nine  recruits  enroll  at  new  Bourse  Becruiting  Station  for  volunteer  farm 
work,  in  wheat  and  rye  fields  of  Northwest. 
April      20 — Naval  recruiting  mass  meeting  held  at  Academy  of  Music. 

University  of  Pennsylvania's  battalion  of  2,000  students  is  reviewed  on  Franklin 
Field. 

29 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler, 


Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Mayor  Smith  and  Marshal  Joffre. 


April      21 — Home  Defense  Committee  plans  food  conservation  army. 

British  High  Commission,  headed  by  Sir  Arthur  James  Balfour,  Secretary  of  State  for 

Foreign  Affairs,  arrives  in  United  Slates. 
Bell  Telephone  Company  begins  organization  of  battalion  for  United  States  Signal 
Reserve  Corps. 
April      22 — Dr.  John  P.  Garber,  Superintendent  of  Schools,  outlines  plan  for  school  gardens  and 

twenty  additional  teachers. 
April      23 — Second  stage  of  Battle  of  Arras  begins. 

April      24 — Military  Training  Camps  Association,  at  432  Commercial  Trust  Building,  receives 
applications  for  First  Officers  Training  Camp  at  Fort  Niagara. 
Y.  M.  C.  A  delegates  resolve  on  $300,000  war  fund  to  be  raised  in  State  within  a  year. 
April      25 — French  War  Mission,  headed  by  Marshal  Joffre  and  Vice-Premier  M.  Viviani,  arrive 
in  United  Stales. 
Captain  George  F.  Cooper,  chief  of  staff  to  commandant  of  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard, 
appointed  to  command  Fourth  Naval  District. 
April      26 — Rear-Admiral  Benjamin  Tappan  appointed  commandant  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard, 

Vice-Captain  Robert  Lee  Russell  transferred  to  other  duties. 
April      29 — American  armed  tanker  Vacuum  sunk,  and  first  two  Philadelphians  killed  in  action 

with  enemy  since  beginning  of  war — Charles  J.  Fischer  and  Frank  H.  Loree. 
May         1 — Board  of  Education  releases  for  balance  of  term  all  students  over  fourteen  years  old 

engaged  in  war  work. 
May        2 — Marines  stage  sham  battle  at  Broad  and  Arch  streets. 

Pennsylvania  Base  Hospital  No.  10,  ordered  mobilized. 
May        3 — Mayor's  School  Mobilization  Committee  arranges  to  send   11,000  schoolboys  of 
sixteen  years  or  over  to  aid  farmers. 
Jefferson  Hospital  unit  offered  to  Government. 
May        5 — Headquarters  in  Witherspoon  Building  opened  to  recruit  regiment  of  engineers  from 
this  section. 
Motor  Messengers  Service  formed  by  Emergency  Aid. 

30 


May        6 — Sentry  of  Company  D,  First  Infantry,  fatally  wounds  man  who  failed  to  heed 

-    challenge  on  Pennsylvania  Railroad  bridge,  at  34th  Street  and  Girard  Avenue. 
May        7 — German  commerce  raiders  taken  into  United  States  Navy  under  new  names,  Kron- 
prinz  Wilhelm  becoming  Baron  von  Steuben,  and  Prinz  Eitel  Friederich  becoming 
Baron  de  Kalb. 
May        9 — French  High  Commission  afforded  lavish  entertainment  upon  visit  to  Philadelphia. 

One  killed  and  eight  injured  in  accident  in  drydock  at  Navy  Yard. 
May       10 — Philadelphia  officer  candidates  begin  to  leave  for  Fort  Niagara,  over  period  of  three 

days,  the  trio  of  trains  being  known  as  the  "Red,  White  and  Rlue  Specials." 
May       11 — Twenty-seven  speed  boats  turned  over  to   Government  by  Delaware  River  Power 
Squadron. 
Rase  Hospital  No.  10  mobilized  at  Calvary  Presbyterian  Church. 
May       12 — Italy  begins  Isonzo  offensive. 

May       14 — Theodore  Roosevelt  accepts  State  Fencibles  as  an  infantry  regiment  for  his  division. 
May       15 — Governor   signs   appropriation   bill   creating   Pennsylvania   Commission  of   Public 
Safety  and  Defense,  with  $2,000,000  appropriation. 
Medical  Reserve  Corps  organized  at  Cooper  Rattalion  Hall,  and  plans  laid  to  enlist 
3,600  men. 
May       16 — Philadelphia  officer  killed,  and  eight  enlisted  men  of  Company  C,  3d  Infantry,  made 
ill  by  eating  poisoned  food  while  on  bridge  guard  at  Port  Perry,  Allegheny  County. 
Raldwin  Locomotive  works  staff  takes  steps  to  help  complete  9th  Engineers.     (Later 
officially  designated  the  19th  Railway  Engineers.) 
May      18 — Conscription  bill  passes. 

Rase  Hospital  No.  10  leaves  for  overseas. 
May       19 — Sentry  of  Company  C,  First  Infantry,  kills  civilian  who  failed  to  heed  challenge  at 
Schuylkill  Arsenal. 
General  William  G.   Price,  Jr.,  named  brigadier  in  charge  of  Artillery  Rrigade, 
National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania. 
May      21 — First  Liberty  Loan  Campaign  begins;  Philadelphia  district  quota  $140,000,000. 
May      22 — United  States  Medical  Corps  (known  later  as  U.  S.  A.  A.  C.)  mustered  into  Federal 

service  at  Cooper  Rattalion  Hall. 
May      27 — Mayor  names  heads  of  some  of  registration  boards. 

May      28: — Mayor  completes  naming  registration  boards  for  forty-two  registration  districts. 
May      29 — District  Registration  Roards  meet  with  Registration  Commission  and  learn  duties. 
May      31 — U.  S.  A.  A.  C.  leaves  for  Allentown. 
June         1 — Battle  of  Arras  ends. 

Austria-Hungary  counter  attacks  and  stops  Italian  Isonzo  offensive. 
Emergency  Aid  begins  food  economy  drive. 

United  States  Army  begins  recruiting  drive  to  raise  100,000  men  in  twenty  days. 
June        2 — Municipal  military  agricultural  camp  opened  at  Ryberry,  with  twenty-four  boys. 

Ninth  (19th)  Engineers  mobilized  at  Commercial  Museum. 
June        5 — National  Begistration  Day. 

Estimate  Philadelphia  enrolment  will  reach  170,000. 
June       10 — Theodore  Roosevelt,  as  guest  of  five  railroad  brotherhoods,  in  address  at  Metro- 
politan Opera  House,  declares  that  man  who  won't  risk  life  in  war  should  lose  vote. 
Marines  launch  national  recruiting  week  with  mass  meeting  at  Keith's  Theatre. 
June       12 — King  Conslantine  of  Greece  abdicates. 

Home  Defense  Reserve  begins  drills,  250  drillmasters  acting  as  instructors  at  forty 
centers. 
June       14 — First  Liberty  Loan  drive  ends;  Philadelphia  raises  $145,172,950. 
June       18 — Red  Cross  Week  opens  with  Philadelphia's  quota  $3,000,000. 

1st  Telegraph  Rattalion  (Rell  Company)  leaves  for  training  camp  at  Long  Rranch, 

N.J. 
Open  recruiting  office  for  candidates  for  Second  Officers'  Training  Camp. 
June      20" — Italian  Commission,  headed  by  Enrico  Arlotta,  entertained  in  Philadelphia. 
June      22 — Monster  Women's  Red  Cross  parade  features  Red  Cross  drive. 

31 


June      25 — Pennsylvania  National  Guard  and  army  open  week's  recruiting  drive. 
Philadelphia  subscribes  $3,200,000  to  Red  Cross  fund. 
Fifty-one  Philadelphia  draft  boards  named  by  governor. 
July         2 — Greece  (Government  of  Alexander)  declares  war  against  Bulgaria  and  Germany. 

Company  B,  Engineers,  despatched  to  Camp  Meade. 
July         4 — City  holds  official  Independence  Day  celebration  at  Independence  Hall,  with  Dr. 

Ernest  LaPlace  and  Judge  John  M.  Patterson  as  orators. 
July         7 — 1st  Regiment  headquarters  and  1st  Battalion  move  from  armory  to  Camp  Brown, 

at  Commercial  Museum. 
July         9 — Police  begin  canvas  to  enlist  women  in  Hoover  food  army. 
July       10 — Governor  names  members  of  two  Government  appeal  boards. 
July       14 — City  observes  French  Bastile  Day  with  meeting  at  Independence  Square. 
July       15 — National  Guard  units  not  already  in  service,  mobilize  in  armories. 
July       17 — Truck  Companies  Nos.  3  and  4,  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania,  go  to  Mt.  Gretna. 
July       20 — National  draft  drawing  takes  place  at  Washington. 

Thousands  watch  bulletin  boards  for  draft  numbers. 
July       22 — Siam  declares  war  against  Austria  and  Germany. 
July       23 — British  Recruiting  Mission  opens  headquarters  at  23  S.  9th  Street. 
Philadelphia's  first  quota  for  National  Army  fixed  at  14,245  men. 
July       27 — Local  boards  send  out  first  call  to  draftees  to  report  for  examinations. 
July       30 — Physical  examinations  of  draftees  begin. 

19th  Railway  Engineers  reviewed  in  Fairmount  Park. 
July       31 — British  open  offensive  around  Ypres. 
Aug.         4 — Liberia  declares  war  against  Germany. 
Aug.        9 — 19th  Railway  Engineers  leave  city  before  sunrise. 
Aug.       10 — Food  Control  bill  passed. 

Aug.       13 — Company  E,  Engineers,  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania,  sent  to  Mt.  Gretna. 
List  of  Fort  Niagara  commissions  announced. 

Names  of  men  to  go  to  Second  Officers'  Training  Camp  at  Fort  Oglethorpe  announced. 
2d  Artillery,  in  camp  at  Camp  Wanamaker,  Noble,  Pa. 
6th  Regiment  goes  from  Armory  to  Camp  Ellis,  near  Lansdowne. 
Entire  1st  Regiment  assembled  at  Camp  Rrown. 

3d  Regiment  begins  to  arrive  home  from  western  Pennsylvania,  and  encamps  at 
Camp  Taylor,  near  Springfield,  Delaware  County. 
Aug.       14 — China  declares  war  against  Germany  and  Austria. 
Aug.       15 — Niagara  Training  Camp  officers  arrive  home  on  special  train. 

Aug.       16 — Company   B,   Engineers,   National   Guard  of  Pennsylvania,   with   balance  of  1st 
Battalion,  ordered  from  Camp  Meade  to  Camp  Hancock,  Georgia. 
Announce  proposed  numerical  units  of  79th  Division  at  Camp  Meade. 
Aug.       19 — Italians  begin  second  Isonzo  offensive. 

Aug.       20 — Belgian  High  Commission,  headed  by  Baron  Ludovic  Moncheur,  entertained  lavishly 
by  city. 
First  City  Troop;  Battery  E,  2d  Artillery;  Company  D,  1st  Infantry;  Company  K, 
3d  Infantry;  and  Company  I,  6th  Infantry,  are  regimental  advance  guards  sent 
to  Camp  Hancock. 
Aug.       22 — Two  sections  carry  men  to  Second  Officers'  Training  Camp  at  Oglethorpe,  Ga. 
Aug.       28 — War  Department  halts  movement  south  of  2d  Artillery  within  three  hours  of  de- 
parture time;  equipment  held  on  trains. 
Aug.       29 — 2d  Artillery  leaves  Camp  Wanamaker  for  the  South. 

Sept.        1 — Philadelphia  holds  monster  parade  in  honor  of  drafted  men,  guard  units,  marines, 
sailors,  defense  units  and  patriotic  organizations  in  line. 
Survey  of  Hog  Island  is  first  step  in  proposed  shipyard  for  fabricating  steel  cargo 
steamers. 
Sept.        6 — 160th  Anniversary  of  birth  of  Lafayette,  celebrated  at  Independence  Hall,  with 
Ambassador  Jusserand  as  guest  of  honor. 
Field  Bakery  Co.,  Field  Hospitals  Nos.  2  and  3;  Ambulance  Company  No.  2,  and 
1st  Brigade  Headquarters,  leave  for  south. 

32 


Sept. 
Sept. 
Sept. 


Sept. 
Sept. 
Sept. 
Sept. 

Sept. 


Sept. 

Sept. 
Sept. 
Sept. 

Oct. 
Oct. 
Oct. 
Oct. 

Oct. 


8 — Explosion  kills  two  and  injures  score  at  Frankford  Arsenal. 

9 — 3d- and  6th  Regiments  hold  final  review  on  Garrettsford  Road,  Delaware  County. 
10 — 3d  Regiment  holds  farewell  parade  on  Rroad  Street. 

Philadelphia  Tageblall  raided  by  Federal  officers,  Herman  Lemke  and  Dr.  Martin 
Darkow  being  arrested  and  warrants  issued  for  three  other  officers  of  company. 
12 — 1st  Infantry  and  three  remaining  Philadelphia  cavalry  troops  leave  for  South. 
13 — 3d  and  6tb  Infantry  leave  for  south. 

14 — Five  officials  of  Philadelphia  Tageblalt  held  in  heavy  bail  for  Federal  Grand  Jury. 
15 — Federal  Grand  Jury  indicts  Louis  Werner,  Editor-in-Chief,  and  Dr.  Martin  Darkow, 

Managing  Editor,  for  treason,  and  other  three  for  violation  of  Espionage  Act. 
16 — Kerensky  becomes  virtual  dictator  of  Russia. 

Drafted  men  go  to  Lansdowne  for  two  days'  training  with  Philadelphia  Military 
Training  Corps. 
19 — First  Philadelphia  draft  army  contingent,  387  men,  leave  from  three  West  Philadel- 
phia districts. 
20 — One  hundred  and  sixty-five  men  from  12th  District  leave  for  Camp  Meade. 
22 — About  3,000  drafted  men  leave  for  Camp  Meade. 

23 — Two  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty-five  drafted  men,  completing  45  per  cent 
of  the  Philadelphia  increment,  leave  for  Camp  Meade. 
1 — Second  Liberty  Loan  Campaign  opens. 

3— William     Potter     appointed     Federal     Fuel     Administrator     for     Pennsylvania. 

6 — Last  increment  of  Philadelphia's  50  per  cent  of  drafted  men  leave  for  Camp  Meade. 

10 — E.  T.  Stotesbury  reelected  Chairman  of  Southeastern  Chapter,  American  Red  Cross. 

Francis  A.  Lewis  appointed  Federal  Fuel  Administrator  for  Philadelphia. 
15 — Women's  Liberty  Loan  Committee  organized. 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Answering  the  First  Draft  Call. 
33 


Oct.       17 — Transport  "Antilles"  sunk  by  submarines;  sixty-seven  lost. 

One  Philadelpbian,  H.  H.  Cummings,  lost  on  Antilles. 
Oct.       24 — Austria-Hungary  counter-attacks  Italians  on  Isonzo  and  at  Caporetto. 
Oct.       25— Liberty  Bell  parade  in  Independence  Square,  on  behalf  of  Second  Liberty  Loan. 
Oct.       26 — Brazil  declares  war  against  Germany. 

Oct.       27 — Second  Liberty  Loan  drive  ends.    Philadelphia  subscribed  $234,901,000. 
Nov.        1 — Women's  Committee,  Council  of  National  Defense,  starts  two-day  drive  to  enlist 

•  600,000  Philadelphia  women  for  war  work. 
Nov.        3 — First  American  killed  in  action  in  France — Enright,  Gresbam  and  Ha\. 
Nov.        4 — Four  thousand  draftees  leave  for  Camp  Meade. 
Nov.        7 — Lenine  and  Trotsky  Revolution  overthrows  Kerensky  in  Russia. 
Nov.        8 — Italians  in  retreat  reach  Piave  River  line. 

Nov.      11 — Home  Defense  Reserves  fight  sham  battle  in  Fairmount  Park. 
Nov.      12 — Y.  M.  C.  A.  opens  campaign  for  funds. 

Federal  agents  begin  active  investigation  of  food  shortage  and  profiteering. 

Pennsylvania  Railroad  lifts  freight  embargo  to  supply  city  with  coal. 
Nov.      15— John  Frederick  Lewis,  named  Chief  of  Section  No.  2  of  Recruiting  Service  for  United 
States  Shipping  Board  and  its  Schools  of  Navigation  and  Marine  Engineering 
between  the  Connecticut  River  and  Norfolk,  Va.,  to  train  officers  for  the  Merchant 
Marine. 
Nov.      16 — Clemenceau  Ministry  formed  in  France. 

Ex-President  Taft  addresses  Y.  M.  C.  A.  campaign  rally  at  Bellevue-Stratford  Hotel. 
Nov.      18 — Sixty  Poles  leave  Philadelphia,  to  serve  in  Polish  Army. 
Nov.      19— Y.  M.  C.  A.  campaign  nets  $1,792,237. 
Nov.      20 — Battle  of  Cambrai  begins. 

Destroyer  "Chauncey"  rammed  and  sunk  in  war  zone. 

Seven  wheatless  meals  a  week  required  by  Food  Administration. 
Nov.      23 — British  attack  at  Cambrai  ends. 

Nov.      26 — State  Food  Administrator  Heinz  fixes  food  prices  for  City  and  State. 
Nov.      28 — Announce  list  of  officers  commissioned  at  Second  Officers'  Training  Camp,  at  Fort 
Oglethorpe,  Georgia. 

Food  Administration  requires  meatless  Tuesdays. 
Nov.      30 — Ludendorjf  attacks  British  at  Cambrai. 

Food  Administration  requires  meatless  Fridays. 

University  of  Pennsylvania  Hospital  Unit  No.  20  mustered  into  Federal  service. 
Dec.         1 — Volunteer  enlistments  in  Army,  Navy  and  Marine  corps  resumed. 
Dec.         3 — German  attacks  at  Cambrai  end. 

War  Savings  Stamps  Campaign  opens  with  Robert  K.   Cassatt  as  Philadelphia 
District  Chairman. 
Dec.         6 — Destroyer  "Jacob  Jones"  sunk  in  war  zone  by  submarines. 

Six  Philadelphians  lost  on  destroyer  Jacob  Jones. 

Walter  E.  Goodenough,  General  Manager  of  American  International  Shipbuilding 
Corporation,  in  address  to  900  Hog  Island  employes,  tells  them  of  120  ships  to 
be  fabricated  there  for  Government. 
Dec.         7 — United  States  declares  war  against  Austria-Hungary. 

Jay  Cooke  named  Federal  Food  Administrator  for  Philadelphia. 
Dec.       10 — General  Allenby,  with  British  Army,  captures  Jerusalem. 
Dec.       13 — Final  day  for  volunteer  enlistments  brings  total  to  2,750. 

Henry  P.  Davidson,  Chairman  of  war  council  of  American  Red  Cross,  addresses  mass 
meeting  in  Metropolitan  Opera  House  preceding  Red  Cross  membership  drive. 
Dec.       17 — Red  Cross  membership  drive  opens. 
Dec.       19 — Austria-Hungary- Italian  fighting  ends. 

City  promised  15,000  tons  of  anthracite  daily  to  relieve  fuel  shortage. 

Physicians  named  to  medical  advisory  boards. 

Councils  special  committee  on  care  and  sustenance  of  men  in  military  and  naval 
service  visits  Camp  Meade. 
Dec.       24 — Red  Cross  campaign  closes  with  more  than  540,000  members. 

34 


Dec.      27 — William  G.  McAdoo  appointed  Director-General  of  Railroads. 
Dec.       28 — United  States  takes  over  control  of  railroads. 

Railroads  of  City  in  Allegheny  region. 
Dec.      30 — Coldest  day  in  nine  years,  with  thermometer  at  four  degrees  below  zero,  and  coal 
shortage  acute. 

1918 
Jan.         1 — Pennsylvania    Railroad    annuls   one  hundred  trains  and  Philadelphia  &  Reading 

annuls  sixteen. 
Two  killed,  six  injured,  at  explosion  at  Navy  Yard. 
Jan.         2 — Mobs  raid  coal  cars  on  West  Philadelphia  sidings. 
Jan.         3 — One  thousand  four  hundred  drafted  men  leave  for  Camp  Meade,  completing  86 

per  cent  of  city's  first  quota. 
Jan.         4 — Pennsylvania  Railroad  embargoes  all  general  freight  to  give  city  coal. 
Jan.         8 — President  Wilson  delivers  his  "IU  Points"  address  to  Congress. 

Jan.         9 — Theodore  Roosevelt  visits  war  industries  and  addresses  Peirce  School,  commence- 
ment exercises,  at  Academy  of  Music,  scoring  the  country  for  unpreparedness. 
National  Shipbuilding  Labor  Adjustment  Hoard  begins  hearings  at  Hotel  Walton 

on  question  of  wages  affecting  45,000  shipyard  workers  in  district. 
Jan.        15 — Three  men  and  five  women  socialists  convicted  in  criminal  court  for  "unlawfully 

endeavoring  to  persuade  persons  from  entering  the  service  of  the  United  States." 
Jan.        16 — Fuel  Administrator  Garfield  issues  fuel  conservation  order,  closing  all  industries, 

except  shipbuilding  and  food  producers,  for  five  days  beginning  January  18th,  and 

commands  plants  to  remain  closed  on  Mondays  and  holidays  for  ten  weeks; 

order  effects  stores,  theaters,  etc.;  650,000  men  made  idle  in  Philadelphia  district. 
Jan.       21 — City  and  Government  authorities  take  first  steps  for  homes  for  Hog  Island  workers, 

in  Fortieth  Ward. 
Jan.       27 — Rear  Admiral  Francis  T.  Rowles  appointed  Assistant  General  Manager  in  charge  of 

agency  yards  of  the  Fleet  Corporation  and  ordered  from  Washington  to  this  city. 
Food  Administration  issues  orders  for  wheatless  Mondays  and  Wednesdays,  and  for 

all  suppers  to  be  likewise  wheatless. 
Jan.        29 — Senate  Commerce  Committee  decides  to  probe  charge  of  $6,000,000  profit  in  building 

of  Hog  Island. 
Four  Minute  Men  open  anti-sedition  drive  in  City. 
Feb.         4— Fuel  Administration  seizes  surplus  domestic  size  coal  in  City  for  general  distribution. 
Feb.         5 — Rear  Admiral  Bowles  opens  office  in  Medical  Arts  Building,  and  assumes  control 

of  Hog  Island  and  Bristol. 
Feb.         6 — War  Welfare  Council  formed  to  conduct  all  future  welfare  drives. 

Adalbert  K.  Fischer,  seized  and  interned  as  a  dangerous  alien  enemy. 
Feb.       12 — Americanization  campaign  opens  with  rally  at  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  Senator 

Kenyon,  of  Iowa,  being  the  principal  speaker. 
Recruiting  campaign  for  shipyard  workers  opens  station  in  Widener  Building. 
Feb.       13 — Fuel  Administrator  Garfield  suspends  Monday  closing  order. 

Police,  after  ten-day  campaign,  register  6,481  German  alien  enemies  in  City. 
Feb.       14 — Plant  of  Schutte  and  Koerting,  12th  and  Thompson  streets,  seized  by  Alien  Property 

Custodian. 
Feb.       20— Department  of  Justice  begins  probe  of  Hog  Island. 
Feb.       26 — Naval  tug  Cherokee  sinks  in  storm  twelve  miles  off  Fenwick  Island  Light;  Philadelphia 

commander  and  two  men  included  in  twenty-nine  lost;  ten  survivors  rescued  from 

raft. 
Feb.       27 — Philadelphia  sends  last  of  its  100  per  cent  quota  to  Camp  Meade,  under  first  call 

for  14,245  men 
Feb.       28 — General  Allenby  and  British  Army  take  Jericho. 

Food  Administration  limits  bread  rations  to  two  pounds  per  week,  per  person. 
March     3 — Russian  Soviet  signs  Bresl-Litovsk  peace  treaty  with  Germany. 

35 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley  Co.   of  America, 

The  Archbishop  of  York  and  Bishop  Rhinelander. 


March     4 — Archbishop  of  York  visits  City. 

March   18 — During  week  of  March  18th,  enrolment  of  8,000  boys  and  men  begun,  for  Pennsyl- 
vania's Farm  Army. 
March   19 — Philadelphia  officer,  one  of  sixteen  killed  when  destroyer  Manley  is  in  collision  in 

war  zone. 
March   21 — Ludendorff  begins  Somme  offensive. 

Congress  passes  bill  giving  President  power  to  operate  railroads  to  end  of  war. 
March  23 — British  caterpillar  tank  arrives  to  boost  British  and  Canadian  recruiting  campaign. 
March  26 — Marshal  Foch  appointed  Allied  Generalissimo. 

Judge  Dickinson  orders  Federal  Jury  to  acquit  two   Tageblatl  editors   accused  of 

treason;  to  be  tried  later  on  espionage  charge. 
March  28 — British  halt  German  Somme  offensive  within  gun  range  of  Amiens. 

Germans  repulsed  in  attack  at  Arras. 
March  31 — First  daylight  saving  law  becomes  effective. 
April        1 — Base  Hospital  No.  20  leaves  for  France. 

April        2 — Five  hundred  men,  first  contingent  of  second  draft  quota,  leave  for  Camp  Meade. 
April        3 — Approximately  $500,000,000  worth  of  orders,  covering  construction  of  382  ships, 

by  eleven  Delaware  Biver  shipyards,  announced  by  Admiral  Bowles. 
April        6 — Third  Liberty  Loan  campaign   opens  with  exercises,  marking  unveiling  of  Statue 

of  Liberty,  in  South  Penn  Square. 
April        7 — Hog  Island  employes    observing  "Liberty  Day"  pledge    themselves  to  win  war 

with  ships. 
April        9 — Ludendorff  launches  Lys  offensive  toward  Channel  ports. 
April      14 — Navy  Department  announces  disappearance  at  sea  of  naval  collier  "Cyclops"  with 

293  officers  and  men. 

36 


April      14 — Six  Philadelphia  men  lost  on  Cyclops. 

April      16 — Charles  M.  Schwab  named  Director-General  of  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation. 

Philadelphia  named  as  port  of  debarkation  for  supplies  and  troops,  by  War  Depart- 
ment. 
April      19 — Schwab  announces  that    Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  offices  will  be  transferred 

from  Washington  to  Philadelphia,  and  commandeers  Gomery-Swartz  Building, 

Broad  and  Cherry  streets. 
April      20 — Women  war  workers  parade  25,000  strong  for  Liberty  Loan. 
April      21 — Guatemala  declares  war  against  Germany. 
April      22 — Vice  situation,  in  Philadelphia,  cleared  by  appointment  of  Captain  William  B.  Mills 

as  Acting  Superintendent  of  Police. 
April      25 — William  Howard  Taft  makes  two  local  addresses  on  behalf  of  Liberty  Loan. 

Dragnet  out  for  10,000  British  slackers  in  city. 
April      26 — British  close  Zeebrugge  harbor  in  daring  naval  feat. 

Thirty-five  thousand  sch(X>l  children  parade  with  Liberty  Bell  for  Liberty  Loan. 
April      27 — Four  hundred  and  sixty-two  men  depart  for  Camp  Meade,  as  first  contingent  of 

3,632  men  ordered  to  Camps  Meade  and  Ijee,  in  five-day  movement. 
British  halt  German  offensive  at  Lys. 
April      28 — Provisional  brigade  of  78th  Division,  from  Camp  Dix,  parades  on  Broad  Street,  in 

Liberty  Loan. 
April      29 — Eleven  of  Pershing's  Crust- ders  arrive  for  Liberty  Loan. 

Sixty-seven  Philadelphia  High  School  boys,  first  of  local  School  Farm  Army,  leave 

for  State  College  camp. 
May         1 — Sixty-six  men  drown  when  French  cruiser  rams  coastwise  steamer  City  of  Athens, 

off  Delaware  coast. 
May         4 — Third  Liberty  Loan  ends;  Philadelphia  subscribes  $169,350,600. 
May        5— S.  S.  Tuckahoe  launched  at  New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation  plant,  75  per  cent 

complete,  in  twenty-seven  days  and  three  hours  after  first  piece  of  steel  was  laid. 
May        6 — Nicaragua  declares  war  against  Germany. 
May        8 — A.  Merritt  Taylor,  named  head  of  Transportation  and  Housing  Section,  Emergency 

Fleet  Corporation. 
May        9 — British  partly  close  harbor  of  Ostend  to  submarines. 
May       13 — One  hundred  and  five  French  Blue  Devils  pay  city  brief  visit. 
Thrift  Pledge  Week  opens  in  new  War  Savings  Stamp  drive. 
May       14 — Board  of  Education  votes  to  end  teaching  of  German  in  public  schools. 
May       15— First  air  mail  route  from  New  York  to  Washington  opened,  with  half-way  stop  at 

Philadelphia  (Byberry). 
Lieutenant  Torrey  H.  Webb,  United  States  Signal  Service,  pilots  first  plane  to  this 

city.     Lieutenant  James  C.  Egerton  continues  flight  to  Washington. 
May       17 — Governors  and  former  governors  of  thirty-four  states  gather  at  Independence  Hall 

and  pledge  themselves  and  their  respective  states  "to  carry  the  war  to  a  vic- 
torious end." 
May       19 — War  Chest  campaign  for  $20,000,000  opens  with  many  exercises. 
May       22 — Detachment  of  Company  L,  315th  Infantry,  first  79th  Division  unit  to  visit  city, 

takes  part  in  Women's  Service  flag  parade  for  War  Chest  drive. 
May      23 — Costa  Rica  declares  war  against  Germany. 

Provost  Marshal  General  Crowder  issues  "Work  or  Fight"  order. 
May       26 — One  thousand  two  hundred  drafted  men  leave  for  Camp  Meade. 
May       27 — Ludendorff  launches  Aisne  offensive. 

Schooner  Edna,  from  Philadelphia,  towed  into  port  a  derelict,  and  gives  first  warning 

of  submarine  operations  off  the  coast. 
May      28 — 1st  Division,  American  Expeditionary  Force,  captures  Cantigny. 
May       30 — Charles  H.  Markham  takes  charge  of  Allegheny  region,  United  States  Bailroad 

Administration. 
War  Chest  campaign  extended. 
Announce  winners  of  commissions  at  Third  Officers'  Training  Camp,  Camp  Hancock. 

37 


Courtesy    of    the    Philadelphia    "Inquirer." 

French  "Blue  Devils"  come  to  Philadelphia. 


June         1 — Transfer  of  officers  of  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  from  Washington  to  Philadelphia, 

begun. 
June        2 — German  submarine  (U-151)  destroys  Carolina,  Texal  and  Winneconne,  steamships; 
and  Isabel  B.  Wiley,  Edward  H.  Cole  and  Samuel  B.  Haskell,  schooners,  in  raid  off 
Jersey  and  Delaware  coasts. 
June        3 — Tanker  Herbert  L.  Pratt  damaged  by  mine  off  Delaware  Breakwater. 
June        4 — Crew  of  Edna,  and  of  Schooners  Hauppauge  and  Hallie  Dunn,  reach  New  York 
with  story  of  being  eight  days  prisoners  on  the  U-151. 
Port  of  Philadelphia  closed  for  three  hours. 
June        5 — 2d  American  Division  enters  battle  against  German  Marne  offensive. 

Second  registration  day  for  men  who  became  twenty-one  since  June  5,  1917. 
Sergeant-Major  Ryan  arrested  as  bogus  war  hero. 
June        9 — Fourth  German  offensive  (Montdidier-Noyon)  opens. 

June       13 — Emergency  Aid  asked  by  Federal  authorities  to  supervise  welfare  problems  for 
women  entering  war  industries. 
War  Chest  filled. 
Fourth  German  offensive  slopped. 
June       15 — Austro-Hungarian  offensive  on  Italian  Piavo  line  opens. 
June      23 — Austria-Hungary  begins  to  retire  from  Italian  front. 
June      27 — National  draft  lottery  for  June  5th  registrants  held. 

June      28 — First  Liberty  Sing  held  at  Liberty  Statute,  with  1,200  sailors  and  marines  parti- 
cipating. 
July         1 — Food  Administration  established  sugar  ration  of  three  pounds  per  month,  per  person. 
Federal  Grand  Jury  starts  draft  scandal  investigation. 

Mrs.  Emma  C.  Bergdoll  arrested  for  aiding  her  son,  Grover  C,  to  dodge  draft  duty. 
July         4 — Six  cargo  carriers  and  two  destroyers  launched  as  Delaware  River  district's  part 
in  the  national  Fourth  of  July  launching  of  one  hundred  ships. 
Sixty  thousand  alien-born  march  in  great  patriotic  parade. 


Courtesy    of    the    Atlantic   Refining    Co. 

Tank  Steamship  "Herbert  L.  Pratt"  damaged  by  a  German  Mine  off  Hen  and   Chicken   Shoals, 

at  the  entrance  to  Delaware  Bay. 


July 
July 
July 
July 
July 
July 
July 


July 


July 
July 

July 
July 

July 


4 — Naval  barracks,  at  Sewell's  Point,  N.  J.,  destroyed  by  mysterious  fire. 
6 — Pennsylvania  Reserve  Militia  goes  to  Mt.  Gretna  to  camp  for  two  weeks. 
9 — Southeastern  chapter,  Red  Cross,  starts  drive  to  enrol  300  nurses. 
10 — Fifth  Ward  draft  board  suspended  by  order  of  President  Wilson. 
11 — Explosion  at  Frankford  Arsenal  kills  two  and  injures  six. 
12 — Haiti  declares  war  against  Germany. 

14 — Rastile  Day  celebrated  at  Mass  Meeting  at  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  speakers, 
including  George  Wharton  Pepper,  James  M.  Reck,  and  Lieutenant  Paul  de 
Perigord,  French  soldier-priest. 
Ten  thousand  people  at  Valley  Forge  celebrate  Rastile  Day  and  honor  United  States 

Marines,  from  League  Island  and  Camp  Fuller,  Paoli,  Pa. 
Federal  agents  and  marines  arrest  400  in  Chester  vice  clean-up,  forerunner  of  slacker 
raids. 
15 — Ludendorff  opens  fifth  offensive  (Champagne-Marne) . 

28th  Division,  excluding  artillery,  engaged  south  of  the  Marne. 
Marines  open  week's  recruiting  drive. 
18 — Foch's  counter-attack  (Ainse-Marne  offensive)  slops  German  drive. 
19 — Armored  cruiser  "San  Diego"  sunk  by  mine  off  Fire  Island,  N.  Y.;  six  seamen  lost. 

Honduras  declares  war  against  Germany. 
23 — Department  of  Justice  starts  hunt  for  Erwin  Rergdoll,  draft  dodger. 
24 — Fuel  Administration  enforces  lightless  nights  for  the  first  four  days  of  each  week  to 

conserve  coal. 
26 — Twenty  South  American  diplomats  inspect  Hog  Island. 

39 


Courtesy  of  A. -I. 


Mrs.  Wilson  Christening  the  "Quistconck." 


July 
Aug. 


Aug. 

Aug. 

Aug. 
Aug. 
Aug. 
Aug. 
Aug. 
Aug. 

Aug. 
Aug. 


29 — First  casualties  of  the  28th  Division  begin  to  be  received  in  city. 
2 — Two  hundred  men  arrested  in  Woodside  Park  slacker  raid,  conducted  by  Department 
of  Justice  and  American  Protective  League. 
Food  Administration  cuts  sugar  rations  to  two  pounds  per  month,  per  person. 
3 — Watonwan,  first  ship  to  be  launched  at  the  Merchant  Shipbuilding  Corporation, 

Bristol,  sticks  on  ways. 
5 — Mrs.  Wilson  (accompanied  by  the  President)  christens  the  Quistconck,  Hog  Island's 

first  ship. 
6 — Five  hundred  men  arrested  in  Shibe  Park  slacker  raid. 
8 — British  open  Somme  offensive. 
10 — American   1st  Army  organized. 

12 — Dry  zone  established  in  one-half  mile  radius  of  Frankford  Arsenal. 
14 — Watowan  launched  successfully  at  Bristol. 
15 — Several  hundred  arrested  in  Atlantic  City  slacker  raid,  conducted  by  Department 

of  Justice  and  Philadelphia  branch  of  American  Protective  League. 
18 — Oise-Aisne  offensive  launched. 

53d  Artillery  Brigade  of  28th  Division  enters  fighting. 
19 — Ypres-Lys  offensive  launched. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  negroes  arrested  in  South  Philadelphia  slacker  raid. 


40 


Courtesy  of  A. -I.  S.  C. 


The  "Quislconck"  ready  for  her  first  trip. 


Aug.       22 — First  local  curb  market  opened  at  North  College  and  Ridge  avenues. 

Aug.       24 — National  Registration  Day  for  men  who  have  reached  twenty-one  since  June  5, 

1918. 
Aug.       26 — Battle  of  the  Scarpe  opens. 

One  thousand  two  hundred  and  eighty-one  drafted  men  leave  for  Camp  Lee. 

New  call  received  for  10,000  men. 
Aug.       27 — Submarine  Chaser  No.  209  sunk  by  Felix  Taussig,  in  mistake  for  submarine  south 

of  New  York;  4  Philadelphians  among  seventeen  lost;  five  saved. 
Aug.       30 — Five  hundred  and  fifty  men  captured  in  vice  raids  in  city. 
Sept.        1 — Fuel  Administration  enforces  first  "Gasless  Sunday." 
Sept.        2 — Ten  thousand  men,  war  workers  in  Labor  Day  Parade. 
Sept.        3 — Battle  of  Scarpe  ends. 

Sept.        5 — District  Appeal  Roard  No.  2  dismissed  by  Provost  Marshal  General. 
Sept.      11— $300,000  fire  in  New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation. 
Sept.      12 — Battle  of  Havrincourl-Epehy  opens. 

Battle  of  St.  Mihiel  opens. 

National  Registration  Day  for  men  from  eighteen  to  twenty-one  and  from  thirty- 
one  to  forty-five;  240,563  registered  in  city. 
Sept.      13 — St.  Mihiel  salient  reduced  by  1st  American  Army. 

Federal  Grand  Jury  indicts  twenty-eight  for  various  draft  frauds. 
Sept.      15 — Allied  drive  in  Balkans  opens. 
Sept.      17 — Battle  of  Havrincourt-Epehy  ends. 

The  Spanish  influenza  makes  its  appearance  in  city  when  fourteen  nurses  and  five 
internes,  at  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital,  are  reported  ill  as  the  result  of  observations 
and  research  upon  six  sailors  taken  there  suffering  with  the  disease. 
Sept.      18 — One  thousand  influenza  cases  reported  in  epidemic  at  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard. 
Sept.      19 — Allenby  begins  final  campaign  against  Turkey,  in  Asiatic  Turkey. 
Sept.      21 — Bulgarian  armies  retreat  in  Balkans. 

Sept.      24 — Registration  of  women  for  new  Women's  Food  Army  begun. 
Sept.      25 — One  thousand  four  hundred  cases  of  influenza  reported  in  city. 

41 


Sept. 

Sept. 
Sept. 
Sept. 


Oct. 
Oct. 
Oct. 
Oct. 


Oct. 
Oct. 
Oct. 
Oct. 

Oct. 
Oct. 

Oct. 
Oct. 
Oct. 
Oct. 


26 — Meuse-Argonne  and  Champagne  offensives  begin. 

28th  and  79th  (National  Army)  divisions,  entering  fighting. 
27 — Five  Tageblalt  defendants  convicted  of  having  violated  the  Espionage  Act. 
28 — Pageant  on  Broad  street  precedes  opening  of  Fourth  Liberty  Loan. 
30 — Bulgaria  granted  an  Armistice. 

U.  S.  A.  T.  C.  Ticonderoga  sunk  by  submarine  (U-152),  230  lives  lost;  twenty-three 
saved  and  two  captured. 
1 — Student  Army  Training  Corps  becomes  compulsory  in  all  colleges  and  universities. 
2 — Influenza  epidemic  spreads  to  all  parts  of  the  city. 

3 — Board  of  Health  closes  public  schools;  all  Liberty  Loan  meeting  indoors  called  off. 
Ar— Second  stage  of  Meuse-Argonne  offensive  begins. 

Five  hundred  and  seventy  deaths  and  4,064  cases  of  influenza  reported. 
Board  of  Health  closes  all  saloons,  theaters  and  churches. 
8 — Second  battle  of  La  Cateau  begins. 
9 — 2d  American  Army  created. 
14 — Belgians  open  Dixmude  offensive. 
16 — Seven  hundred  and  eleven  deaths  in  twenty-four  hours  establishes  an  influenza 

record  for  city. 
17 — Battle  of  the  Selle  begins. 
20 — Fourth  Liberty  Loan  ends;  Philadelphia  subscribes,  $311,306,250. 

Influenza  epidemic  considered  well  under  control. 
23 — Six  hundred  Home  Defense  reservists  patrol  beats  of  police  made  ill  by  influenza. 
24 — Italy  begins  Victory  offensive. 

25 — Board  of  Health  lifts  quarantine  on  schools  and  churches. 

26 — Bepresentatives  of  65,000,000  Slavs  meet  at  Independence  Hall  to  declare  the 
independence  of  the  mid-European  states. 


Courtesy   of   the   Philadelphia    "Press." 

Reading  the  Declaration  of  Independence  of  Mid-European  Nations,  Independence  Square. 

42 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Governor  Sproul  and  members  of  the  Union  League  at  the  Liberty  Statue- 


Armistice  Day,  1918. 


Oct. 

Nov. 

Nov. 
Nov. 


Nov. 


26 — Board  of  Health  lifts  quarantine  against  saloons,  theaters  and  public  meetings. 
1 — Battle  of  Sambre  begins. 

Final  stage  of  Meuse-Argonne  offensive  begins. 
3 — Austro-Hungarian  armies  in  Italy  completely  routed. 
4 — Austria-Hungary  granted  an  armistice. 

Italian  colony  holds  great  celebration  for  victory,  culminating  with  meeting  in  In- 
dependence Square. 
5 — William  G.  Sproul  elected  Governor  of  Pennsylvania. 

43 


Nov.        6 — Federal  agents  and  American   Protective  League  raid  Olympic  boxing  club  for 

slackers. 
Nov.        7 — False  armistice  report  starts  jubilee  in  city. 

Secretary  of  the  Navy  Daniels,  at  reception  to  Director  Schwab,  at  Metropolitan 

Opera  House,  tells  Emergency  Fleet  he  favors  big  merchant  marine. 
Nov.      11— ARMISTICE  DAY. 

President  Wilson's  Armistice  Day   Proclamation:   "My  fellow  countrymen — The 

armistice  was  signed  this  morning.     Everything  for  which  America  fought,  has 

been  accomplished.     It  will  now  be  our  fortunate  duty  to  assist  by  example,  by 

sober,  friendly  counsel,  and  by  material  aid,  in  the  establishment  of  just  democracy 

throughout  the  world.    Woodrow  Wilson." 
Nov.      13 — Food  Administration  lifts  ah  wheat  restrictions. 

Nov.      21 — President  Wilson  signs  War  Prohibition  Bill,  making  nation  dry  after  July  1,  1919. 
Nov.      27 — War  Department  orders  demobilization  of  Student  Army  Training  Corps. 
Dec.         1 — British  cruiser  Cumberland  arrives  at  Navy  Yard. 
Dec.         4— Captain  Alfred  F.  B.  Carpenter,  hero  of  Zeebrugge,  is  speaker  at  Red  Cross  meeting 

at  Academy  of  Music,  opening  Red  Cross  Christmas  membership  drive. 
Dec.         5 — First  British  armed  force  to  parade  streets  of  Philadelphia  since  Revolution,  is 

detachment  of  sailors  and  marines  from  H.  M.  S.  Cumberland. 
Dec.         7 — President  Wilson  sails  for  Peace  Conference. 

1919 
Jan.       30 — First  troopship  with  returning  American  soldiers  to    reach  this  port  is  American 
liner  Haverford,  with  2,500  men  of  65th  Coast  Artillery;  138  wounded  colored 
enlisted  men,  and  38  wounded  and  sick  officers. 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Troops  on  the  "Haverford." 
44 


Feb.       21 — American  liner  Northland  arrives  with  47  Red  Cross  and  Y.  M.  C.  A.  workers  and 

,  1,504  fighting  men. 
Feb.       23 — President  Wilson  reaches  Boston,  returning  from  Peace  Conference. 
March     5 — President  Wilson  sails  again  for  Peace  Conference. 
March   22 — American  liner  Haverford  arrives  with  2,095  American  soldiers,  including  400  Penn- 

sylvanians. 
April      20 — Victory  Loan  opens  with  unveiling  of  Victory  Statue. 
April      28 — Transport  Mongolia  reaches  New  York  with  first  28tb  Division  units;  part  of  111th 

Infantry. 
April      29 — Transport  Kroonland  reaches  New  York  with  balance  of  111th  Infantry. 
April      30 — Transport  Finland  arrives  at  New  York  with  103d  Engineers. 

Transports  Pocahontas  and  Mercury  race  up  the  Delaware  with  Major-General 

Muir  and  the  112th  Infantry  complete,  and  107th  Machine  Gun  Battalion. 
May        4 — Transport  Maui  brings  109th  Infantry  to  Philadelphia. 
May        7 — Transport  Liberator  brings  103d  Field  Signal  Battalion,  103d  Supply  Train  and 

balance  of  103d  Engineers,  to  Philadelphia. 
May        9 — Transport  Mongolia  reaches  New  York  with  53d  Artillery  Brigade  Headquarters, 

107th  and  109tb  Field  Artillery  and  103d  Sanitary  Train. 
May       10— Victory   Loan   ends;    Philadelphia   subscribed    $208,450,500. 

May       11 — Transport  Edgar  F.  Luckenbach  arrives  at  Philadelphia  with  part  of  110th  Infantry. 
May      12— Transport  Santa  Olivia  arrives  at  Philadelphia  with  balance  of  110th  Infantry. 
May       15 — 28tb  DivisionboldslastreviewinmonsterparadeonBroad,  Chestnutand  Market  streets. 
May       16 — Transport  Peerless  reaches  Philadelphia  with  108tb  Field  Artillery  and  108th  Machine 

Gun  Battalion,  too  late  for  the  Divisional  Review. 
May      26 — Transport  Princess  Matoika  reaches  New  York  with  first  units  of  79th  Division — 314th 

Infantry;  304tb  Field  Signal  Battalion  and  154th  \rtillery  Brigade  Headquarters. 
Transport  Tiger  arrives  in  New  York  with  310th  Field  Artillery. 
Transport  Virginian  arrives  at  Newport  News,  Va.,  with  312th  Field  Artillery  and 

311th  Machine  Gun  Battalion;  met  by  representatives  of  Philadelphia  Welcome 

Home  Committee. 
May      28 — Transport  Edward  Luckenbach  arrives  at  New  York  with  311th  Field  Artillery  and 

312th  Machine  Gun  Battalion. 
May      29 — Transport  Kroonland  arrives  at  New  York  with  part  of  316th  Infantry,  Divisional 

Headquarters,  304th  Engineers,  Headquarters  Troop  and  Divisional  Train  Head- 
quarters.    Major-General  Jos.  E.  Kuhn  greeted  at  the  dock  by  Mayor  Smith 

and  Committee  from  Philadelphia. 
Transport  Texan  reaches  Philadelphia  with  balance  of  316th  Infantry. 
May      30— Transport  Santa  Rosa  arrives  at  Philadelphia  with  the  315th  Infantry  (Philadelphia's 

Own). 
May      30 — Secretary  of  the  Navy  Daniels   witnesses  launching  of  five  ships  at   Hog   Island 

in  forty-eight  minutes. 
May      31— Transport  Dakotan  arrives  at  Philadelphia  with  304th  Supply  Train,  79th  Military 

Police  Company,  detachment  of  310th  Field  Artillery  and  Companies  L  and  M, 

315th  Infantry. 
June        1 — Transport  Shoshone  brings  final  79th  Division  men  to  Philadelphia;  Horse  Battalion 

of  304th  Ammunition  Train  and  304th  Sanitary  Train. 
Transports  General  Gorgas  and  Canandaigua  arrive  at  Philadelphia  with  933  and 

1,327  troops,  respectively. 
June      28 — Versailles  Peace  Treaty  with  Germany  signed  by  Allies. 
Sept.      10 — Austro-Hungarian  peace  treaty  signed  at  St.  Germain. 

Sept.      26 — His  Eminence,  Cardinal  Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines,  is  guest  of  city. 
Oct.       27 — The  King  and  Queen  of  the  Belgians  and  the  Duke  of  Brabant,  received  by  Mayor 

Smith.    Also  entertained  by  the  Belgian  Committee  of  the  Emergency  Aid,  and 

by  the  Red  Cross.    The  King  christens  United  States  Army  Transport  Canligny, 

at  Hog  Island. 
Nov.      18 — Prince  of  Wales  makes  brief  visit  to  city. 
Nov.      27 — Treaty  with  Bulgaria  signed  by  Allies  at  Neuilly. 

45 


MAYOR  SMITH'S  WAR  COMMITTEES 

William  Bell  Clark 

ARGE  groups  of  public-spirited  citizens  were  twice  called 
into  volunteer  service  by  Mayor  Thomas  B.  Smith  during 
the  mid-years  of  his  term.  Both  functioned  admirably, 
the  first,  in  1916,  in  caring  for  the  families  of  the  National 
Guardsmen  from  this  city  sent  to  the  border,  and  the 
second,  in  1917,  in  encouraging  patriotic  endeavor,  aiding 
recruiting,  preparing  for  home  defense  and  offering  prac- 
tical assistance  to  service  men  and  their  families. 

The  volunteer  organization  of  1916  was  the  Citizens' 
Soldiers  Aid  Committee  of  Philadelphia;  the  one  of  1917, 
the  Philadelphia  Home  Defense  Committee.  While  their  duties  were  widely  diver- 
gent, the  personnel  in  each  instance  was  somewhat  similar,  and  the  Mayor  was 
Chairman  of  each.  Likewise,  the  Mayor's  reception  room  was  generally  the 
meeting  place,  and  the  original  office  personnel  remained  almost  intact  through 
the  life  of  both  organizations.  For  these  reasons  it  has  been  deemed  best  to  deal 
with  them  in  a  single  chapter. 

In  the  few  years  which  have  elapsed  since  the  days  of  the  Mexican  border  and 
those  of  the  World  War,  confused  impressions  have  arisen  regarding  the  work  of 
the  mayor's  committees  and  those  of  other  organizations.  Frequently  the  Citizens' 
Soldiers  Aid  Committee  and  the  Joint  Councilmanic  Committee  have  been  mis- 
taken as  one  and  the  same,  while  the  myriad  of  mushroom  organizations  which 
sprang  into  temporary  existence  in  the  early  days  of  1917  have  resulted  in  hazy 
ideas  as  to  just  what  each  did. 


Photo  by  L.  R.   Snow. 


Philadelphia  Mounted  Police. 
46 


To  one  seeking  to  separate  "the  wheat  from  the  chaff,"  the  files  of  the  Phila- 
delphia newspapers  were  the  first  recourse.  Their  columns  were  filled  with  valu- 
able information;  the  early  activities  of  each  of  the  committees  were  described 
in  full.  But  the  world-wide  war  news  of  1916  and  1917  could  not  help  but  crowd 
the  committee  work  into  narrowing  space  until  it  eventually  disappeared.  This 
was  particularly  true  when,  with  the  first  hurrah  at  an  end,  the  organizations  got 
down  to  routine.  Fortunately,  the  original  files  of  both  committees  are  in  exis- 
tence. Those  of  the  Citizens'  Soldiers  Aid  Committee  are  in  the  office  of  George 
Wentworth  Carr,  who  was  Secretary  of  both  organizations ;  those  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Home  Defense  Committee  in  the  Mayor's  filing  room,  No.  353,  City  Hall. 

The  Citizens'  Soldiers  Aid  Committee 

On  June  18,  1916,  a  little  more  than  three  months  after  Pancho  Villa  and 
his  Mexican  bandits  raided  the  border  town  of  Columbus,  N.  M.,  President 
Wilson,  by  official  proclamation,  called  the  National  Guard  into  Federal  service. 
Two  days  later,  Brigadier-General  William  G.  Price,  Jr.,  commanding  the  1st 
Infantry  Brigade — the  1st,  2d  and  3d  Begiments,  all  of  Philadelphia — ordered  the 
men  under  arms  in  their  respective  armories  on  the  morning  of  June  22d,  and, 
on  the  day  of  mobilization,  the  Citizens'  Soldiers  Aid  Committee  was  formed. 

Mayor  Smith  had  issued  a  call  for  the  meeting  the  previous  day  and  more 
than  300  representative  citizens  crowded  into  Boom  202  (the  Mayor's  reception 
room)  in  response  to  his  request.  "The  mayor,  as  chairman  of  the  meeting,  outlined 
the  purpose — to  take  steps  to  safeguard  the  families  of  the  guardsmen  by  extending 
financial  aid  to  those  whose  income  was  cut  suddenly  from  a  living  wage  to  the 
thirty  dollars  a  month  paid  by  the  Government  to  an  enlisted  man.  In  the  course 
of  his  opening  address  he  said : 

"No  red  tape  methods  should  be  permitted  to  delay  temporary  relief  where  the  need  is 
apparent.  It  is  far  better  that  an  unworthy  few  should  impose  upon  us,  than  that  the  sufferings 
of  the  many  deserving  be  prolonged,  while  a  too  critical  investigation  of  their  cases  is  being  made. 
Our  aim  should  be  quick,  effective,  but  quiet  helpfulness  For  the  present,  and  until  experience 
has  indicated  more  clearly  the  phases  into  which  our  work  will  develop,  our  organization  should 
be  simple  and  flexible;  and  I,  therefore,  suggest  that  our  officers  and  committee  be  limited  to 
a  chairman,  vice-chairman,  secretary,  treasurer,  an  executive  committee,  a  managing  committee, 
and  a  finance  committee.  Obviously  the  first  thing  needed  is  money  and  that  in  large  amounts. 
If  Philadelphia's  soldiers  should  be  in  the  field  for  a  year,  we  shall  need  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
dollars.  We  cannot  start  too  soon  to  raise  it.  Some  sources  from  which  speedy  responses  should 
be  expected  have  occurred  to  me.  Some  of  the  plans  suggested  were  by  large  individual  sub- 
scriptions from  Philadelphia  citizens  of  wealth;  the  use  of  glass  bowls  in  public  places,  and  appeal 
to  pastors  of  churches  to  take  up  special  collections." 

Following  the  Mayor's  suggestions  an  election  was  held  and  the  following 
officers  selected;  Chairman  of  the  General  Committee,  the  Mayor;  Vice-Chairman, 
Colonel  Sheldon  Potter;  Treasurer,  Joseph  E.  Widener,  and  Secretary,  George  Went- 
worth Carr.  In  addition  it  was  decided  to  have  a  managing  committee  of  the 
officers  and  eleven  other  members ;  an  executive  committee  of  sixty-five,  and  finance 
committee  of  eighteen. 

The  Citizens'  Soldiers  Aid  Committee  became  operative  on  June  24th,  within 
one  hour  after  the  first  troop  train  had  left  the  city  for  Mt.  Gretna,  when  an  appli- 

47 


cation  was  received  from  a  twenty-year  old  bride  of  a  few  months.  She  was  given 
immediate  assistance  and  subsequently  placed  in  a  lucrative  position.  Between 
June  24th  and  July  7th,  the  Committee  paid  out  $508  without  any  investigation, 
following  the  Mayor's  idea  that  it  was  better  to  lose  a  few  dollars  than  to  permit 
some  needy  and  worthy  person  to  suffer. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  executive  committee  of  sixty-five  was  held  on  June 
27th,  at  which  time  a  large  sum  of  money  was  pledged.  The  personnel  of  the  Ex- 
ecutive Committee  was  as  follows: 

Herbert  D.  Allman,  Richard  L.  Austin,  C.  C.  A.  Baldi,  John  C.  Bell,  General  R.  Dale  Benson, 
A.  J.  Drexel  Biddle,  former  Mayor  Rudolph  Blankenburg,  Samuel  T.  Bodine,  Charles  S.  Calwell, 
George  Wentworth  Carr,  Mrs.  Alexander  J.  Gassatt,  Mrs.  J.  Gardner  Cassatt,  Frederick  T. 
Chandler,  Morris  L.  Clothier,  Dr.  Russell  Conwell,  Edward  M.  Cooke,  Colonel  J.  Howell  Cum- 
mings,  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis,  Agnew  T.  Dice,  Mrs.  George  Dallas  Dixon,  Mrs.  George  W.  C. 
Drexel,  Franz  Ehrlich,  Jr.,  William  S.  Ellis,  Nathan  T.  Folwell,  Howard  B.  French,  Joseph  P. 
Gaffney,  Ellis  A.  Gimbel,  Dr.  E.  B.  Gleason,  Colonel  John  C.  Gribbel,  Mrs.  John  C.  Groome. 
William  Hancock,  Charles  C.  Harrison,  Stevens  Heckscher,  Max  Herzberg,  Isaac  D.  Hetzel, 
Mrs.  George  Q.  Horwitz,  James  E.  Lennon,  Howard  W.  Lewis,  Colonel  Samuel  D.  Lit,  L.  H. 
Kinnard,  Charles  H.  Rrumbhaar,  Hugh  McCaffrey,  Joseph  B.  McCall,  Judge  J.  Willis  Martin, 
Thomas  Martindale,  Gustav  Mayer,  Thomas  E.  Mitten,  George  Wharton  Pepper,  Colonel 
Sheldon  Potter,  Eli  Kirk  Price,  Frank  P.  Prichard,  Samuel  Rea,  Francis  B.  Reeves,  Levi  L.  Rue, 
Dr.  George  E.  de  Schweinitz,  Edgar  Fahs  Smith,  Joseph  N.  Snellenburg,  Mrs.  E.  T.  Stotesbury, 
E.  T.  Stotesbury,  Edwin  S.  Stuart,  Judge  Mayer  Sulzberger,  Charlemagne  Tower,  John  Wana- 
maker,  Mrs.  Barclay  H.  Warburton,  Joseph  E.  Widener,  Alexander  Van  Rensselaer  and  Mayor 
Smith. 

On  June  30th,  the  General  Committee  met  in  the  Mayor's  reception  room  and 
the  personnel  of  the  finance  and  managing  committees  were  announced  as  follows: 

Finance  Committee:  E.  T.  Stotesbury,  chairman;  Frederick  T.  Chandler,  Morris  L.  Clothier, 
Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis,  Mrs.  George  Dallas  Dixon,  William  S.  Ellis,  Nathan  T.  Folwell,  Ellis  A. 
Gimbel,  Colonel  John  C.  Gribbel,  Charles  C.  Harrison,  Mrs.  George  Q.  Horwitz,  Howard  W. 
Lewis,  Colonel  Samuel  D.  Lit,  Hugh  McCaffrey,  Levi  L.  Rue,  Joseph  N.  Snellenburg,  Edwin  S. 
Stuart,  Alexander  Van  Rensselaer  and  John  Wanamaker. 

Managing  Committee:  Mayor  Smith,  chairman;  all  officers  ex-officio  and  John  C.  Bell, 
Samuel  Bodine,  William  Hancock,  Stevens  Heckscher,  Max  Herzberg,  Mrs.  A.  J.  Cassatt,  Mrs. 
George  W.  C.  Drexel,  Mrs.  John  C.  Groome,  Edgar  F.  Smith,  Mrs.  E.  T.  Stotesbury  and  Colonel 
J.  Howell  Cummings. 

As  the  relief  work  progressed  an  affiliation  was  effected  with  the  Home  Relief 
Division  of  the  Emergency  Aid  Committee,  and  by  July  8th  the  work  of  the  or- 
ganization had  been  so  extended  as  to  necessitate  three  departments,  the  Executive 
and  Registration  in  City  Hall  and  the  Home  Relief  Division  at  221  S.  18th  Street. 
The  Executive  Department  received  contributions  and  disbursed  the  General  Fund, 
took  care  of  the  general  correspondence  and  outlined  the  policies  of  the  Committee. 
The  Registration  Department  received  applications  and  the  Home  Relief  Division, 
in  charge  of  the  Emergency  Aid,  made  investigations  and  paid  the  allowances  to 
the  dependents  of  the  soldiers.  The  Pennsylvania  Women's  Division  for  National 
Preparedness  cooperated  with  the  Emergency  Aid  Committee  in  the  home  relief 
work.  Under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  J.  Gardner  Cassatt,  a  member  of  the  Executive 
Committee  of  the  Citizens'  Soldiers  Aid  Committee,  twenty-seven  volunteer  visitors 
made  investigations.     These  twenty-seven  were : 

Miss  Madeline  Asbury,  Mrs.  L.  C.  Black,  Miss  Louise  Cochran,  Miss  Eleanor  Solis-Cohen, 
Miss  Judith  Solis-Cohen,  Mrs.  C.  L.  Card,  Miss  Ethel  Dripps,  Miss  Blanche  V.  Moore,  Miss 
Helen  E.  Donaghy,  Miss  Mary  A.  Gilbert,  Mrs.  Francis  S.  Hoskins,  Mrs.  Henry  I.  Hyneman, 

48 


Mrs.  Emma  Hoffa,  Mrs.  Henry  F.  Kassebaum,  Mrs.  George  0.  Lummis,  Miss  Martha  C.  F. 
Bent,  Dr.  H.  E.  McSorley,  Mrs.  H.  Gordon  McCough,  Mrs.  Mustard,  Mrs.  Marshall,  Mrs. 
Powers,  Mrs.  B.  Alexander  Bandall,  Miss  M.  H.  Stryker,  Miss  Amy  D.  Smith,  Mrs.  J.  Harry 
Scott,  Mrs.  J.  Frederick  Thomas  and  Mrs.  H.  Frederick  Wilson. 

The  Emergency  Aid  Volunteer  workers  were:  Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin,  acting  chairman ; 
Mrs.  John  C.  Groome,  chairman  Home  Belief  Division;  Mrs.  Bodman  E.  Griscom,  Mrs.  Beed  A, 
Morgan,  Mrs.  F.  M.  Myer,  Mrs.  Gibson  Bell,  Miss  Louise  Snowden,  Mrs.  Francis  D.  Lewis, 
Mrs.  Henry  C.  Boyer,  Mrs.  Alexander  Bandall,  Mrs.  W.  Penn  Smith,  Mrs.  J.  B.  Lippincott,  Jr., 
Mrs.  Charles  Piatt,  Jr.,  Miss  Eleanor  Baker,  Miss  Eleanor  E.  Carr,  and  Miss  Elizabeth  D. 
Wheeler. 

By  mid-July  the  Committee  had  received  a  total  of  $6,000  and  had  expended 
more  than  $4,000  for  relief  work.  In  addition,  by  personal  subscription  outside  of 
the  Relief  Fund  but  within  the  Committee,  about  $1,200  had  been  gathered  to  pur- 
chase baseball  equipment  for  each  of  the  thirty-six  Philadelphia  National  Guard 
companies  then  at  Camp  Stewart,  El  Paso,  Texas.  On  July  18th,  when  the 
financial  condition  became  exceedingly  precarious,  Mr.  Stotesbury,  as  Chairman 
of  the  Finance  Committee,  addressed  a  meeting  of  the  General  Committee  and 
secured  pledges,  within  a  half  hour,  for  $9,540.  He  showed  that  the  Committee 
needed  between  $500  and  $1,800  weekly  to  carry  on  the  work.  Pledge  cards  were 
issued  at  the  meeting,  and  also  placed  in  the  hands  of  business  and  other  organ- 
izations and  sent  to  a  large  mailing  list  of  reputable  citizens.  On  July  22d,  the  Com- 
mittee announced  that  it  had  received  a  total  of  $15,712.05  and  had  expended 
$5,756.10. 

The  overhead  expenses  were  kept  throughout  at  a  mimimum.  The  Pennsyl- 
vania Women's  Division  for  National  Preparedness  paid  for  the  services  of  one 
clerk  and  Mrs.  J.  Gardner  Cassatt  paid  the  expenses  of  a  stenographer.  Other 
patriotic  women  in  the  Committee  personally  paid  incidental  expenses,  so  that  the 
overhead  to  the  Committee  consisted  of  the  salary  for  six  clerks — four  at  the  City 
Hall  and  two  at  221  S.  18th  Street — with  a  total  payroll  of  $94  weekly. 

By  the  end  of  July  more  than  400  families  had  appealed  for  help.  These 
were:  213  wives;  seventeen  fathers;  206  mothers  of  soldiers.  There  was 
a  total  of  486  dependent  children  in  these  appeals  and  there  were  twenty-four 
expectant  mothers.  At  first  the  persons  on  the  allowance  list  called  at  the  Home 
Relief  Division  for  their  money,  but  when  the  infantile  paralysis  epidemic  became 
virulent  in  the  summer  of  1916,  a  plan  was  devised  whereby  money  could  be  sent 
by  check.  In  the  case  of  foreign  born  parents  of  soldiers,  the  money  was  sent  in 
cash  to  avoid  misunderstanding. 

On  August  1st,  Mayor  Smith  made  a  public  appeal  for  funds  to  aid  the  work, 
and  the  immediate  results  were  apparent  when  $984  came  in  on  August  3d  and 
$1,658  on  August  4th.  By  August  8th,  the  Committee  had  received  a  total  of 
$27,060.40  and  had  expended  $11,876.10.  Through  the  balance  of  the  month  and 
early  September  receipts  and  disbursements  grew  alike,  and  on  September  7th,  the 
former  reached  $36,996  and  the  later  $22,322. 

About  the  middle  of  September,  the  Committee  learned  that  the  Army  Ap- 
propriation Bill,  approved  by  the  President  on  September  8th,  contained  an  item 
of  $2,000,000  for  the  relief  of  the  dependents  of  the  soldiers  of  the  National  Guard 
and  the  Regular  Army.  At  that  time  it  appeared  as  if  the  Philadelphia  soldiers 
would  remain  indefinitely  in  the  field.  The  Committee,  realizing  that  its  funds 
were  inadequate  to  carry  it  beyond  December  15th,  took  up  the  question  of  another 

49 


public  appeal  or  securing  the  relief  through  the  War  Department.  Fortunately 
in  early  October,  two  of  the  Philadelphia  regiments — the  1st  and  3d — returned 
from  border  service.  There  remained  at  Camp  Stewart  the  2d  Regiment,  at 
that  time  being  converted  into  the  Second  Field  Artillery.  The  Committee  sent 
to  the  Commander  of  the  2d  Artillery  the  names  of  the  soldiers  in  the  unit  whose 
families  were  being  aided  and  advised  to  apply  for  relief  to  the  War  Department 
under  the  terms  of  the  act. 

Negotiations  were  at  the  same  time  carried  on  with  the  War  Department,  and 
on  September  26th,  N.  B.  Kelly,  Secretary  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  in- 
terviewed Secretary  of  War  Baker  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  acting  for  the  Committee 
while  traveling  on  another  matter.  Mr.  Kelly  wired  the  result  of  his  interview 
as  follows: 

"Secretary  of  War  Baker  advises  that  you  do  not  seek  additional  contributions.  Have 
applicants  for  relief  inform  their  relatives  to  secure  application  blanks  from  their  commanding 
officers  at  the  front  to  be  forwarded  to  War  Department.  Said  department  will  secure  family 
records  through  your  committee.  Said  applicants  will  be  paid  by  Government,  if  your  reports 
as  to  their  needs  are  favorable." 

With  the  return  of  two  regiments  in  October  the  Committee  found  its  funds 
sufficient  to  continue  providing  for  the  125  dependent  families  in  the  2d  Artillery 
for  a  little  longer  than  had  been  anticipated,  and  it  was  not  until  November  27th 
that  a  letter  was  sent  to  each  of  the  125  soldiers  stating  that  allowances  would  not 
be  paid  after  December  15th,  and  instructing  them  to  apply  to  the  War  Department 
for  relief.  When  December  15th  arrived  the  Committee's  funds,  as  had  been 
anticipated,  came  to  an  end.  From  June  24th  to  December  15th  it  had  raised 
and  expended,  the  major  part  being  received  from  members  of  the  Committee,  the 
sum  of  $42,323.47.  Its  work  practically  ended  on  that  date.  What  remained  was 
merely  considerable  routine  endeavor  to  get  the  dependent  families  safely  trans- 
ferred from  the  payroll  of  the  Committee  to  that  of  the  War  Department.  The 
Citizens'  Soldiers  Aid  Committee,  as  an  organization,  passed  into  history  with  the 
end  of  the  year  1916. 

The  Philadelphia  Home  Defense  Committee 

The  Philadelphia  Home  Defense  Committee  grew  out  of  a  meeting  called 
originally  to  formulate  plans  to  aid  the  Fourth  Naval  District  recruit  6,000  men 
for  the  Naval  Coast  Defense  Reserve.  It  was  during  the  pre-war  (for  America) 
days,  while  the  nation  was  awaiting  President  Wilson's  address  to  the  pending 
special  session  of  Congress,  after  Ambassador  Bernstorff  had  been  handed  his 
passports,  and  when  all  activities  centered  on  preparedness.  Captain  Robert 
Lee  Russell,  U.  S.  N.,  Commandant  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard,  had  requested 
public  assistance  in  making  the  recruiting  campaign  go,  and  on  March  20,  1917, 
in  response  to  Mayor  Smith's  invitation,  there  gathered  in  the  Mayor's  reception 
room,  representatives  of  many  organizations,  business,  fraternal,  social  and  pa- 
triotic.    The  total  was  close  to  400. 

The  gathering  saw  more  before  it  than  the  recruiting  campaign.  It  sensed 
the  inevitable  entry  of  the  nation  into  war,  and  it  used  the  opportunity  of  the 
public  meeting  to  line  up  the  city  in  solid  front  behind  the  President.  Mayor 
Smith  acted  as  chairman  and,  a  few  minutes  after  the  opening  of  the  session,  Franz 
Ehrlich,  Jr.,  President  of  the  Philadelphia  Branch  of  the  National  German-American 

50 


Alliance,  introduced  a  resolution  pledging  the  resources  of  the  city  and  its  people 
to  the  President.  To  make  the  resolution  more  emphatic  in  showing  the  disap- 
pearance of  the  hyphen,  the  seconder  was  John  B.  Mayer,  President  of  the  German 
Society  of  Pennsylvania.  Ten  minutes  later  the  following  telegram  was  on  its 
way  to  Washington: 

"The  Philadelphia  Home  Defense  Committee,  just  organized,  and  now  in  session  at  the 
Mayor's  office,  Philadelphia,  composed  of  representatives  of  great  railroads,  public  utility  com- 
panies, large  mercantile  and  industrial  establishments,  great  commercial  and  labor  organizations, 
sectional  business  men's  associations,  athletic  and  yacht  clubs,  and  representing  a  vast  majority 
of  all  the  citizens  of  Philadelphia,  have  unanimously  adopted  the  following  resolution: 

"The  members  of  the  Philadelphia  Home  Defense  Committee,  as  individuals  and  for  the 
corporations  and  associations  represented  by  them  as  well  as  for  the  people  of  Philadelphia 
generally,  pledge  the  ungrudging  support  of  all  the  men  and  women  of  Philadelphia  and  all  its 
resources  to  the  President  of  the  United  States  in  his  efforts  to  maintain  the  honor  and  dignity 
of  the  Nation  and  protect  the  lives  and  property  of  Americans  on  land  and  sea. 

"Thomas  B.  Smith,  Mayor." 

Before  adjournment,  the  newly  formed  committee  pledged  its  aid  to  the 
naval  recruiting  campaign  as  outlined  by  Captain  H.  A.  Bispham,  U.  S.  N.,  repre- 
senting Commandant  Russell ;  decided  upon  an  executive  committee  to  be  appointed 
by  the  chairman,  and  elected  the  following  officers: 

Chairman,  Mayor  Smith;  Vice-Chairman,  John  C.  Bell;  Secretary,  George  Wentworth  Carr; 
and  Treasurer,  Joseph  E.  Widener. 

The  City  beat  the  State  by  twenty-four  hours  in  its  preparedness  work.  It 
was  not  until  the  following  day,  March  21st,  that  Governor  Brumbaugh  appointed 
the  Pennsylvania  Committee  of  Public  Safety. 

On  March  23d,  the  Executive  Committee  having  been  appointed,  met  in  the 
Mayor's  reception  room  and  considered  a  vast  patriotic  meeting  as  one  of  the  best 
ways  to  arouse  the  people  of  the  city  to  the  emergency.  At  the  same  time  the 
Mayor  named  the  chairmen  of  the  standing  committees  as  follows: 

Finance,  E.  T.  Stotesbury;  Home  Reserve,  A.  J.  Drexel  Biddle;  Decorations  and  Posters, 
John  Frederick  Lewis;  Recruiting  Stations,  William  W.  Boper. 

These  chairmen,  with  the  officers  of  the  General  Committee  and  the  following 
others,  constituted  the  Executive  Committee: 

William  Potter,  John  B.  Mayer,  Clarence  Wolf,  Edward  A.  Noppel,  Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin, 
and  Ernest  T.  Trigg. 

Likewise  a  publicity  committee  was  appointed  that  day  consisting  of: 

M.  F.  Hanson,  Colonel  James  Elverson,  Jr.,  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis,  Samuel  Meek,  E.  A.  Van 
Valkenburg,  W.  L.  McLean,  Thomas  D.  Taylor,  P.  H.  Whaley,  Gustavus  Mayer,  C.  Lemke  and 
Bowe  Stewart. 

On  the  following  day,  Saturday,  March  24th,  the  Executive  Committee  met 
at  the  Poor  Richard  Club  and  laid  plans  for  the  previously  approved  patriotic 
meeting  to  be  held  in  Independence  Square  on  the  subsequent  Saturday,  March 
31st,  with  a  special  celebration  for  the  school  children  in  Washington  Square, 
adjoining,  at  the  same  time.  A  Committee  on  Celebration  was  appointed  with  the 
following  members: 

51 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Prominent  Men  at  Rally  at  Independence  Hall. 

Chairman,  Walter  Lee  Rosenberger,  Thomas  Robins,  Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin,  T.  DeWitt 
Cuyler,  Dr.  Frank  H.  Hustead,  E.  A.  Wright,  Jr.,  Frederick  Jones  and  Dr.  H.  Evert  Kendig. 

On  March  26th  the  personnel  of  some  of  the  standing  committees  was  an- 
nounced as  follows: 

Finance:  E.  T.  Stotesbury,  Chairman;  George  E.  Rartol,  Robert  K.  Cassatt,  Jay  Cooke, 
3d,  Percy  M.  Chandler,  J.  Howell  Cummings,  Stanley  G.  Flagg,  Jr.,  John  H.  Mason,  Levi  L. 
Rue,  Renjamin  Rush,  Daniel  R.  Wentz,  George  H.  Frazier,  Ellis  D.  Gimbel,  Edward  F.  Henson, 
Colonel  Samuel  D.  Lit,  Randal  Morgan,  George  H.  McFadden,  Lincoln  K.  Passmore,  Adolph 
G.  Rosengarten  and  Joseph  E.  Widener. 

Home  Reserve  Committee:  A.  J.  Drexel  Riddle,  Chairman;  Dr.  Clement  Riddle,  Charles  R. 
Helms,  Lee  J.  Eastman,  J.  DeWitt  Jobborn,  Colonel  Jacob  D.  Lit,  Effingham  R.  Morris,  C.  S.  W. 
Packard  and  Alexander  Van  Rensselaer. 

The  first  big  achievement  of  the  Home  Defense  Committee,  the  patriotic 
rally  at  Independence  Square  and  Washington  Square,  was  held  on  March  31st, 
as  planned,  a  full  week  before  the  official  declaration  of  war.  It  was  preceded  by 
many  processions  of  military  units,  fraternal  organizations,  business  associations, 
school  children,  etc.,  all  forming  in  their  respective  localities  and  centering  upon 
the  historic  squares.  A  crowd  variously  estimated  as  from  10,000  to  20,000  people 
participated  in  the  two  main  celebrations.  Mayor  Smith  presided  at  the  meeting 
in  Independence  Square,  and  addresses  were  delivered  by  Senator  Hiram  W.  John- 
son, of  California;  Senator  Boies  Penrose,  of  Pennsylvania;  Franklin  Spencer 
Edmonds,  C.  Stuart  Patterson,  Provost  Edgar  Fahs  Smith,  of  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania;   Rev.  Dr.  Russell  H.  Conwell,  Rt.  Rev.  Henry    T.    Drumgoole, 

52 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Relatives  of  Philadelphia  men  in  me  Service  bring  Christmas  packages. 


and  Lieutenant-General  S.  B.  M.  Young.  The  speaker  at  the  meeting  for  school 
children  in  Washington  Square  was  city  statistician,  Edward  J.  Cattell. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  work  of  the  standing  committees  was  not  neglected. 
The  Committee  on  recruiting  stands  enlisted  many  volunteer  workers  who  placed 
their  services  in  clerical  capacities  under  the  recruiting  officers  of  the  Naval  Coast 
Defense  Reserve,  the  Regular  Navy,  the  Regular  Army  and  the  National  Guard. 
This  volunteer  force  of  helpers  enabled  the  various  branches  of  the  Federal  service 
to  extend  recruiting  work  to  all  parts  of  the  city  instead  of  being  confined  to  certain 
central  localities.  The  first  Naval  Coast  Defense  Reserve  Station  at  the  naval 
home  was  soon  augmented  by  a  permanent  station  in  the  Mayor's  reception  room, 
another  in  Independence  Hall  and  a  third  in  the  Crozier  Building.  The  battle- 
ships of  the  Atlantic  Reserve  Fleet  set  up  recruiting  tents  on  the  plaza  of  City  Hall. 
The  National  Guard  went  beyond  their  armories,  centering  around  the  City  Hall, 
and  they,  with  the  Navy  and  Regular  Army,  conducted  flying  automobile  recruiting 
squads,  the  machines  in  many  instances  being  secured  by  the  Recruiting  Stands 
Committee. 

The  work  of  the  Home  Defense  Reserve  Committee,  resulting  in  the  creation 
of  the  Philadelphia  Home  Defense  Reserve,  is  fully  described  elsewhere  in  this  vol- 
ume, and  is  only  touched  upon  here  to  show  the  connection  between  it  and  the 
Home  Defense  Committee. 

The  work  of  the  School  Mobilization  Committee,  under  the  chairmanship  of 
Franklin  Spencer  Edmonds,  is  also  reviewed  elsewhere. 

While  the  Home  Defense  Committee  found  it  unnecessary  to  take  up  the  finan- 
cial aid  to  soldiers'  dependents,  which  had  been  the  function  of  the  earlier  Citizens' 

53 


Soldiers  Relief  Committee  of  the  Mexican  border  days,  it  did  find  a  valuable  source 
of  work  in  the  establishment  of  a  Personal  Service  Bureau  to  aid  the  soldier  and 
his  family  to  adjust  themselves  to  war  conditions,  convey  messages  between  them, 
look  up  those  who  failed  to  communicate  properly  with  their  homes,  forward  mail 
and  packages  and  offer  a  general  helping  hand  to  service  men  from  other  cities 
located  temporarily  in  Philadelphia. 

Perhaps  the  biggest  achievement  of  the  Personal  Service  Bureau,  under  Mrs. 
M.  L.  Woodruff,  was  the  forwarding  of  Christmas  packages  to  the  Philadelphia  sol- 
diers in  American  camps  in  the  holiday  season  of  1917.  All  that  the  Home  Defense 
Committee  required  was  that  the  package  conform  to  War  Department  rules  and 
be  properly  addressed.  Arrangements  had  been  made  with  the  various  draft 
boards  so  that  packages  left  with  them  were  forwarded  to  the  City  Hall  and,  during 
the  entire  month  of  December,  thousands  of  packages  were  sent  to  the  men  in  the 
service,  the  great  bulk  going  to  Camps  Hancock  and  Meade.  The  detail  of  this 
work  was  tremendous,  as  the  Committee  gave  a  receipt  for  each  package  accepted 
for  shipment,  issued  acknowledgment  cards  which  had  to  be  placed  within  the  pack- 
age, and  then  traced  those  which  went  astray  or  which  failed  of  acknowledgment. 

The  Personal  Service  Bureau  remained  in  existence  throughout  the  war, 
conducting  in  February,  1918,  a  military  census  of  the  city.  This  census  lost  its 
value  because  it  was  not  possible  to  continue  it  daily  throughout  the  balance  of 
the  war,  the  great  draft  exoduses  of  the  subsequent  months  being  too  large  to  per- 
mit of  codifying  at  the  time.  The  census  had  an  immediate  value,  however,  to 
the  bureau,  as  it  enabled  it  to  clear  up  questions  of  home  address  and  names  which 
were  in  doubt  or  confusion. 

Of  the  other  committees,  the  work  of  the  Home  Defense  Reserve  was  also 
permanent  throughout  the  war,  but  the  Committees  for  Recruiting  Stations, 
and  Posters  and  Decorations  gradually  ceased  activities  through  the  substitution 
of  the  draft  for  volunteer  enlistments,  and  the  establishment  of  the  State  head- 
quarters of  the  Pennsylvania  Committee  of  Public  Safety  in  this  city. 

The  activities  of  the  State  Committee  naturally  found  expression  in  the  col- 
umns of  the  local  newspapers;  its  organization  was  perfected  on  a  larger  scale  and 
gradually  it  took  over  much  of  what  the  Philadelphia  Home  Defense  Committee 
had  planned.  By  the  time  the  State  Committee  found  it  necessary  to  establish 
a  Philadelphia  branch  of  the  Council  of  National  Defense  and  Committee  of  Public 
Safety,  the  old  Home  Defense  Committee,  save  for  the  Personal  Service  Bureau 
and  the  Home  Defense  Reserve,  was  a  thing  of  the  past.  Its  existence  had  been 
comparatively  brief,  but  it  had  functioned  well  in  the  emergency.  And,  after 
all,  it  was  for  the  emergency  that  it  sprang  into  being. 


54 


PHILADELPHIA   HOME   DEFENSE  RESERVE 


N  the  early  days  of  1917,  when  the  war  clouds  were 
gathering  thick  and  fast  and  it  became  more  and  more 
apparent  that  this  country  would  soon  be  drawn  into 
the  World  War,  the  formation  of  a  Philadelphia  Home 
Defense  Reserve  was  suggested. 

Two  preliminary  and  simultaneous  efforts  were  made, 
independently  of  each  other,  which  later  resulted  in  one 
definite  movement,  under  the  Mayor's  Committee  for 
Home  Defense. 

George  Wentworth  Carr,  afterwards  captain  in  the 
Ordnance  Department,  held  a  series  of  conferences  with  Mayor  Smith  and  at  the 
same  time  Wm.  H.  Wilson,  former  Director  of  Public  Safety,  was  also  working 
out  a  general  plan  to  be  submitted  to  the  Mayor  for  his  approval.  As  a  result 
of  the  efforts  of  Captain  Carr  and  Director  Wilson,  a  call  for  21,000  men  was 
made  on  April  7,  1917. 

Cards  were  printed  and  distributed  widely  throughout  the  city,  outlining  the 
general  purpose  of  the  Home  Defense  Reserve,  giving  the  plan  of  organization  and 


neimjiT 
iiilifrlli 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Home  Defense  Reserves  Pass  in  Review. 
55 


mobilization,  authority  conferred  and  the  equipment  which  would  be  supplied. 
The  appeal  further  suggested  the  formation  of  a  motor  transportation  corps. 

The  response  to  this  call  was  encouraging,  and  all  over  the  city  the  organiza- 
tion was  effected.  With  so  large  an  enrolment  it  was  soon  found  difficult  to  main- 
tain discipline  and  enthusiasm;  therefore  in  September,  1917,  a  meeting  was  held 
which  was  attended  by  delegates  from  the  different  companies  and  a  plan  for 
reorganization  was  submitted  to  the  mayor  and  approved  by  him. 

As  a  result  of  this  suggestion  an  executive  committee  of  ten  was  appointed  in 
addition  to  a  chairman,  who  was  to  act  as  Civilian  Director  of  the  Reserve,  and 
on  October  31,  1917,  the  following  circular  letter  was  issued: 

Under  the  plan  of  reorganization,  an  executive  committee  of  ten,  in  addition  to  a  chairman, 
who  will  act  as  civilian  director  of  the  reserve — and  a  secretary,  in  conjunction  with  Captain 
William  B.  Mills,  will  effect  the  contemplated  reorganization.  After  careful  consideration  the 
following  plan  has  been  adopted  and  unanimously  indorsed  at  a  meeting  of  delegates  held  on 
Wednesday  afternoon,  October  24,  1917,  in  room  627,  City  Hall. 

The  organization  shall  be  known  as  the  Philadelphia  Home  Defense  Reserve. 

The  units  of  the  reserve,  now  divided  into  forty-one  districts,  will  continue  in  their  respective 
districts,  but  will  be  grouped  into  four  divisions,  corresponding  as  nearly  as  practicable  to  the 
five  main  police  divisions  of  the  city. 

The  first  division  will  be  east  of  the  Schuylkill  River  from  South  Street,  south,  and  will 
comprise  the  following  districts:     1,  2,  17,  25,  33,  37,  41. 

The  second  and  third  divisions  will  be  east  of  the  Schuylkill  River  from  South  Street,  north 
to  Lehigh  Avenue,  and  will  comprise  the  following  districts:  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  10,  11,  12,  18, 
19,  20,  24,  26,  28,  31,  40. 

The  fourth  division  will  be  east  and  west  of  the  Schuylkill  River,  north  of  Lehigh  Avenue 
and  Fairmount  Park  line,  and  will  comprise  districts  13,  14,  15,  22,  24,  27,  30,  35,  36,  39. 

The  fifth  division  will  be  west  of  the  Schuylkill  River  from  the  Fairmount  Park  line,  south, 
and  will  comprise  districts  16,  21,  29,  32,  38. 

All  of  the  districts  in  each  division  will  be  formed  into  a  battalion,  which  will  be  under 
the  command  of  a  major  and  the  whole  organization  of  the  city  will  be  under  a  regimental 
commander  or  colonel.  All  appointees  in  the  military  organization  of  the  reserve  will  be 
provisional. 

The  provisional  appointees  were  as  follows:  William  B.  Mills,  Commander;  Walter  Glascow, 
Major,  First  Division;  Harry  W.  Walton,  Major,  Second  and  Third  Divisions;  Edwin  Hulley, 
Major,  Fourth  Division;  Lucien  M.  Wiler,  Major,  Fifth  Division. 

Pursuant  to  order,  each  division  commander  will  immediately  get  in  touch  with  the  officers 
now  in  command  of  the  various  districts  now  included  in  his  division  and  arrange  for  the  appoint- 
ment of  provisional  company  officers.  In  each  case  the  wishes  of  the  respective  units  as  to  the 
identity  of  company  officers  shall  be  considere  d;  fitness  and  experience  to  be  the  deciding  factors 

Qualifications  for  Membership  in  the  Reserve 

Every  applicant  shall  be  at  least  twenty-one  years  of  age,  physically  normal,  ot  good  moral, 
character  and  shall  either  be  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  or  in  possession  of  his  first  papers; 
provided,  however,  that  he  is  not  an  enemy  alien.     * 

The  Home  Defense  Reserve  will  operate  upon  the  above  basis  and  continue  intact  in  so  far 
as  each  district  is  at  present  constituted  and  can  muster  a  full  company  in  accordance  with  the 
above  regulations.  Such  districts  as  cannot  muster  a  full  company  will  be  consolidated  with 
the  nearest  adjoining  district  in  the  same  division.  The  members  of  the  reserve  will  be  instructed 
in  general  military  work  and  particularly  in  police  duties.  Regular  drill  will  be  conducted  and 
promotions  made  on  merit.  Members  will  be  sworn  in  only  when  ordered  to  active  duty  in  an 
emergency  and  will  not  carry  arms  except  at  drill  and  when  on  active  duty. 

Social  organizations  in  aid  of  the  reserve  will  be  encouraged  and  may  combine  in  one  or 
more  districts.  No  special  rules  or  regulations  governing  their  formation  will  be  promulgated 
for  the  present,  the  only  conditions  being  that  they  shall  be  a  help  and  credit  to  the  organization. 

Recruiting  will  be  supervised  by  the  major  in  command  of  each  division. 

56 


Statement  of  Purpose 

The  organization  is  being  created  to  serve  in  case  of  an  emergency  that  might  threaten  the 
lives  and  property  of  the  citizens  of  Philadelphia  and  their  families,  necessitating  tbe  presence 
of  a  large  part  of  tbe  uniformed  police  force  in  a  particular  section  of  the  city.  Under  such  con- 
ditions, it  is  provided  that  the  Home  Defense  Reserves  shall  patrol  beats  temporarily  vacated 
by  the  regular  police  and  render  such  other  service  as  the  exigency  may  demand.  Should 
the  police  require  assistance  to  meet  the  emergency,  then  the  members  of  the  Home  Defense 
Reserve  will  be  called  upon  to  report  to  any  place  in  the  city. 

The  members  of  the  reserve  can  only  be  summoned  by  the  mayor,  through  duly  constituted 
officers,  and  cannot  be  called  upon  as  an  organization  by  any  state  or  federal  officer  nor  be  required 
to  do  any  military  or  police  duty  by  reason  of  membership  in  the  reserve. 

The  above  statement  was  signed  by  William  B.  Mills,  acting  colonel,  and 
Arno  P.  Mowitz,  civilian  director. 

In  the  course  of  the  reorganization  of  the  Reserve  it  was  apparent  that  many 
of  the  men  desired  advanced  military  training  and  to  meet  this  desire  it  was  decided 
to  organize  a  special  regiment  of  1,500  officers  and  men,  to  which  were  added  the 
Home  Defense  Reserve  units  already  organized,  uniformed  and  equipped.  This 
special  regiment  of  1,500  men — later  increased  to  2,500 — was  uniformed  and 
armed  at  the  expense  of  the  city.  The  men  were  selected  by  their  respective 
captains  on  account  of  regularity  at  drill,  interest  manifested,  and  general  qualifi- 
cations. Out  of  the  number  so  recommended  the  major  of  the  particular  division 
made  a  final  choice  and  certified  them  to  the  commander.  The  tentative  allotment 
to  the  four  divisions  was:  First  Division,  200;  Second  and  Third  Divisions,  300; 
Fourth  Division,  400;  Fifth  Division,  600. 

In  a  short  time  the  full  number  of  men  was  enrolled  and  a  waiting  list  was 
prepared  of  men  anxious  to  serve.  The  known  presence  of  2,500  fully  equipped, 
trained  and  armed  men,  subject  to  the  call  of  the  Mayor  and  the  Director  of  Public 
Safety,  was,  ipso  facto,  a  powerful  deterrent  to  those  who  might  have  otherwise 
tried  to  stir  up  trouble. 

A  uniform,  consisting  of  a  blouse  (United  States  regulation,  except  color  of 
forestry  green),  trousers,  overcoat,  belt,  police  club,  badge  and  cap  was  provided 
by  the  city  and  when  the  reserve  was  mustered  out  became  the  property  of  the 
men.    Rifles  were  issued  to  800  men  and  revolvers  to  1,300. 

William  B.  Mills  was  made  colonel  of  the  regiment  and  he  appointed  Joseph 
Klapp  Nicholls  regimental  adjutant  on  November  8,  1917.  Major  Lucien  M. 
Miller,  commanding  the  fifth  division  was  appointed  lieutenant-colonel  on  April  24, 
1918. 

On  November  19,  1917,  companies  were  formed  in  Germantown  and  Chestnut 
Hill  and  a  mounted  troop  was  accepted  as  members  of  the  military  unit.  The 
fourth  division  was  divided  into  the  fourth  and  sixth  and  G.  Henry  Davis  was 
appointed  major,  commanding  the  sixth  division. 

On  November  19,  1917,  Major  Glascow  resigned  and  Captain  James  W. 
Johnson  was  appointed  acting  major  until  January  18,  1918,  when,  upon  resigna- 
tion, he  was  succeeded  in  command  of  the  first  division  by  Joseph  L.  Bailey. 

During  the  period  of  reorganization,  from  September,  1917,  to  April,  1918, 
the  men  were  drilled  twice  a  week  and  by  March  were  uniformed  and  ready  for 
any  call  to  duty.  The  officers  were  sworn  in  by  the  Director  of  Public  Safety  on 
April  3,  1918. 

57 


The  first  call  made  by  the  Bureau  of  Police  was  on  May  17,  1918,  when  some 
of  the  platform  employees  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Company  struck  for 
more  pay  and  threatened  to  create  a  disturbance.  The  divisions  were  mobilized 
at  the  various  station  houses,  sworn  in  by  the  Director  of  Public  Safety  and  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  the  Bureau  of  Police.  This  duty  lasted  from  May  17th  to  21st, 
and,  although  no  serious  outbreak  occurred,  the  presence  of  2,500  efficient  Reserves 
no  doubt  helped  to  keep  in  check  any  disorderly  element. 

On  June  5,  1918,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Wiler,  entered  the  national  service  and 
was  succeeded  by  Major  Edwin  Hulley,  of  the  fourth  division.  Colonel  Hulley, 
who  had  successfully  commanded  the  fourth  division,  was  a  veteran  of  the  Spanish 
War  and  developed  the  regiment  to  a  great  degree  of  efficiency.  A  full  regimental 
staff  was  appointed  and  meetings  were  held  twice  a  week  at  the  headquarters, 
room  697,  City  Hall.  Regular  military  discipline  prevailed,  reports  were  received 
from  each  division  giving  the  name,  address,  badge  number  and  equipment  of  each 
officer  and  man.  This  information  was  card  indexed  and  kept  in  perfect  order. 
In  a  short  time  the  whole  regiment  felt  the  effects  of  his  leadership. 

On  July  4,  1918,  the  Reserve  policed  Broad  Street  from  Girard  Avenue  to 
Washington  Avenue  in  connection  with  the  Parade  of  All  Nations. 

From  July  30  to  August  4,  1918,  the  Reserve  helped  the  police  bureau  main- 
tain order  in  South  Philadelphia  during  the  race  riots.  The  entire  regiment  was 
quickly  mobilized  in  South  Philadelphia  and  Cooper  Battalion  Hall,  23d  and 
Christian  streets,  made  field  headquarters. 

On  September  28th,  the  regiment  policed  Broad  Street  from  Lehigh  Avenue 
to  Snyder  Avenue  during  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan  Parade,  and  on  October  11th 
assisted  the  Liberty  Loan  workers  in  details  of  two  men  each  in  about  600  parades 
to  arouse  popular  enthusiasm  and  bring  the  citizens  to  a  realization  of  the  serious- 
ness of  the  situation  and  of  their  duties  in  connection  with  the  loan.  All  over  the 
City  at  a  certain  fixed  time,  two  Home  Defense  Reservists  escorted  two  Boy 
Scouts  who  carried  the  colors,  two  four-minute  speakers  and  a  town  crier  with 
a  bell. 

Probably  the  most  self-sacrificing  duty  performed  by  the  members  of  the 
Reserve  was  in  connection  with  the  epidemic  of  influenza  which  swept  over  our 
City  during  the  fall  of  1918.  Members  of  the  fourth  division  rendered  assistance 
at  the  Emergency  Hospital  at  Holmesburg  on  October  13th,  14th  and  15th.  The 
fifth  division  was  also  very  active  along  the  same  lines  in  West  Philadelphia. 
The  transportation  corps  of  this  division  took  the  doctors  to  their  patients  during 
the  epidemic,  one  doctor  alone  making  200  calls  in  one  day.  They  also  main- 
tained transportation  service  in  connection  with  the  Emergency  Hospital  at 
18th  and  Cherry  streets.  This  division  was  equipped  with  a  regulation  army  ambu- 
lance which  was  donated  by  citizens  of  West  Philadelphia.  From  October  23d 
to  31st,  owing  to  the  number  of  policemen  who  were  taken  down  by  the  epidemic, 
450  reservists  were  assigned  each  evening  to  the  various  police  stations  and  per- 
formed regular  police  duty.  At  the  same  time  about  100  men  each  day  policed 
the  down-town  streets  of  the  city  in  plain  clothes,  arresting  spitters  who  were 
summarily  fined.  This  service  was  particularly  valuable  during  the  epidemic  and 
was  efficiently  rendered,  as  was  demonstrated  by  the  decrease  in  the  number  of 
arrests  the  second  day  of  duty.  Public  recognition  of  this  service  was  made  by  a 
resolution  of  Councils. 

58 


On  November  7,  1918,  due  to  the  rumor  of  the  armistice  being  signed,  an 
emergency,  call  was  issued  at  3  p.m.  and  by  6  p.m.  the  Reserves  were  on  the  streets 
at  points  designated  by  the  Police  Bureau,  aiding  in  handling  the  crowds  in  the 
center  of  the  city.     This  work  lasted  till  midnight. 

On  November  11,  1918,  at  3.50  a.m.,  when  the  news  of  the  signing  of  the 
armistice  was  given  out,  every  man  reported  at  once  to  the  call  and  was  on  duty 
until  midnight,  helping  to  maintain  order  and  handle  the  crowds  in  the  center  of 
the  city  and  along  the  important  avenues  which  were  congested. 

On  August  12,  1918,  the  Wingohocking  sewer  at  Broad  and  Courtland  streets 
caved  in,  endangering  property  and  life.  Members  of  the  fourth  division  rendered 
special  service  in  aiding  the  citizens  and  police  in  this  instance. 

October  29,  1918,  members  of  the  second  and  fourth  divisions  helped  police 
the  large  fire  on  Broad  Street  below  Montgomery  Avenue. 

The  members  of  the  fifth  division  guarded  the  public  school  at  56th  Street 
and  Kingsessing  Avenue  from  January  1  to  May  1,  1918,  to  protect  it  from  in- 
cendiaries, who  had  set  on  fire  several  other  school  buildings.  This  service  was 
especially  arduous  on  account  of  the  severe  weather,  the  thermometer  registering 
as  low  as  six  degrees  below  zero. 

From  February  18  to  28,  1919,  the  Reserve  furnished  the  Police  Department 
with  automobiles  and  men  to  be  used  as  decoys  in  an  effort  to  catch  auto  thieves 
and  discover  the  disposition  of  stolen  cars. 

What  threatened  to  be  the  most  hazardous  duty  assigned  to  the  Reserves  was 
the  order  mobilizing  the  whole  regiment  for  duty  on  May  1,  1919.  May  Day  had 
been  set  as  a  day  upon  which  a  labor  protest  would  be  made  over  our  whole  country. 
No  parade  permits  were  issued  in  this  city  and  no  gatherings  in  public  squares 
were  permitted.  Threats  of  labor  agitators  to  parade  and  hold  meetings  were 
made  and  it  was  feared  that  force  would  be  required  to  back  up  the  orders 
of  the  Police  Bureau.  The  Reserves,  fully  armed,  cooperated  with  the  Police 
Bureau. 

On  May  15th,  the  Reserves  helped  to  police  the  fine  of  the  parade  of  the 
28th  Division,  which  had  been  engaged  in  France  and  had  won  an  enviable 
record. 

During  the  floating  of  the  Second  Liberty  Loan  the  Reserve  secured  $545,050, 
mostly  in  $50  bonds.     There  were  about  3,000  individual  subscriptions. 

When  the  Third  Liberty  Loan  campaign  was  organized  the  divisions  turned 
in  with  a  will  and  the  results  spoke  for  themselves. 

In  the  Fourth  and  Fifth  Liberty  Loans,  the  Reserves  cooperated  throughout 
the  City  with  the  Citizens'  Committee  without  any  definite  organization  of  the 
Reserves  as  a  whole,  although  many  of  its  members  held  important  executive 
offices  under  the  various  district  directors. 

In  the  War  Chest  and  Salvation  Army  campaigns  as  in  the  Fourth  and  Fifth 
Liberty  Loans,  the  Reserve  was  not  asked  to  cooperate  in  its  entirety,  but  co- 
operated individually,  many  of  its  members  holding  important  positions  and 
contributing  largely  to  their  success. 

The  work  of  the  Home  Defense  Reserve  in  Liberty  Loans  was  under  the 
direction  of  Captain  W.  Nelson  Mayhew. 

After  May  15,  1919,  the  Home  Defense  Reserve  was  inactive  but  always 
subject  to  call,  until  demobilized. 

59 


Intelligence  Bureau 

This  bureau,  under  the  personal  direction  of  Captain  Joseph  B.  Seaman, 
assisted  by  Lieutenant  W.  H.  S.  Bateman,  Company  C,  Fourth  Division, 
consisted  of  a  large  number  of  men  of  exceptionally  high  ability  and  standing. 

The  Intelligence  Bureau  was  in  a  position,  due  to  its  peculiar  circumstances, 
to  do  valuable  work  in  securing  a  voluminous  amount  of  highly  interesting  in- 
formation. 

It  is  of  special  note  that  two  foreign  governments  as  well  as  our  own  govern- 
ment complimented  Chief  Seaman  on  the  valuable  information  secured  by  this 
bureau. 

The  spirit  of  cooperation  was  so  strong  that  arrangements  have  been  made  to 
maintain  the  organization  as  a  permanent  agency  for  the  promotion  of  mutual 
and  government  interest.  Public  spirited  men  within  the  bureau  financed  its  past 
and  future  work. 

On  Saturday,  December  27th,  a  parade  was  held,  and  the  Philadelphia  Home 
Defense  Beserve  officially  passed  out  of  existence  at  4  p.m.,  December  19,  1919. 

The  Select  and  Common  Councils  of  Philadelphia  commended  the  Beserves 
for  their  work  and,  in  view  of  the  patriotic  service  which  they  rendered  without 
pay,  permitted  the  members  to  retain  possession  of  their  uniforms. 

THE  PHILADELPHIA  SCHOOL  MOBILIZATION  COMMITTEE 

Immediately  after  the  declaration  of  war,  a  group  of  Philadelphia  teachers 
requested  Mayor  Smith,  to  appoint  a  committee  for  the  purpose  of  mobilizing  the 
resources  of  the  schools  for  public  service  to  the  nation,  and  in  April,  1917,  the  Phila- 
delphia School  Mobilization  Committee  was  appointed  to  serve  under  the  Phila- 
delphia Home  Defense  Committee.  It  continued  its  work  until  shortly  after  the 
signing  of  the  armistice. 

The  Committee  coordinated  the  resources  of  the  schools  along  the  following 
lines: 

(1)  The  facilities  afforded  by  the  buildings,  laboratories,  shops,  playgrounds, 
etc.,  of  the  schools  of  Philadelphia  and  vicinity. 

(2)  The  services  of  young  men  and  women,  largely  pupils  in  the  schools, 
who  desired  to  work  to  the  best  interests  of  the  city,  State  and  nation. 

(3)  The  services  of  teachers,  who  could  be  released  from  their  regular  school 
duties  during  a  part  of  the  school  year,  to  exercise  an  oversight  and  direction  of 
these  young  men  and  women  in  patriotic  service,  either  within  or  without  the 
schools. 

(4)  The  services  of  teachers  during  the  summer  vacations. 

(5)  The  services  of  other  volunteer  workers. 

Headquarters,  in  the  Widener  Building,  were  donated  for  this  purpose  by  the 
management,  and  various  commissions  were  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the  de- 
tails of  the  work.  At  this  time  William  H.  Hall,  of  New  York  City,  was  Director 
of  the  United  States  Junior  Working  Beserve  of  the  United  States.  He  met  with 
the  Committee  and  aided  in  the  consideration  and  formulation  of  plans  of  classes, 
which  were  later  developed  to  a  very  large  extent,  not  only  in  Philadelphia  but 
throughout  the  nation.     The  Philadelphia  School  Mobilization  Committee  was 

60 


the  first  local  committee  appointed  with  these  purposes  in  view,  and  therefore, 
its  work  has  special  significance. 

A  resume  of  the  work  accomplished  is  as  follows: 

The  Commission  on  Junior  Instruction  inaugurated  a  campaign  of  education 
in  patriotism  and  thrift  among  the  pupils  of  the  schools,  and  indirectly  through 
them  to  their  parents  and  the  general  public.  Addresses  were  delivered  at  the 
various  schools  on  current  war  topics,  war  and  Liberty  Loan,  daily  lessons  were 
prepared  for  school  use,  instructions  in  thrift  and  domestic  science  were  distributed 
through  the  schools  for  home  use,  and  a  series  of  pamphlets  were  prepared,  pub- 
lished and  distributed  in  conjunction  with  the  Educational  Committee  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  most  important  being  as  follows:  "Bobby 
and  the  War,"  "Democracy  and  Autocracy  Compared,"  and  "What  the  United 
States  Stands  for  in  the  War. " 

The  Commission  on  Community  Service  lent  encouragement  to  the  Big  Brother 
and  Big  Sister  movement,  established  summer  classes  in  public  school  buildings 
for  delinquents,  and  organized  committees  on  the  care  and  feeding  of  young  children. 
Eventually  a  large  portion  of  the  activities  of  this  commission  was  assumed  by  the 
War  Camp  Community  Service  in  Philadelphia. 

The  Commission  on  Science  and  Technical  Training  aimed  to  secure  the  fullest 
use  of  scientifically  trained  teachers  and  laboratory  equipment  for  the  service  of 
the  war,  and  stimulated  instruction  for  those  who  desired  to  enlist  in  lines  of  work 
for  which  specialized  skill  was  needed.  This  Commission  assisted  in  the  enlarged 
organization  of  the  Philadelphia  Trade  School  for  Girls,  and  eventually  secured 
the  acceptance  of  this  school  by  the  Board  of  Public  Education  as  a  part  of  the 
school  system  of  the  city.  It  also  established  and  furnished  teachers  and  equip- 
ment for  classes  of  sailors  and  soldiers  in  cooking,  typewriting,  French,  surveying 
and  navigation;  it  assisted  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard  in  starting  apprentice 
classes  in  shipbuilding  by  examining  and  classifying  applicants,  securing  instructors, 
and  obtaining  class-rooms  and  equipment  for  these  purposes  in  the  South  Phila- 
delphia High  School  for  Boys.  It  also  aided  in  the  development  of  the  Summer 
High  School  for  Girls  in  the  William  Penn  High  School  in  the  summer  of  1918. 

The  Commission  on  Adult  Enlistment  and  Census  prepared  an  enrollment  blank 
for  the  teachers  of  the  city  who  would  volunteer  for  public  service  in  their  vaca- 
tions and  free  time.  Over  500  applications  were  received  from  men  and  women 
in  the  educational  institutions  of  Philadelphia  for  services  in  agricultural,  indus- 
trial and  commercial  work.  This  Commission  supplied  the  material  with  which 
the  other  commissions  worked.  • 

The  Commission  on  Farms  and  Farm  Camps  inaugurated  the  movement  for 
placing  older  High  School  boys  upon  farms  for  farm  labor,  of  which  there  was  a 
great  shortage.  Permission  was  obtained  from  the  Board  of  Public  Education  to 
excuse  from  the  schools  as  early  as  May  first  those  boys  whose  school  standing  justi- 
fied this  privilege.  Hundreds  of  farms  were  investigated,  and  thousands  of  acres 
of  unused  farm  lands  in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia  were  tested,  and  agricultural 
production  stimulated  wherever  possible.  During  the  summer  of  1917  farm 
camps  were  established  at  Swedesboro,  N.  J.,  and  at  Paoli,  Berwyn,  Phoenixville, 
Glenloch,  Gettysburg,  and  Byberry,  in  Pennsylvania.  High  School  boys  lived 
at  these  camps  and  went  out  during  the  day  to  work  on  the  farms  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  camp,  returning^to^the  camp  at  night.     The  success  of  the  work  of  High 

61 


School  boys  on  farms  in  1917,  not  only  in  Philadelphia  but  over  the  whole  country, 
led  to  the  promotion  by  the  Department  of  Labor  at  Washington  of  this  method 
of  helping  to  meet  the  acute  farm  labor  shortage  throughout  the  country  by  the 
organization  of  the  United  States  Boys'  Working  Reserve. 

During  the  summer  of  1918  the  Philadelphia  School  Mobilization  Committee 
organized  the  work  of  the  Boys'  Working  Reserve  for  the  Philadelphia  district, 
comprising  Philadelphia,  Delaware,  Bucks,  Montgomery  and  Chester  counties 
under  the  direction  of  William  J.  Serrill,  with  the  Secretary  of  the  Philadelphia 
School  Mobilization  Committee  acting  as  Associate  Director. 

Under  this  organization,  Farm  Camps  organized  as  Liberty  Camps  were 
established  at  Andalusia,  Bustleton,  By  berry,  Media,  Kennett  Square,  Chelsea, 
Whiteland,  Concordville,  Norristown  and  Hatboro. 

These  Liberty  Camps  were  managed  locally  by  Pennsylvania  State  College 
agricultural  students.  Pennsylvania  State  College  further  contributed  largely 
to  the  success  of  these  camps  and  to  the  farm  work  of  the  Committee  in  general 
by  the  establishment  and  conduct  of  a  series  of  Farm  Training  Camps  for  High 
School  boys  from  all  parts  of  the  State.  The  successive  periods  of  instruction 
were  two  weeks  in  length,  and  during  the  existence  of  the  training  school  more 
than  150  Philadelphia  boys  were  taught  the  rudiments  of  farm  work. 

The  Commission  on  Junior  Enlistment  and  Placement  registered  over  2,500 
pupils  in  the  schools  for  patriotic  service.  From  among  these  registrants  the  fol- 
lowing services  were  rendered: 

(a)  More  than  1,300  were  placed  in  farm  work;  of  these  between  500  and  600 
during  the  summer  of  1917,  and  800  during  the  summer  of  1918. 

(b)  More  than  200  boys  were  placed  in  industrial  and  clerical  work  and  in 
apprenticeship  courses  in  the  United  States  Navy  Yard. 

(c)  More  than  150  boys  were  sent  to  the  Pennsylvania  State  College  Farm 
Training  Camp  for  instruction  in  farm  work  prior  to  assignment  to  summer  farm 
work. 

(d)  Several  hundred  girls  were  assigned  to  volunteer  and  paid  services  in 
Red  Cross  activities,  food  conservation  work,  community  services,  and  light  agri- 
cultural pursuits. 

(e)  Recruits  were  selected  by  competitive  examination,  and  sent  to  Camp 
Devens,  the  training  camp  of  the  United  States  Naval  Reserves. 

(f)  Many  hundreds  of  boys  were  enrolled  in  war  garden  and  cooperative 
garden  enterprises. 

The  Commission,  on  Inspection  investigated  the  hours  of  labor,  provision  for 
recreation,  working  and  living  conditions  before  placement  of  these  junior  patri- 
otic workers,  and  continued  this  inspection  at  regular  intervals  during  the  period 
of  their  service.  During  the  summers  of  1917  and  1918  the  Commission  regularly 
inspected  the  boys  in  farm  work,  and  recommended  at  the  termination  of  such 
service  in  all  meritorious  cases  that  full  credit  be  given  by  the  various  schools. 
It  also  provided  supervision  in  motion-picture  theaters  for  the  High  School  girls 
engaged  in  the  solicitation  of  funds  for  the  Red  Cross  in  June,  1917. 

The  Commission  on  Food  Supply  conducted  the  pioneer  campaign  for  thrift 
in  the  use  of  food,  and  conducted  campaigns  for  signers  of  Hoover  Food  Pledge  Cards. 

It  prepared  and  distributed  literature,  etc.,  to  schools  and  houses  in  the  cam- 
paign of  education  in  food  conservation. 

62 


It  conducted  series  of  food  canning  and  drying  demonstrations  in  twenty- 
one  public  schools  to  acquaint  housewives  with  the  latest  and  best  methods  of 
drying  and  canning.  It  published  a  daily  report  of  the  condition  of  the  wholesale 
produce  market,  listing  the  supply  as  "abundant,"  "normal,"  and  "scarce,"  and 
thus  prevented  serious  gluts  of  food  on  the  markets  with  their  attendant  waste. 

It  also  published  wholesale  prices  of  fish  daily,  together  with  propaganda  for 
the  greater  substitution  of  fish  for  meat. 

With  the  organization  of  the  United  States  Food  Administration  in  Phila- 
delphia with  Howard  Heinz  as  Director,  the  Commission  was  discontinued  as  a 
part  of  the  Philadelphia  School  Mobilization  Committee  and  became  a  part  of  the 
Food  Administration. 

The  Commission  on  Manufacturing  Service  organized  the  equipment  in  school 
shops  and  laboratories  for  the  manufacture  of  articles  and  supplies  in  demand  by 
the  government  and  Red  Cross.  It  supervised  the  construction  of  forty  food  dry- 
ing trays  and  apparatus  for  food  canning  and  drying  demonstrations  under  the 
school  luncheon  department  of  the  public  schools,  the  manufacture  of  ten  thousand 
tent  pins  for  the  United  States  Quartermaster,  Red  Cross  packing  boxes,  Red 
Cross  bandage  rollers  and  other  types  of  Red  Cross  supplies. 

The  Commission  on  Country  Club  Entertainment  secured  the  cooperation  of 
twenty  country  clubs  in  and  near  Philadelphia  for  the  entertainment  of  enlisted 
men  stationed  in  Philadelphia  during  the  summer  of  1917.  Each  club  organized 
a  Saturday  or  a  Sunday  party  of  fifty  to  one  hundred  sailors  or  soldiers,  and  pro- 
vided the  transportation,  meals  and  recreation  for  the  day.  This  work  later 
developed  into  the  provision,  through  other  channels,  of  a  country  club  for  enlisted 
men  at  Rockledge,  Pa. 

The  Commission  on  Lecture  Courses  for  men  in  the  service  organized  lecture 
courses,  at  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard,  Camp  Dix,  Camp  Meade  and  Wissahickon 
Barracks. 

The  Commission  on  School  Entertainment  organized  a  series  of  entertainments 
at  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard  by  High  School  pupils  from  the  South  Philadelphia 
High  School  for  Girls  and  the  Northeast  High  School. 

The  Commission  on  the  Junior  Red  Cross  organized  the  Junior  Red  Cross  School 
Auxiliaries  in  the  schools  of  Philadelphia,  Bucks,  Chester,  Delaware  and  Mont- 
gomery counties.  The  national  campaign  for  the  Junior  Red  Cross  was  held  between 
Lincoln's  Birthday  and  Washington's  Birthday  in  1918,  and  was  a  great  success. 

The  work  of  the  School  Mobilization  Committee  was  financed  through 
popular  subscription,  through  appropriations,  from  the  Municipal  Home  Defense 
Committee,  and  the  State  Committee  on  Public  Defense,  and  was  supported  bounti- 
fully by  all  of  the  public  authorities.  The  private  and  parochial  schools  cooperated 
to  the  utmost,  and  the  Superintendent  of  the  Parochial  Schools  in  Philadelphia 
served  as  a  member  of  the  Committee.  In  large  measure  the  Committee  served 
as  an  experimental  testing  station  for  work  among  juniors,  and  as  soon  as  an  idea 
had  been  tested  out  and  its  practicality  demonstrated,  it  was  copied  in  other 
communities,  and  by  other  committees,  so  that  the  work  of  this  Committee  may 
be  fairly  recorded  as  a  pioneer  in  this  line. 

As  a  result  it  demonstrated  the  tremendous  capacity  for  public  work  among 
the  juniors,  their  enthusiasm  and  sincerity  more  than  making  up  for  their  lack 
of  experience ;  and  it  may  be  fairly  stated  that  among  the  factors  in  bringing  the 

63 


war  to  a  successful  conclusion,  the  boys  and  girls  of  Philadelphia  contributed 
to  their  full  capacity. 

The  officers  of  the  Committee  and  the  members  of  the  Commissions  were  as  follows: 
General  Officers: 

Chairmen. — Franklin  Spencer  Edmonds,  Franklin  C.  Brodhead. 

Vice-Chairmen. — John  C.  Frazee,  April,  1917,  to  September,  1917;  Louis  Nusbaum,  Septem- 
ber, 1917,  to  January,  1919. 

Treasurers. — Jos.  E.  Widener,  April,  1917,  to  October,  1917;  Maurice  Fels,  October,  1917,  to 
January,  1919. 

Finance  Manager. — Thomas  Robins,  April,  1917,  to  September,  1917. 

Secretaries. — Joseph  M.  Jameson,  April,  1917,  to  June,  1917;  Edwin  W.  Adams,  June,  1917, 
to  September,  1917;  Raymond  L.  Chambers,  September,  1917,  to  August,  1918;  Henvis 
Roessler,  August,  1918,  to  October,  1918;  Charles  C.  Hazlet,  October,  1918,  to  January, 
1919. 

Commission  on  Information  and  Publicity. — Joseph  M.  Jameson,  Chairman. 

Commission  on  Junior  Instruction. — Wm.  D.  Lewis,  Chairman. 

Commission  on  Community  Service. — Wm.  0.  Easton,  Chairman. 

Commission  on  Science  and  Technical  Training. — Henry  V.  Gummere,  Chairman. 

Commission  on  Adult  Enlistment  and  Census. — Arthur  J.  Rowland,  Chairman. 

Commission  on  Junior  Enlistment  and  Placement. — Henry  J.  Gideon,  Chairman. 

Commission  on  Inspection. — Louis  Nusbaum,  Chairman. 

Commission  on  Food  Supply. — Dr.  J.  Russell  Smith,  Chairman. 

Commission  on  Farms  and  Farm  Camps. — Edward  E.  Wildman,  Chairman. 

Commission  on  Manufacturing  Service. — Charles  C.  Heyl,  Chairman. 

Commission  on  Commercial  Service. — Parke  Schoch,  Chairman. 

Commission  on  Medical  Inspection. — Dr.  Walter  S.  Cornell,  Chairman. 


Courtesy    of    the    Philadelphia    "Inquirer." 

Lord  Reading  and  Charles  M.  Schwab  at  Hog  Island 
64 


THE  JOINT  SPECIAL  COMMITTEE  ON  THE  CARE,  SUSTE- 
NANCE AND  RELIEF  OF  THOSE  IN  THE  MILITARY  AND 
NAVAL  SERVICE  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

By  Charles  P.  O'Connor 


HE  uncertainty  of  the  Mexican  situation  in  1916  found 
the  Councils  of  Philadelphia  preparing  for  eventualities. 
At  a  meeting  of  Select  Council,  held  on  June  22,  1916, 
a  joint  convention  of  Select  and  Common  Councils  was 
authorized  on  motion  of  Isaac  D.  Hetzell,  and  an  invitation 
extended  to  the  Hon.  Thomas  B.  Smith,  Mayor  of  the 
City,  to  address  the  meeting.  The  joint  convention  was 
.  held  on  Thursday,  June  22d,  at  3  p.m.  Mayor  Smith 
presented  a  resolution  calling  for  the  appointment  of  a 
joint  committee  for  the  care  and  sustenance  of  those 
in  the  military  and  naval  service. 

The  resolution  was  presented  and  passed.  It  provided  for  a  "joint  special 
committee  of  twenty  members  (ten  from  each  chamber),  to  arrange  for  the  pro- 
vision for  the  families  of  Philadelphians  in  the  military  and  naval  service,  and  for 
the  care,  sustenance  and  entertainment  of  those  in  such  military  and  naval  service 
who  may  be  permanently  or  temporarily  quartered  in  Philadelphia,  for  the  trans- 
portation of  the  injured  or  sick,  and  for  the  burial  of  any  who  may  die  while  in  the 
service." 

The  personnel  of  the  committee  was :  From  Select  Council,  Messrs.  Lennon 
(ex-officio),  D'Autrechy,  Davis,  Dugan,  Finley,  Harris,  McKinley,  Quigley, 
Seger,  Willard,  J.  and  Hetzell  (chairman).  From  Common  Council,  Messrs. 
Gleason  (ex-officio),  Barnes,  Conn,  Gaffney,  Kelly,  C.  F.,  McCloskey,  Bighter, 
Boberts,  J.,  Schwartz,  F.,  Siegert,  Trinkle.  At  the  meeting  for  organization, 
Charles  B.  Hall  was  elected  secretary,  Harry  Wittig,  sergeant-at-arms  and  Charles 
P.   O'Connor,   stenographer. 

The  following  sub-committees  were  appointed: 

Finance:  Gaffney  (chairman),  Seger,  Finley,  McKinley,  D'Autrechy. 
Sustenance  and  Relief:  Kelley  (chairman),  Dugan,  McKinley,  Quigley,  Schwartz. 
Hospitals  and  Quarters:  Righter  (chairman),  Trinkle,  Harris,  Conn,  Davis. 
Rurials:  Willard  (chairman),  Siegert,  Rarnes,  Roberts,  Finley. 

Mr.  Siegert  resigned  from  Councils  and  was  succeeded  by  Joseph  S.  O'Brien 
who  also  served  on  the  sub-committee  on  burials. 

The  executive  committee  consisted  of  the  chairman  of  the  general  committee, 
the  presidents  of  Select  and  Common  Councils  and  the  chairman  of  the  subcom- 
mittees. This  executive  committee  cooperated  with  the  "Citizens'  Soldiers' 
Aid  Committee,"  appointed  by  his  Honor,  the  Mayor,  to  prevent  overlapping 
or  duplication  of  assistance  to  those  in  need. 

65 


Work  During  the  World  War 

When  the  United  States  entered  into  the  World  War,  and  it  became  ap- 
parent that  the  National  Guard  troops  in  Philadelphia  and  other  military  and 
naval  organizations  would  be  immediately  called  into  active  service  and  that 
great  recruiting  efforts  would  be  made  in  the  city,  the  duties,  powers  and  juris- 
diction of  the  committee  were  extended  by  resolution  to  "meet  any  other  emer- 
gency that  may  arise  in  the  future  which  the  committee  may  be  called  upon  to 
consider  in  connection  with  the  terms  of  the  original  resolution  under  which  they 
were  appointed. "  All  expenses  incurred  were  paid  out  of  appropriations  to  the 
Clerks  of  Councils  for  the  purposes  of  the  committee  and  work  was  developed  and 
continued  until  January  7,  1918. 

A  resolution,  similar  to  the  one  of  June  22d,  1916,  was  adopted,  and  the  com- 
mittee for  1918-1919  consisted  of  the  following  members: 

Ex-officio,  James  E.  Lennon,  president  of  Select  Council;  Ex-officio,  Edward  B.  Gleason, 
president  of  Common  Council;  Isaac  D.  Hetzell,  chairman;  Morris  E.  Conn,  Harry  H.  Davis, 
John  F.  Dugan,  Joshua  Evans,  William  E.  Finley,  Joseph  P.  Gaffney,  Dennis  J.  Grace,  John 
McArthur  Harris  (deceased),  William  J.  McCloskey,  Pringle  Borthwick  (appointed  to  succeed 
Mr.  McCloskey),  John  J.  McKinley,  Jr.,  Philip  M.  Myers,  Joseph  S.  O'Brien  (resigned),  Bobert 
Smith  (appointed  to  succeed  Mr.  O'Brien),  William  H.  Quigley,  Fred.  Schwartz,  Jr.,  Charles 
Seger  (deceased),  George  W.  Sheehan,  Jefferson  Shiel,  W.  W.  Trinkle,  James  Willard,  Charles 
B.  Hall,  secretary,  Harry  Wittig,  sergeant-at-arms,  Charles  P.  O'Connor,  stenographer,  David 
W.  Harris,  stenographer. 

SUB-COMMITTEES 

Executive  Committee:  Isaac  D.  Hetzell,  chairman;  James  E.  Lennon,  Edward  B.  Gleason, 
Joseph  P.  Gaffney,  James  Willard,  W.  W.  Trinkle,  John  F.  Dugan. 

Camps  and  Quarters:  Joseph  P.  Gaffney,  Chairman;  William  J.  McCloskey,  Charles  Seger, 
Joshua  Evans,  Joseph  S.  O'Brien. 

Sustenance  and  Belief:  John  F.  Dugan,  chairman;  William  E.  Finley,  Morris  E.  Conn, 
Philip  S.  Myers,  William  H.  Quigley,  John  J.  McKinley,  Jr.,  Fred.  Schwartz,  Jr. 

Hospitals:  W.  W.  Trinkle,  chairman;  J.  McArthur  Harris,  Dennis  J.  Grace,  George  W. 
Sheehan,  Harry  H.  Davis. 

Burials:  James  Willard,  chairman;  Jefferson  Shiel,  J.  McArthur  Harris,  William  E.  Finley. 
Fred  Schwartz,  Jr. 

The  various  committees  rendered  reports  which  are  herewith  added. 

Executive  Committee 

The  first  meeting  of  this  committee  was  held  on  July  13,  1916,  when  the 
question  of  taking  care  of  city  employees  in  the  military  service  by  payment  of 
their  salaries,  less  the  amount  received  from  the  Government,  and  the  matter  of 
substitute  employees  was  taken  up.  Mr.  Gaffney  stated  that  he  had  had  a  con- 
ference with  the  mayor  on  the  subject,  and  that  the  mayor  had  notified  his  directors 
to  prepare  a  roster  of  city  employees  in  the  service  to  approximate  the  amount  that 
should  be  set  aside  for  their  payment,  and  to  use  this  for  making  an  appropriation. 
The  following  were  passed  by  Councils  relative  to  the  payments  to  be  made  to  those 
entering  the  service  as  well  as  to  substitute  employees: 

An  Ordinance 

Granting  leave  of  absence  to  city,  county  and  other  employees  paid  on  warrant 
from  the  city  treasury  while  on  military  service  in  the  National  Guard  of 

66 


Pennsylvania  or  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  Government;  providing  for 
the  appointment  and  payment  of  temporary  appointees  to  fill  such  vacancies. 

Sect.  1.  The  Select  and  Common  Councils  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia  do  ordain, 
That  leave  of  absence  with  pay  shall  be  granted  to  any  employee  paid  by  warrant 
of  the  city  and  county  of  Philadelphia,  who  makes  application  therefor,  for  the 
purpose  of  military  service  in  the  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania  or  in  the  service 
of  the  United  States  Government. 

Sect.  2.  That  the  vacancy  created  by  the  absence  of  any  employee  on  such 
military  service  shall  exist  only  until  such  time  as  said  employee  shall  return  from 
said  military  service.  Such  vacancy  may  be  filled  by  temporary  appointment 
thereto,  and  such  temporary  employee  shall  be  paid  at  the  same  rate  of  compensa- 
tion as  was  paid  to  the  employee  to  whose  position  he  was  temporarily  appointed. 

Sect.  3.  The  term  "leave  of  absence  with  pay"  as  mentioned  in  Sect.  1  of 
this  ordinance  is  hereby  defined  as  the  difference  between  the  salary  or  wages  of  said 
employees  and  the  salary  or  wages  paid  them  in  the  service  of  the  state  or  nation 
(where  the  same  is  less  than  paid  by  the  city),  and  warrants  for  such  amounts  shall 
be  turned  over  to  such  persons  as  shall  be  designated  by  them. 

Approved  the  30th  day  of  June,  A.  D.  1916. 

Thomas  B.  Smith, 

Mayor  of  Philadelphia. 

By  resolution  of  July  26,  1916,  an  appropriation  was  made  and  approved  by 
the  Mayor. 

An  ordinance  later  approved  July  26,  1916,  amended  the  Ordinance  of  June 
30,  1916,  and  provided  that  employees  of  the  city,  entitled  to  "leave  of  absence  with 
pay"  must  have  been  "employed  at  least  three  months  continuously." 

The  committee  met  frequently  during  the  period  of  trouble  on  the  Mexican 
border  and  all  matters  referred  to  it  were  given  prompt  attention. 

Welcoming  Troops  Returning  From  The  Border 

With  the  return  of  the  troops,  authority  was  given  the  committee  to  arrange 
suitably  for  their  reception  and  entertainment. 

The  receptions  and  banquets  to  the  1st  and  3d  Regiments  returning  from  the 
border  of  Mexico  on  October  9  and  10,  1916,  respectively,  were  held  in  Convention 
Hall,  Broad  Street  and  Allegheny  Avenue;  accommodations  being  made  upon  the 
stage  for  some  6,000  relatives  and  friends  of  the  men. 

A  program  of  one  of  these  receptions  is  printed  for  future  reference  and 
guidance. 

CONVENTION   HALL,   PHILADELPHIA 
Reception  to  the  3d  Regiment,  N.  G.  P.,  Tuesday,  October  10,  1916. 

Prayer  of  Thanksgiving Rev.  Thomas  W.  Davis,  Chaplain,  3d  Regiment,  N.  G.  P. 

Introduction  op  the  Mayor  .  .  .Mr.    Isaac  D.  Hetzell. 

Address  of  Welcome Hon.  Thomas  R.  Smith,  Mayor  of  Philadelphia. 

Address Colonel  George  E.  Kemp,  Commanding,  3d  Regiment,  N.  G.  P. 

Greetings     from     Gov.     Rrum- 

baugh (Read  by  Mayor  Smith.) 

67 


Presentation    op    bouquet    to 

Capt.   Derr,   Co.   C,   from 

His  Fellow-Officers  of  the 

23d  Police  District Hon.  Joseph  S.  MacLaughlin,  Director  of  Supplies. 

Address General  William  G.  Price. 

Mess  Call 

The  following  was  the  menu  furnished  at  these  banquets:  ice  cream  and  cake 
being  served  to  the  friends  of  the  men :  Oyster  Cocktails,  Celery,  Olives,  Gherkins, 
Stewed  Snapper,  Vienna  Rolls,  Sweetbread  Cutlets,  Punch,  Broiled  Half  Spring 
Chicken,  Glaced  Sweet  Potatoes,  Peas,  Harlequin  Ice  Cream,  Fancy  Cakes, 
Coffee,  Cigars,  Cigarettes,  White  Rock,  Ginger  Ale,  Apollinaris. 

Additional  Receptions  and  Parade 

On  the  return  of  Company  B,  1st  Pennsylvania  Engineers,  a  reception  and 
banquet  was  tendered  them  at  the  State  Fencibles  Armory  on  Saturday,  November 
4,  1916.  In  the  absence  of  the  Mayor,  Joseph  S.  MacLaughlin,  Esq.,  Director 
of  the  Department  of  Supplies,  officially  welcomed  the  engineers  to  Philadelphia. 

A  reception  and  banquet  to  the  2d  Regiment  was  held  on  February  12,  1917, 
in  the  2d  Regiment  Armory,  Broad  Street  above  Diamond.  The  banquet  was  pre- 
ceded by  a  parade  of  the  regiment  in  full  army  equipment,  this  being  the  first  time 
that  Philadelphians  had  an  opportunity  of  viewing  it  as  an  artillery  regiment. 

In  connection  with  this  parade,  the  committee  was  called  upon  to  furnish 
800  horses  and  mules.  These  were  secured  with  the  cooperation  of  Messrs. 
John  Wanamaker,  Edwin  H.  Vare,  James  Mullen,  James  Irvin,  T.  L.  Flannigan, 
Howard  E.  Ruch,  Frank  Curran,  McMahon  Brothers,  S.  A.  McClay,  the  United 
Gas  Improvement  Company,  R.  &  A.  J.  Peoples,  and  the  Penn  Reduction 
Company. 

The  horses  and  mules  were  delivered  at  13th  and  Callowhill  streets  on  the 
morning  of  the  parade,  February  12,  1917,  to  Captain  Geisel,  of  the  2d  Regiment. 

Every  detail  incident  to  the  parade  and  reception,  such  as  printing  of  invita- 
tions, menu,  police  arrangements,  souvenirs,  etc.,  was  completed  prior  to  the  arrival 
of  the  soldiers,  and  nothing  occurred  to  mar  what  was  conceded  to  be  a  gala  event. 

The  committee  received  a  telegram  from  Major  Charles  W.  Edmunds, 
commanding  the  1st  Squadron,  Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  comprising  the  1st  City 
Troop,  2d  City  Troop,  Troops  A  and  G,  stating  that  the  squadron  did  not  desire 
any  reception  or  entertainment  upon  their  return  from  the  Mexican  border,  as 
they  wished  to  return  to  their  homes  immediately  upon  their  arrival  in  Philadelphia. 

The  approximate  number  of  soldiers  who  were  accommodated  and  fed  at  these 
various  banquets  was  about  4,000. 

World  War 

Beginning  with  the  mobilization  of  troops  for  the  World  War,  the  executive 
committee  was  constantly  called  upon  to  dispose  of  various  subjects  which  were 
referred  to  them  by  the  general  and  sub-committees. 

Hon.  Norris  S.  Barratt,  President  Judge  of  Court  of  Common  Pleas  No.  2, 
called  the  attention  of  the  committee  to  the  fact  that  the  men  in  the  315th  Infantry, 
an  all-Philadelphia  regiment  at  Camp  Meade,  were  without  gloves  and  other  neces- 
sary woolen  clothing.    The  committee  visited  Camp  Meade  and  learned  that  many 

68 


Philadelphians  were  in  the  314th  and  315th  Infantries;  312th  Field  Artillery  and 
304th  Engineers.  The  officers  of  these  regiments  stated  to  the  committee  that  the 
men  were  in  need  of  woolen  clothing,  such  as  sweaters,  gloves,  helmets,  wristlets 
and  stockings.  Immediately  after  the  visit  of  the  committee  to  Camp  Meade 
bids  were  received  and  contracts  made  for  the  articles  mentioned,  and  as  soon  as 
the  same  were  delivered  to  the  committee,  they  were  sent  by  special  messengers 
to  the  men  at  Camp  Meade.  Many  other  soldiers  who  made  application  for  these 
articles  were  also  supplied. 

The  winter  of  1917-1918  was  the  most  severe  in  twenty-five  years,  and  sweaters, 
helmets,  socks,  wristlets,  etc.,  were  given  away  at  various  camps  to  the  Phila- 
delphia men.  Many  pairs  of  woolen  stockings  were  donated  to  the  committee  by 
the  Home  Defense  Committee  for  distribution,  and  woolen  wristlets  in  vast  num- 
bers were  knitted  by  the  ladies  of  a  church  in  Bridesburg  of  which  Rev.  August 
Piscator,  3391  Frankford  Avenue,  is  the  pastor. 

Major  E.  St.  John  Greble,  commander  of  the  108th  Field  Artillery  (formerly 
the  2d  Pennsylvania  Artillery)  appeared  before  the  committee  in  March,  1918, 
and  requested  the  purchase  of  a  machine  designed  for  bathing  purposes  for  the 
use  of  the  men  in  the  108th  Field  Artillery,  stating  that  such  a  machine  was  espe- 
cially adapted  for  this  purpose  and  for  sterilizing  the  clothing  of  the  men,  and  was 
necessary  to  prevent  an  epidemic  of  vermin,  and  that  such  a  machine  would  cost 
about  $9,000.  The  committee  immediately  took  up  the  question  and  unanimously 
agreed  that  purchase  should  be  made  and  an  order  was  given  to  the  Exshaw 
Company  of  Bordeaux,  France,  to  build  one.  It  was  later  delivered  to  Major 
Greble  in  France,  and  the  committee  received  many  letters  of  thanks  for  their 
kindly  act  in  this  respect.  After  the  war  was  over  this  machine  was  sold  in  France 
for  $1,724.14,  and  the  money  used  by  the  108th  Field  Artillery  to  defray  expenses 
incurred  prior  to  their  departure  overseas. 

On  July  17,  1918,  the  members  of  the  executive  committee  and  a  committee 
appointed  by  the  Mayor  received  Lieutenant  Clarke,  five  aviators  and  observers 
who  flew  from  Mineola,  N.  Y.,  to  Philadelphia  in  battle  planes,  landing  at  Belmont 
Plateau.  A  luncheon  was  given  at  the  Bellevue-Stratford,  their  stay  being  limited, 
but  all  the  men  enjoyed  the  welcome  very  much. 

John  Ashhurst,  librarian  of  the  Free  Library  of  Philadelphia,  urged  the  com- 
mittee to  appropriate  the  sum  of  $500  to  defray  the  expenses  incident  to  furnish- 
ing books,  magazines  and  other  reading  matter  to  the  soldiers  at  training  camps, 
cantonments,  etc.,  stating  that  the  citizens  of  Philadelphia  had,  in  answer  to  their 
appeal,  sent  tons  of  reading  matter  for  transmission  to  the  men,  and  that  consider- 
able expense  was  necessary  in  the  selecting,  sorting,  pasting,  etc.,  of  all  this  material 
incident  to  its  being  forwarded.  The  committee,  recognizing  the  worthiness  of 
the  request,  acquiesced.  Four  tons  of  this  matter  was  sent  to  the  Navy  Yard  and 
almost  two  tons  distributed  among  the  soldiers  on  the  troop  trains  passing  through 
the  city. 

Reception  to  the  28th  Division 

The  joyous  news  of  the  signing  of  the  Armistice  in  November,  1918,  was  fit- 
tingly received,  but  when  the  report  came  that  the  28th  (Iron)  Division  was  headed 
homeward,  Philadelphians  felt  a  deep,  personal  thrill.  This  division,  composed 
largely  of  Philadelphia  men  formerly  of  the  1st  Infantry  Brigade,  N.  G.  P.,  bore,  as 

69 


its  divisional  insignia,  the  red  Keystone.  It  was,  indeed,  a  City  and  State  unit 
and  the  news  of  its  return  struck  a  responsive  chord  in  the  heart  of  every  citizen 
of  the  Commonwealth. 

The  story  of  the  parade  of  the  division,  and  the  general  entertainment  pro- 
vided for  the  men,  will  be  found  elsewhere. 

Reception  Plans  for-  the  79th  Division 

When  word  was  received  that  this  division  was  about  to  return  home,  a 
city-wide  demand  was  made  that  it,  also,  be  paraded  again.  The  War  Depart- 
ment was  communicated  with  and  expressed  entire  willingness  to  accede  to  the 
request  of  the  relatives  and  friends,  but  the  long  drawn  out  release  of  the  units 
from  France  and  the  intense  heat  in  Philadelphia  at  the  time  that  the  distinc- 
tively local  men  were  at  Camp  Dix,  combined  to  make  a  parade  physically  im- 
possible. The  welcome  accorded  to  General  Kuhn  and  his  men  is  described 
elsewhere. 

Subsequent  to  the  return  of  the  two  divisions,  the  Welcome  Home  Com- 
mittee continued  to  function  in  arranging  for  the  reception  of  other  units. 

Reception  to  General  Pershing 

On  September  12,  1919,  General  John  J.  Pershing,  commander-in-chief  of 
the  American  Expeditionary  Forces,  arrived  in  Philadelphia  and  was  tendered  a 
magnificent  reception  by  the  citizens  of  Philadelphia.     The  general  was  met  at 


General  Pershing,  with  Governor  Sproul  and  Mayor  Smith,  escorted  by  the  "City  Troop." 

70 


North  Philadelphia  Station  by  the  Hon.  William  C.  Sproul,  Governor  of  Pennsyl- 
vania; the  Hon.  Thomas  B.  Smith,  Mayor;  a  committee  of  representative  citizens, 
the  executive  committee,  and  an  honorary  guard  of  Distinguished  Service  men, 
whom  the  general  especially  recognized.  General  Pershing,  his  staff,  and  the 
members  of  the  committees  then  proceeded  to  Independence  Hall,  where  in  the 
Declaration  Chamber,  the  Mayor  presented  to  General  Pershing,  with  the  love 
of  the  people,  a  little  golden  reproduction  of  the  world-loved  Liberty  Bell.  In 
his  response  to  the  address  of  presentation,  General  Pershing  said:  "It  fills  me 
with  deepest  emotions  to  be  on  this  sacred  spot  and  it  seems  especially  fitting  that, 
upon  the  conclusion  of  the  war  which  was  fought  for  the  sacred  principles  declared 
to  the  world  by  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  we  should 
be  here.  I  feel  that  I  should  say  a  word  as  to  the  splendid  part  taken  in  this 
battle  for  civilization  by  the  city  of  Philadelphia  and  by  the  state  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. You  have  given  of  your  soldierly,  young  manhood  in  large  numbers;  they 
have  carried  forward  to  the  battlefields  of  France  the  patriotism  that  they  learned 
in  this  Cradle  of  Liberty;  they  have  done  a  service  not  only  to  your  state  and  your 
city,  but  a  service  to  the  world.  We  are  all  proud  of  them,  and  I,  as  their  com- 
mander, desire  especially  to  convey  to  you  this  appreciation.  I  am  very  grateful, 
for  your  thought  of  me  in  this  connection  and  thank  you  from  the  bottom  of 
my  heart  for  this  precious  gift,  which  I  accept  as  a  present  not  only  to  me,  but  to 
the  men  of  the  American  Expeditionary  Force,  whom  I  had  the  honor  to  command, 
and  it  is  to  them  that  I  give  the  credit.     I  thank  you,  sir." 

After  the  exercises  in  the  Declaration  Chamber,  General  Pershing  and  his 
party  took  their  places  on  the  stand,  erected  at  the  south  entrance  of  Independence 
Hall.  He  was  greeted  by  thousands  of  Philadelphians  and  responded  to  their 
welcome  in  a  brief  speech. 

General  Pershing  then  planted  a  tree  to  the  east  of  the  hall,  the  Emergency 
Aid  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  Emergency  Aid  Aides,  assisting. 

Reception  to  Cardinal  Mercier 

On  September  26,  1919,  a  public  reception  was  tendered  Desideratus,  Cardinal 
Mercier,  Archbishop  of  Malines  and  Primate  of  Belgium.  A  luncheon  was  served 
at  the  Bellevue-Stratford  to  Cardinal  Mercier  and  his  suite,  at  which 
addresses  were  made  by  Rabbi  Joseph  Krauskopf,  Archbishop  Dougherty,  Bishop 
Rhinelander  and  Cardinal  Mercier.  The  Cardinal  remained  in  Philadelphia  for 
several  days  and  during  his  stay  was  accompanied  by  a  special  committee  to 
numerous  institutions,  where  individual  receptions  were  given. 

Reception  to  the  King  and  Queen  of  the  Belgians 

King  Albert  and  Queen  Elizabeth  of  Belgium,  accompanied  by  the  Duke  of 
Brabant,  arrrived  in  Philadelphia  on  October  27,  1919,  and  were  given  an 
official  reception  at  Independence  Hall.  Their  Majesties  were  obliged  to  leave 
at  6  p.m.,  but  following  the  visit  to  Independence  Hall,  the  King  christened  a  boat  at 
Hog  Island,  and  was  taken  through  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  at  Eddystone 
through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Samuel  Vauclain,  a  member  of  the  Citizens'  Committee. 
Queen  Elizabeth  was'entertained  at  the  headquarters  of  the  Belgian  Relief  Commit- 
tee of  the  Emergency  Aid  and  at  Bryn  Mawr  College. 

71 


Sub-Committee  on  Sustenance  and  Relief 

In  1916,  immediately  after  the  National  Guard  regiments  were  assembled  by 
the  War  Department  for  service  on  the  Mexican  border,  this  committee's  attention 
was  called  to  several  cases  of  destitution,  caused  by  reason  of  the  main  support 
of  a  family  being  sent  to  the  Mexican  border  and  his  income  from  civil  life  cut  off. 

Applications  for  aid  were  made  to  members  of  the  committee  personally, 
through  the  Police  Department  and  other  public  officials  and  to  various  charitable 
organizations,  who  in  turn  forwarded  them  to  your  committee. 

The  sergeant-at-arms  of  the  committee  was  given  charge  of  this  branch  of  the 
work  and  authorized  to  investigate  each  application  and  make  such  payments 
as  the  circumstances  warranted.  The  committee  agreed  that  no  publicity  should 
be  given  about  those  seeking  assistance  and  that  all  applications  for  aid  be  con- 
sidered in  executive  session.  In  carrying  on  its  work  the  committee  had  the  hearty 
cooperation  of  the  Citizens'  Soldiers'  Aid  Committee,  which  prevented  duplication 
of  payments  to  those  seeking  financial  assistance. 

The  first  payment  was  made  on  June  27,  1916,  and  payments  continued  weekly 
to  March  2,  1917.  During  that  period  the  maximum  number  of  applications 
favorably  acted  upon  was  fifty-nine,  and  the  total  amount  expended  was  $4,925.30. 

The  work  of  the  committee  during  the  Mexican  border  trouble  had  just  been 
completed  when  Congress  declared  war  upon  Germany  and  other  European  coun- 
tries. Upon  the  declaration  of  war  the  Philadelphia  regiments  were  again  called  into 
service  and  immediate  requests  made  upon  the  committee  for  financial  assistance. 

The  committee  instructed  the  sergeant-at-arms  to  take  charge  and  resume 
his  former  work  of  investigation.  The  first  payments  were  made  on  April  13,  1917, 
to  eighteen  families  and  amounted  to  $105. 

In  June,  1917,  the  draft  law  was  passed  and  in  September  of  that  year  the  first 
draft  made,  followed  at  short  intervals  by  others,  which  automatically  sent  thou- 
sands of  our  young  men  to  various  camps,  and  later  overseas.  As  the  drafts  were 
made  the  number  of  applications  for  assistance  jumped  in  leaps  and  bounds  and 
the  payments  made  by  the  committee  increased  correspondingly. 

Payments  were  continued  weekly  to  December  28,  1917,  on  which  date 
$2,932.39  was  paid  to  417  families. 

The  payments  due  December  28,  1917  and  1918,-being  after  Christmas,  it  was 
decided  by  the  committee  to  make  payments  of  the  same  prior  to  the  25th,  so  that 
families  of  the  soldiers  might  enjoy  the  festive  season. 

The  committee  then  decided  to  make  payments  semi-monthly  and  on  January 
11,  1918,  $6,503.61  was  paid  to  a  total  of  512  families.  Semi-monthly  payments 
continued  and  the  number  of  families  on  the  roll  increased  to  1,085  on  November 
29,1918,  with  a  total  payment  of  $12,961.40  for  that  period,  and  it  is  estimated  that 
at  least  5,000  dependents  benefited  thereby. 

Preceding  the  above  date  (November  29,  1918),  the  armistice  was  signed, 
and  the  number  of  applications  materially  decreased,  owing  to  discharges  from 
service,  etc.  The  committee  continued  making  payments  until  November  14, 1919, 
when  they  were  discontinued,  and  the  total  amount  expended  from  April  13,  1917, 
to  above  date  was  $416,855.17. 

In  the  early  period  of  the  work  of  the  committee  applications  were  received 
so  rapidly  that  it  was  necessary  to  employ  two  skilled  investigators  as  assistants 

72 


to  the  sergeant-at-arms,  and  not  a  single  application  was  neglected.  Every  case 
was  thoroughly  investigated  in  a  confidential  way  and  considered  on  its  merits. 

Before  making  payments  to  applicants,  the  committee  verified,  through  the 
local  draft  boards  and  the  War  and  Navy  Departments,  the  fact  that  the  soldier 
named  in  the  application  was  in  the  service.  In  a  number  of  cases,  however, 
circumstances  were  such  that  it  was  necessary  to  grant  immediate  relief  and  later 
verify  the  service  record  of  the  man,  but  every  case  so  assisted  was  found 
bona  fide. 

From  April,  1917,  the  office  of  the  committee  was  open  for  those  seeking  finan- 
cial assistance — many  times  such  applications  being  made  at  night.  Hundreds 
were  given  advice  on  subjects  of  all  kinds,  viz:  locating  a  relative  in  service;  securing 
delayed  allotments;  adjusting  controversies  between  landlords,  agents  and  tenants; 
instalment  accounts  and  gaining  admission  to  hospitals  for  those  who  were  ill. 

Over  3,000  applications  for  aid  were  received  and  the  committee  worked  in 
harmony  with  the  following  organizations  to  prevent  duplication  of  assistance  and 
fraud: 

American  Red  Cross  (Home  Relief  Division);  The  Jewish  Welfare  Board; 
The  Mayor's  Personal  Service  Bureau;  Local  Draft  Boards;  The  Police  Depart- 
ment; The  Home  Defense  Reserves. 

Delayed  government  allotments  caused  considerable  hardship  to  the  families 
of  those  in  the  service.  These  delays  were,  no  doubt,  due  to  the  fact  that  men 
were  constantly  being  transferred  from  one  branch  of  the  service  to  another ;  from 
camp  to  camp,  or  sent  overseas,  but  Dr.  Carl  Kelsey,  the  allotment  officer  at  Phila- 
delphia, cheerfully  aided  the  committee  in  adjusting  all  such  matters. 

By  reason  of  the  delay  in  receiving  these  allotments,  many  of  the  dependents 
receiving  aid  from  the  committee,  were  unable  promptly  to  pay  their  rent,  so 
that  landlords  and  agents,  not  knowing  the  circumstances,  placed  the  collection 
of  rents  in  the  hands  of  constables.  Immediately  upon  receipt  of  notices  the 
dependents  would  rush  to  the  office  of  the  committee,  complaining  of  the  prospective 
eviction.  Not  less  than  two  hundred  cases  of  this  nature  were  cared  for,  and 
through  the  kindness  of  the  Philadelphia  Constables'  Association  no  evictions  were 
made. 

Henry  M.  Stevenson,  Esq.,  offered  his  legal  services  free  to  families  of  soldiers 
and  sailors,  and  the  committee  was  indebted  to  him  for  preventing  the  eviction  of 
many  dependents. 

In  numerous  cases  arrangements  were  made  with  hospitals  for  care  of  a  wife, 
mother  or  children  of  men  in  the  service  who  were  unable,  through  lack  of  funds, 
to  secure  medical  treatment,  or  who  were  too  ill  to  remain  at  home.  To  those  who 
could  remain  at  their  home,  but  were  unable  to  pay  for  medical  attention,  the 
committee  procured  the  services  of  the  district  doctor  free. 

Many  cases  were  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  committee  where  an  order 
had  been  made  upon  a  delinquent  husband  by  the  Municipal  Court.  In  accordance 
with  the  Allotment  Act  these  orders  had  precedence  over  other  claims,  and  with 
the  cooperation  of  the  Municipal  Court  the  committee  were  able  to  have  the  orders 
complied  with. 

Several  cases  were  reported  to  the  committee  where  the  man  in  service  was 
killed  and  the  question  came  up  as  to  how  long  the  committee  should  carry  his 
dependents  upon  the  committee's  list.    After  careful  consideration  it  was  finally 

73 


agreed  to  continue  payments  to  such  dependents  until  they  received  their  first 
payment  from  the  War  Risk  Insurance. 

In  the  beginning  the  committee  was  greatly  concerned  as  to  the  manner  of 
making  payments  to  the  dependents,  but  through  an  agreement  with  the  City 
Controller  a  warrant  was  drawn  for  a  lump  sum  semi-monthly  and  vouchers  later 
filed  with  his  office  covering  the  amount  paid  to  each  individual. 

All  payments  were  made  by  check  which  numbered  upwards  of  1,000  semi- 
monthly, and  officials  of  the  Continental-Equitable  Trust  Company,  through  which 
the  checks  were  paid,  were  extremely  courteous,  and  rendered  a  real  service. 

The  committee  feels  that  its  work  was  deeply  appreciated  by  those  who 
received  financial  assistance  and  that  the  taxpayers'  money  was  judiciously 
expended. 

Sub-Committee  on  Camps  and  Quarters 

Shortly  after  the  United  States  declared  war  on  Germany  a  number  of  soldiers 
arrived  in  Philadelphia  unannounced,  and  as  no  accommodations  had  been  made 
for  them,  they  were  obliged  to  sleep  in  one  of  the  city  parks  in  the  southern  section 
of  the  city.  This  information  was  received  by  the  committee  and  the  matter 
promptly  taken  up  by  the  Mayor  and  the  secretary  of  the  committee. 

The  first  motor  truck  company  remaining  over  night  in  Philadelphia  was  on 
January  31,  1918,  and  was  housed  at  the  State  Fencibles  Armory.  Supper  and 
breakfast  were  furnished  to  the  men  and  every  comfort  given  them. 

As  the  armory  was  being  used  for  military  purposes,  it  became  necessary  to 
arrange  other  quarters  in  which  to  billet  the  men  remaining  over  night.  After 
giving  this  problem  considerable  thought  it  was  decided  that  the  rooms  and  cor- 
ridors of  Councils  (fourth  floor,  City  Hall)  were  the  most  available  in  which  to  house 
the  companies,  owing  to  the  central  location.  Arrangements  were  immediately 
entered  into  with  the  Police  Department  to  furnish  cots  and  pillows;  new  sheets, 
towels  and  soap  were  purchased,  and  shower  baths  installed. 

The  following  procedure  was  carried  out  in  preparing  for  the  comfort  and 
convenience  of  those  billeted:  Upon  receipt  of  information  that  a  motor  truck 
company  would  arrive  and  remain  over  night  in  Philadelphia,  notice  was  given  the 
office  of  the  superintendent  of  police,  requesting  that  a  motorcycle  detail  escort 
the  train  to  the  city's  center.  The  trucks  were  parked  on  the  Parkway  or  plaza 
of  City  Hall,  and  many  times  from  150  to  200  trucks  were  on  City  Hall  Plaza, 
Broad  Street  and  the  Parkway.  The  doors  at  the  northeast  corner  of  City  Hall 
were  open  at  all  times  during  the  night  and  the  elevators  kept  running  continuously. 
City  Hall  guards  were  stationed  on  the  fourth  floor  and  at  the  entrances,  to  prevent 
outsiders  from  disturbing  the  men;  cots  were  erected  and  soap  and  towels  placed 
in  the  wash  rooms  and  shower  baths.  The  corridors  were  lighted,  stationery  and 
stamps  placed  in  the  writing  room  set  apart  for  use  of  the  men;  free  telephone 
service  was  given  and  everything  done  to  make  the  men  feel  "at  home." 

A  kitchen  was  equipped  on  the  fifth  floor  of  City  Hall  where  mess  was  served 
to  companies.  In  the  event  of  a  company  being  without  rations,  or  in  emergencies, 
the  men  were  fed  at  nearby  restaurants  at  an  average  price  of  sixty  cents  per  meal. 
This  occurred  frequently  and  many  times  late  at  night. 

When  a  large  contingent  arrived,  too  many  to  accommodate  in  the  kitchen 
on  the  fifth  floor  of  City  Hall,  field  kitchens  were  erected  on  the  plot  of  ground  on 

74 


Filbert  Street,  between  Broad  and  15th  streets,  leased  by  the  Pennsylvania  State 
Construction  Company,  which  showed  a  patriotic  spirit  by  permitting  the  use  of 
this  ground  and  furnishing  the  necessary  wood  for  the  fires. 

As  soon  as  a  company  arrived  either  at  City  Hall,  at  the  Studebaker  Building, 
or  at  18th  and  Race  streets,  a  representative  of  the  committee  was  on  hand 
and  immediately  got  in  touch  with  the  officer  in  charge  and  procured  for  them  oil, 
gasoline  or  rations,  and  telephoned  the  Fire  Bureau,  during  the  winter  months, 
to  have  a  fireman  with  hose  put  water  in  the  radiators  of  the  cars,  which  were 
emptied  immediately  upon  arrival  to  prevent  freezing. 

The  officers  were  entertained  at  one  of  the  hotels  or  clubs,  and  it  was  said  by 
many  of  these  men,  that  nowhere  else  in  the  country  were  the  men  treated  with 
such  kindness  and  consideration  as  they  were  in  Philadelphia. 

Quite  frequently  men  arriving  required  medical  attention  which  was  im- 
mediately rendered.  Late  in  1918,  an  order  was  received  from  the  government 
that  all  such  cases  be  referred  to  Major  Pollard,  who  thereafter  had  general  super- 
vision and  gave  medical  attention  to  all  ill  or  injured  men. 

A  medical  officer  from  the  War  Department  was  sent  to  Philadelphia  to  in- 
spect the  quarters  used  by  the  soldiers.  He  was  given  all  information  asked  for, 
and  when  he  saw  that  each  man  was  provided  with  individual  towel,  soap,  comb 
and  brush,  and  that  the  cots  were  arranged  so  as  to  leave  nearly  two  feet  of  space 
between,  he  was  most  agreeably  surprised,  and  informed  the  committee  that  the 
sanitary  arrangements  and  surroundings  were  excellent  and  in  keeping  with  the 
stringent  rules  of  the  government. 

On  June  1,  1918,  and  continuing  for  about  a  week,  the  Emergency  Fleet 
Corporation  moved  their  headquarters  from  Washington  to  Philadelphia  by  motor 
trucks.  This  gigantic  task  was  performed  by  the  Motor  Transport  Corps,  their 
trucks  leaving  Washington  and  arriving  in  Philadelphia  without  a  stop,  the  trip 
being  made  in  about  twenty  hours.  Immediately  upon  unloading  the  trucks  at 
140  North  Broad  Street,  the  men  came  to  City  Hall  carrying  their  heavy  laden 
packs  into  the  corridors  and  dropping  exhausted  upon  the  cots  arranged  for  them. 

Motor  truck  companies  were  housed  in  City  Hall  corridors  until  the  influenza 
epidemic  of  October,  1918,  when  Director  Wilmer  Krusen,  of  the  Department  of 
Public  Health  and  Charities,  directed  that  no  soldiers  be  billeted  in  City  Hall 
during  this  terrible  epidemic,  and  suggested  that  a  building  be  commandeered  for 
the  purpose  of  accommodating  motor  truck  companies.  Immediately  the  new 
building  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Broad  and  Brown  streets,  known  as  the  Stude- 
baker Building  was  taken  over  and  within  twenty-four  hours  it  was  fully  equipped 
and  ready  for  occupation.  The  lessor  of  the  building  desired  a  two  years'  lease 
at  a  rental  approximating  $45,000  per  year.  This  seemed  excessive  and  a  search 
for  other  quarters  was  begun.  The  committee  occupied  the  Studebaker  Building 
for  about  a  month  at  a  cost  of  $4,500. 

The  four-story  property  at  the  northeast  corner  of  18th  and  Race  streets  had 
been  condemned  by  the  city  for  parkway  purposes,  and  after  looking  at  many 
other  buildings,  this  property  seemed  to  be  the  most  desirable,  as  it  was  near  to 
City  Hall,  faced  the  Parkway,  on  which  the  motor  trucks  could  be  parked,  and 
would  not  cost  the  city  a  penny  for  rental.  It  was  in  a  dilapidated  condition  when 
inspected  by  the  committee,  but  within  two  weeks  was  transformed  into  thoroughly 
comfortable  quarters  for  approximately  350  men. 

75 


During  all  the  time  the  committee  looked  after  the  housing  of  these  men,  it 
was  ably  assisted  by  the  canteen  service  of  the  American  Red  Cross,  of  which  Mrs. 
George  W.  Childs  Drexel  was  chairman,  by  Mrs.  Harry  Michell  and  Mrs.  Zulick, 
and  by  Mrs.  Rhodes,  of  the  Motor  Messengers'  service,  and  her  associates. 

Upon  the  signing  of  the  armistice  and  demobilization  many  soldiers  en  route 
to  their  homes  in  various  sections  of  the  country  stopped  here,  and  being  without 
funds,  were  cared  for  by  the  committee.  This  problem  became  so  acute  that 
at  a  meeting  of  the  committee  held  on  November  27,  1918,  a  communica- 
tion was  received  from  the  American  Red  Cross  requesting  permission  to  send 
demobilized  men  to  the  quarters  at  18th  and  Race  streets. 

The  committee  decided  that  to  comply  with  this  request  would  interfere  with 
the  activities  of  the  committee  in  housing  the  personnel  of  motor  truck  trains  by 
overcrowding  or  disorder,  as  these  individual  men  would  not  be  under  the  command 
of  an  officer.  In  order  to  cooperate  with  the  Red  Cross  in  taking  care  of  these  men 
negotiations  were  entered  into  with  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  for  the  use 
of  a  building  owned  by  it  at  1721  Arch  Street.  The  Trustees  of  the  University 
tendered  the  use  of  this  building  free  of  rent  in  lieu  of  the  committee  making  all 
improvements.  The  committee  had  the  house  remodeled,  and  a  boiler  costing 
$4,000  was  installed,  as  well  as  shower  baths,  new  beds,  mattresses,  pillows  and 
individual  lockers. 

The  Director  of  the  Department  of  Public  Safety  detailed  three  patrolmen 
(eight  hour  shifts)  to  police  the  building,  and  the  committee  employed  two  janitors, 
one  for  day  and  the  other  at  night,  as  the  building  was  always  open.  Cards  of 
admission  were  obtained  from  the  American  Red  Cross,  on  which  was  the  name 
and  address  of  the  soldier  seeking  lodging,  and  this  rule  was  strictly  observed  to 
prevent  promiscuous  itinerants  gaining  admission,  which  would  detract  from  the 
worthy  purpose  for  which  the  quarters  were  being  used.  There  were  12,664  sent  to 
1721  Arch  Street  who  made  use  of  the  accommodations  provided.  The  total 
number  of  men  billeted  at  City  Hall,  the  Studebaker  Ruilding  and  at  18th  and 
Race  streets,  amounted  to  20,000.  In  other  words,  the  committee  provided  for 
about  33,000. 

Sub-Committee  on  Hospitals 

The  subcommittee  on  hospitals,  immediately  after  its  appointment,  received 
applications  for  medical  attention  from  the  dependents  of  those  in  the  service. 
The  hospitals  in  Philadelphia  cheerfully  complied  with  every  request  for  the  admis- 
sion or  treatment  of  those  afflicted. 

The  district  medical  inspectors  and  police  surgeons  were  frequently  called 
upon  at  all  hours  to  visit  homes  of  those  who  were  ill  and  unable  to  pay  for  medical 
attention. 

Particular  attention  is  called  to  the  number  of  cases  admitted  to  the  Rush 
Hospital,  mainly  through  the  kindly  influence  of  the  secretary  of  the  committee, 
Charles  B.  Hall.  Many  of  those  admitted  to  this  hospital  were  in  the  last  stages 
of  tuberculosis  and  every  comfort  and  attention  was  given  them  during  their  illness. 
Several  were  greatly  improved  during  their  stay  and  were  \,hen  sent  to  the  con- 
valescent or  outdoor  hospital  at  Malvern  and  discharged  when  permanent  im- 
provement was  shown. 

Preparatory  to  the  campaign  for  the  Liberty  Loan  in  the  latter  part  of  1918, 

76 


a  number  of  soldiers  wounded  overseas  were  brought  from  Camp  Dix  to  Phila- 
delphia to  aid  in  floating  the  Loan,  and  were  quartered  in  City  Hall.  About  this 
time  the  epidemic  of  influenza  struck  Philadelphia,  and  several  of  these  men  suc- 
cumbed. 

Sergeant  Blake,  in  charge  of  these  wounded  soldiers,  was  taken  ill,  and  after 
considerable  trouble  to  have  him  placed  in  a  hospital,  Mother  Ines,  of  the  Miseri- 
cordia  Hospital,  made  room  for  him  and  he  was  admitted.  Everything  was  done 
to  save  his  life,  but  without  success. 

Preparations  were  in  progress  for  the  opening  of  the  Philopatrian  Institute 
as  an  emergency  hospital,  and  when  it  was  found  that  sixteen  of  the  soldiers  quar- 
tered in  City  Hall  were  suffering  from  the  "flu,"  a  hurried  consultation  was  held 
by  the  chairman  of  the  committee,  Mr.  Hetzell,  Doctors  John  M.  Fisher  and  Henry 
A.  Strecker,  and  the  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  and  the  institute  immediately  trans- 
formed into  Emergency  Hospital  No.  3,  where  these  sixteen  men  were  taken. 

Sub-Committee  on  Burials 

This  subcommittee  on  burials  took  charge  of  a  number  of  requests  for  assis- 
tance in  the  burial  of  soldiers  or  for  their  immediate  next  of  kin. 

In  all  cases  of  death,  where  financial  assistance  was  requested  and  given,  the 
committee  kept  the  fact  from  the  general  public  so  that  the  families  of  the  deceased 
would  not  be  branded  as  recipients  of  charity.  Proper  vouchers  and  bills  were 
filed  in  the  office  of  the  City  Controller  covering  the  expenses. 

When  a  soldier  was  buried,  the  funeral  was  military  in  character,  and  through 
the  courtesy  of  the  commanding  officers  at  the  various  military  and  naval  depots 
in  Philadelphia,  firing  squads  and  bugle  corps  were  furnished  whenever  requested. 

No  words  can  express  the  appreciation  shown  by  the  families  of  the  deceased 
for  the  service  rendered  by  the  committee  to  those  who  had  lost  their  loved  ones, 
and  while  the  number  of  applications  was  but  small  in  comparison  to  the  thousands 
who  entered  the  service,  the  committee  fulfilled,  in  every  detail,  the  object  of  its 
appointment. 

The  committee  gave  personal  attention  to  the  shipment  to  their  homes  of  the 
bodies  of  several  soldiers  who  died  during  the  influenza  epidemic  and  helped  to 
defray  the  expenses  in  all  such  cases. 


77 


EARLY  PREPAREDNESS  MEASURES 


THE  STUDENT  MILITARY  TRAINING  CAMPS 
Known  as  the  "Plattsburg"  Camps 

^Z|HESE  camps,  which  proved  to  be  so  efficient  an  element  in 
preparedness  for  national  defense,  were  initiated  by  a  letter 
addressed  under  date  of  May  10,  1913,  by  Major-General 
Leonard  Wood,  then  chief  of  staff,  United  States  Army,  to 
the  university  and  college  presidents  of  the  country,  stating 
that  the  Secretary  of  War  had  decided  to  hold  two  exper- 
imental military  camps  of  instruction  for  students  of 
educational  institutions,  during  the  then  coming  summer 
vacation  period,  and  that  if  these  camps  should  prove  to 
be  a  success,  the  intention  was  to  hold  them  annually  in 
each  of  the  four  military  sections  or  divisions  of  the  country. 

Camps  were  established  that  summer  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  and  at  the 
Presidio  of  Monterey,  Cal.  One  hundred  and  fifty-nine  students  attended  the 
Gettysburg  camp  from  sixty-one  institutions  located  in  different  parts  of  the 
country.  Of  these,  twenty-five  were  from  Pennsylvania,  and  of  the  twenty-five 
six  were  from  Philadelphia,  all  from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.    The  attend- 


ilajor  General  Leonard  Wood  and  officers,  at  Plaltsbury.  1916. 
78 


ance  from  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  was  distributed  as  follows:  High  School, 
Hanover,  1;  Lafayette  College,  Easton,  1;  Lehigh  University,  Bethlehem,  8; 
Pennsylvania  College,  Gettysburg,  2;  Pennsylvania  Military  College,  Chester,  1; 
Pennsylvania  State  College,  2 ;  Philadelphia  Trades  School,  1 ;  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania, 6 ;  Washington  and  Jefferson  College,  3 ;  a  total  of  twenty-five. 

Sixty-three  students  attended  the  Monterey  Camp,  from  twenty-nine  institu- 
tions.    Of  these  none  were  from  Pennsylvania. 

These  first  camps  in  the  summer  of  1913  were  succeeded  in  the  summer  of 
1914  by  similar  camps  at  Burlington,  Vt.,  Asheville,  N.  C,  Ludington,  Mich.,  and 
Monterey,  Cal.,  with  a  total  attendance  of  667,  of  whom  thirty-four  were  from 
Pennsylvania  and  nine  from  Philadelphia. 

In  1915  a  movement  to  establish  similar  summer  military  training  camps  for 
business  and  professional  men  materialized.  Camps  for  students  were  held  with 
an  attendance  of  615  at  Plattsburg,  N.  Y.,  212  at  the  Presidio  of  San  Francisco, 
Cal.,  95  at  American  Lake,  State  of  Washington,  and  144  at  Ludington,  Mich. 
Camps  for  business  men  were  held  with  attendance  of  1,189  at  the  first  camp  and 
564  at  the  second  camp  at  Plattsburg,  N.  Y.,  and  of  72  at  San  Francisco.  At 
Fort  Sheridan,  111.,  a  camp  composed  of  both  students  and  business  men  was 
held,  numbering  in  all  515,  the  total  for  1915  in  all  camps  summing  up  to  3,406. 

In  1916  camps  for  students  were  held  with  attendance  of  3,316  at  Plattsburg; 
1,166  at  Fort  Terry,  New  York  (for  boys),  and  125  at  American  Lake;  for  business 
men,  at  Plattsburg,  with  attendance  of  1,387  at  the  first  camp  and  3,281  at  the 
second.  Following  these,  camps  composed  of  both  students  and  business  men  were 
held  at  Plattsburg,  attendance  at  the  first  camp  being  3,214  and  at  the  second 
1,000;  also  at  Fort  Oglethorpe,  Georgia,  first  camp  335,  second  camp  221;  at  Mon- 
terey, California,  1,094;  at  Fort  Douglas,  Utah,  579,  and  at  Fort  Sam  Houston, 
Texas,  421 — a  total  attendance  at  all  camps  for  1916  of  16,639.  The  total  attend- 
ance in  the  four  years  at  all  camps  from  the  military  departments  of  the  country 
was  as  follows: 

Eastern  Department,  16,917;  Western  Department,  2,325;  Central  Depart- 
ment, 771;  Southern  Department,  421.     Total,  20,434. 

The  exact  number  of  Pennsylvanians  and  of  Philadelphians  attending  the 
summer  camps  of  1915  and  1916  is  not  available. 

The  students  attending  the  Gettysburg  Camp  in  1913,  at  a  meeting  held 
one  evening  at  Hummelstown  on  their  hike  to  the  practice  range  at  Mount  *Gretna, 
organized  the  Society  of  the  National  Reserve  Corps  of  the  United  States,  and 
elected  as  president  of  the  corps  Henry  S.  Drinker,  president  of  Lehigh  University, 
Pa.  Following  the  close  of  the  camp,  President  Drinker  and  General  Wood  after 
conference,  sent  out  letters  to  presidents  of  institutions  who  had  shown  active 
interest  in  the  establishment  of  the  camps,  suggesting  the  formation  of  an  advisory 
committee  of  university  and  college  presidents  on  the  camps,  and  such  a  com- 
mittee was  formed  in  the  autumn  of  1913,  composed  of  John  G.  Hibben,  Princeton, 
Chairman  of  the  Committee;  A.  Lawrence  Lowell,  Harvard;  Arthur  T.  Hadley, 
Yale;  John  H.  Finley,  College  of  the  City  of  New  York  (later  Commissioner  of 
Education,  New  York  State) ;  H.  B.  Hutchins,  University  of  Michigan  (now  re- 
tired) ;  George  H.  Denny,  University  of  Alabama;  E.  W.  Nichols,  Superintendent 
Virginia  Military  Institute;  B.  I.  Wheeler,  University  of  California  (now  retired): 
Henry  S.  Drinker,  Lehigh  University,  Pa.,  Secretary  of  the  Committee. 

79 


President  Hibben  and  President  Drinker  have  continued  to  hold  the  office  of 
chairman  and  secretary  of  the  committee  to  the  present  time,  1920.  Superintendent 
Nichols  retired  from  membership  in  the  committee  in  the  autumn  of  1916,  and 
the  committee  since  its  formation  in  1913  has  been  enlarged  by  the  addition,  as 
members,  of  the  following:  President  M.  L.  Burton,  University  of  Michigan; 
President  J.  Livingston  Farrand,  University  of  Colorado;  President  H.  A.  Garfield, 
Williams  College;  President  A.  C.  Humphreys,  Stevens  Institute  of  Technology 
President  E.  J.  James,  University  of  Illinois  (now  retired  and  succeeded  by  Presi- 
dent David  Kinley);  Chancellor  J.  H.  Kirkland,  Vanderbilt  University;  President 
J.  G.  Schurman,  Cornell  University ;  Rt.  Rev.  Thos.  J.  Shahan,  Rector,  Catholic 
University  of  America;  President  Henry  Suzzalo,  University  of  the  State  of 
Washington;  President  W.  0.  Thompson,  Ohio  State  University. 

The  men  attending  the  first  business  men's  camps  in  1915  formed  organiza- 
tions for  promoting  the  training  camps  movement,  and  in  January,  1916,  at  a 
joint  meeting  held  in  New  York  City  the  students  and  business  men's  organiza- 
tions consolidated,  forming  the  present  Military  Training  Camps  Association  of 
the  United  States,  and  elected  Henry  S.  Drinker,  president  of  Lehigh  University, 
Pa.,  chairman  of  the  governing  committee.  This  association  was  reorganized  in 
May,  1920,  the  new  constitution  providing  for  a  president,  a  vice-president  from 
each  continental  military  department  of  the  United  States,  a  secretary  and  treasurer 
and  governing  committee.  Dr.  Drinker,  expressing  a  wish  to  retire  from  active 
executive  duty,  was  elected  honorary  president,  and  Grenville  Clark,  of  New  York, 
who  had  been  the  active  genius  in  the  organization  of  the  business  men's  camps  in 
1915,  was  elected  president,  and  Captain  Arthur  F.  Cosby  was  reelected  executive 
secretary  with  offices  at  19  West  43d  Street,  New  York  City. 

The  association  in  November,  1916,  adopted  the  following  resolution: 
"Resolved,  That  the  object  and  policy  of  this  association  is  to  bring  about  a 
system  of  universal  obligatory  military  training  and  service  for  the  young  men 
of  the  United  States,  under  exclusive  federal  control,  and  that  this  purpose  be 
publicly  announced  and  followed  as  the  policy  of  the  association." 

On  the  entering  of  the  United  States  into  the  World  War,  in  the  spring  of  1917, 
the  Military  Training  Camps  Association  at  once  tendered  to  the  government  the 
service  of  its  entire  organization  and  offices  throughout  the  country  to  aid  in  the 
enrolment  of  officers  for  war  service.  It  is  estimated  that  the  graduates  of  the 
training  camps  of  1913,  1914,  1915  and  1916  furnished  about  16,000  much  needed 
officers  for  active  service  in  the  World  War.  The  officers'  camps  established  in 
1917  by  the  Government  at  Plattsburg,  Niagara  Falls  and  other  points  in  that 
year  took  the  place  of  the  training  camps  held  in  the  summers  of  1913,  1914,  1915 
and  1916,  and  following  the  close  of  the  war,  the  Government  has  substituted  the 
summer  training  camps  for  students  enrolled  in  the  R.  O.  T.  C.  (Reserve  Officers' 
Training  Corps)  for  those  of  previous  years.  Today,  1920,  units  of  the  R.  O.  T.  C. 
are  established  in  many  of  the  universities  and  colleges  of  the  United  States, 
directed  by  army  officers  detailed  by  the  War  Department  for  this  especial  service, 
and  it  is  a  notable  fact  that  this  is  the  only  efficient,  practical  military  preparedness 
movement  (outside  of  the  National  Guards  organizations  in  the  different  States) 
in  existence,  and  it  is  a  direct  result  and  outgrowth  of  the  movement  initiated  by 
General  Wood  in  1913,  and  which  had  its  main  start  at  Gettysburg  in  Pennsylvania. 

80 


THE  PHILADELPHIA  MILITARY  TRAINING  CORPS* 

The  Philadelphia  Military  Training  Corps  had  its  inception  in  the  summer  of 
1915,  when  it  came  into  existence  through  the  untiring  energy  of  Major  A.  J. 
Drexel  Biddle. 

The  late  President  Roosevelt  was  an  enthusiastic  supporter  of  Major  Biddle's 
plan  for  military  training,  and  Judge  J.  Willis  Martin  was  a  most  active  worker  in 
developing  the  Corps. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  in  passing  that  the  Philadelphia  Military  Training 
Corps  movement  was  preceded  by  the  definite  preliminary  work  of  the  Drexel 
Biddle  Bible  Classes.  Major  General  Leonard  Wood  addressed  a  meeting  of  the 
classes,  and,  by  courtesy  of  the  War  Department,  a  non-commissioned  officer  took 
charge  of  the  instruction  and  drills. 

On  October  1,  1915,  Major  Biddle  established  an  encampment  at  Lansdowne, 
Pa.,  which  he  placed  under  command  of  Colonel  J.  Campbell  Gilmore.  Through 
the  cordial  cooperation  of  Major  General  George  Barnett,  Commandant  of  the 
United  States  Marine  Corps,  non-commissioned  officers  of  the  United  States  Marine 
Corps  were  detailed  as  instructors.     Sixteen  students  joined  the  camp. 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.    Buhler,    Stanley   Co.    of   America. 

The  first  of  the  400  Companies. 

The  support  of  a  number  of  prominent  citizens  of  Philadelphia,  who  convened 
at  a  meeting  in  the  home  of  Alexander  Van  Rensselaer,  made  it  possible  to  pay  for 
the  maintenance  of  150  men  at  this  first  camp. 

After  the  close  of  the  camp  the  recruits  formed  a  military  organization,  known 
as  the  Drexel  Biddle  Military  Training  Corps,  and  various  societies  and  business 
firms  formed  military  bodies  in  association  therewith.  These  groups  became 
known  as  the  Drexel  Biddle  Citizens'  Army,  and  were  drilled  during  the  winter 
season  at  the  various  drill  halls  through  the  kindness  of  Major  Logan  Feland, 
U.  S.  M.  C.  (now  Brigadier  General,  who  was  in  command  of  one  of  the  marine 
regiments  on  the  battle  front),  and  under  his  direction  officers  and  non-com- 
missioned officers  of  the  United  States  Marine  Corps  volunteered  their  services 
as  instructors  in  the  Officers'  School,  which  was  established  for  higher  training 
and  at  the  drills. 

Thirty-two  hundred  (3,200)  men  had  become  well  instructed  in  the  Citizens' 
Army  when,  in  April,  1916,  A.  J.  Drexel  Biddle  opened  the  campaign  for  prepared- 
ness in  Philadelphia.  During  the  progress  of  this  campaign  the  Citizens'  Army 
grew  to  many  thousands  and,  under  the  chairmanship  of  William  R.  Nicholson, 
the  campaign  met  with  success. 

*Summarized  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Philadelphia  War  History  Committee. 

81 


Mrs.  George  W.  Childs  Drexel  was  Chairman  of  the  Women's  Division,  while 
Mrs.  Charles  W.  Urquhart  was  Acting  Chairman.  Although  Mrs.  A.  J.  Drexel 
Biddle  was  not  an  officer  of  the  Division,  her  quiet  and  effective  work  and 
generous  contributions  aided  materially  in  its  success. 

During  the  progress  of  the  campaign  a  parade  of  the  Drexel  Biddle  Citizens' 
Army  was  held  in  Broad  Street,  culminating  with  a  mass  meeting  at  the  Metro- 
politan Opera  House,  which  was  addressed  by  the  Governor  of  Massachusetts,  the 
Mayor  of  Boston  and  Major  Biddle.  The  Hon.  George  S.  Graham  was  Chairman 
of  this  meeting. 

Following  the  campaign  a  corporation  was  formed  to  continue  the  work,  and 
William  B.  Nicholson  became  President  and  Major  Biddle  Vice-President  and 
Treasurer. 

A  deep  debt  of  gratitude  is  owed  to  the  patriotism  of  the  several  thousand 
citizens  of  Philadelphia  who  generously  contributed  their  time  and  means  to 
the  cause  of  the  Corps. 

During  the  spring  and  summer  of  1916,  12,000  men  were  enrolled  in  the  Drexel 
Biddle  Citizens'  Army.  As  a  result  of  this  preliminary  work  and  the  organization 
of  the  Philadelphia  Military  Training  Corps  a  bill  was  introduced  in  Congress  by 
Bepresentative  Butler,  authorizing  the  sum  of  $31,000  to  be  used  by  the  Marine 
Corps  in  the  establishment  of  a  camp  for  the  training  of  citizen  soldiers. 

Through  the  continued  patriotic  leadership  and  help  of  Major  General 
George  Barnett,  and  by  his  authority,  General  Feland,  U.  S.  M.  C.  (then  Major), 
assumed  command  of  Camp  Drexel,  so  named  in  recognition  of  the  patriotic 
service  and  untiring  devotion  to  her  country  of  Mrs.  George  W.  Childs  Drexel. 

The  camp  was  opened  at  Lansdowne,  Pa.,  during  July  and  August,  1916. 
Previous  to  the  opening  of  the  camp  several  hundred  men  who  had  received  instruc- 
tion entered  the  various  branches  of  the  service,  including  the  National  Guard  of 
Pennsylvania,  the  Army,  the  Navy  and  United  States  Marine  Corps.  At  the  end 
of  the  camp  179  men  signed  to  enter  the  new  branch  of  the  service  recently  author- 
ized by  act  of  Congress,  known  as  the  Marine  Corps  Beserves. 

At  the  outbreak  of  trouble  with  Mexico  more  than  400  of  the  men  joined  the 
National  Guard.  The  Philadelphia  Military  Training  Corps  was  signally  honored 
by  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  by  being  chosen  as  escort  to  the  National  Guard  on  the 
return  of  two  of  its  regiments  from  the  Mexican  border. 

Besides  the  work  at  the  camp,  Major  Biddle  drilled  the  employes  of  a  large 
number  of  banks,  trust  companies  and  commercial  houses  in  Philadelphia.  The 
Land  Title  &  Trust  Company,  of  which  Colonel  Nicholson  is  President,  furnished 
more  men  to  the  government  than  any  other  bank  or  trust  company  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. Several  particularly  large  groups  of  men  who  regularly  drilled  were  the 
employes  of  the  Pennsylvania  Company,  Central  National  Bank,  Girard  Trust 
Company,  Autocar  Company,  Packard  Automobile  Company  and  the  Gomery- 
Schwartz  Motor  Car  Company.  William  Freihofer  supplied  a  uniformed  regiment 
of  men  from  his  employes.  The  Bailey,  Banks  &  Biddle  Company  furnished 
a  fully  uniformed  company;  Miss  Natalie  Sellers  Barnes  recruited  and  uniformed 
a  body  of  200  men  at  Bryn  Mawr,  most  of  whom  later  joined  the  service;  Bev. 
Father  William  J.  Lallou  furnished  a  company  of  men  from  his  church;  Jacob 
D.  Lit,  Isadore  Stern  and  Louis  Gerson  patriotically  recruited  a  regiment  of  fully 
uniformed  men. 

82 


When  Major  Biddle  and  General  Feland  were  called  away  from  Philadelphia, 
the  late  H.  Frederick  Wilson,  Managing  Director  of  the  Drexel  Biddle  Bible  Class 
movement,  took  command  of  the  Military  Training  Corps.  At  Mr.  Wilson's 
death  he  was  succeeded  as  Director  of  the  Corps  by  H.  D.  Jones,  who,  with  Marine 
Gunner  H.  Molloy,  had  charge  of  the  drills. 

At  Lansdowne,  in  Philadelphia  and  vicinity,  some  40,000  men  were  drilled  in 
the  Philadelphia  Military  Training  Corps,  of  which  number  more  than  24,000 
entered  the  Government  service. 

A  particularly  interesting  fact  is  that  several  thousand  of  the  men  entered  the 
service  when  most  needed,  namely,  during  the  few  weeks  directly  after  war  was 
declared  and  before  the  draft  was  instituted. 

The  Directors  of  the  Philadelphia  Military  Training  Corps  were  James  M. 
Anders,  M.  D.,  John  C.  Bell,  Livingston  Ludlow  Biddle,  A.  J.  Drexel  Biddle, 
Col.  Quincy  Adams  Gillmore,  George  Wharton  Pepper,  E.  A.  Van  Valkenburg, 
Richard  L.  Austin,  Wm.  H.  Donner,  Lee  J.  Eastman,  William  Freihofer,  Jacob 
D.  Lit,  Wm.  R.  Nicholson,  Emile  G.  Perrot,  David  B.  Provan. 

MILITARY  TRAINING  IN  LOCAL  SCHOOLS  AND    COLLEGES 

An  effort  was  made  to  secure  a  brief  statement  from  those  institutions  in 
Philadelphia  in  which  a  Students'  Army  Training  Corps  or  some  other  military 
organization  was  established,  and  reports  from  the  following  places  were  received : 

The  University  of  Pennsylvania:  During  the  spring  of  1917  almost  two 
thousand  men  enrolled  in  the  Voluntary  Student  Battalion  under  command  of 
Colonel  William  Kelly.  During  the  winter  of  1917-18  a  Reserve  Officers'  Training 
Corps  was  established  under  Major  Charles  T.  Griffith,  U.  S.  A.,  in  which  900 
students  enrolled.  In  the  fall  of  1918  the  University  started  a  four  (4)  year  course 
in  Military  Science  for  students  in  order  that  they  might  be  fitted  to  receive  com- 
missions in  the  Army  and  Navy.  This  course,  which  was  to  include  a  number  of 
carefully  selected  subjects  from  the  College,  Wharton,  and  Towne  Scientific 
Schools,  was  intended  to  prepare  students  for  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science  in 
Military  Science. 

In  connection  with  the  war-time  work  of  the  University,  it  is  interesting  to 
note  that  voluntary  enlistments  prior  to  June,  1917,  represented  60  per  cent  of 
the  law  school  students  and  two  fifths  of  the  medical  students. 

The  first  United  States  Ordnance  School  was  established  at  the  University. 
In  the  Engineering  Department  there  were  given  special  courses  preparing  men  for 
the  signal  service,  radio,  etc.  Most  of  the  members  of  the  Aviation  Examining 
Boards  throughout  the  United  States  were  likewise  trained  at  the  Parent  Unit 
organized  at  the  University  Hospital,  which  conducted  a  number  of  special  courses 
for  nurses  and  nurses'  aides.  On  July  1,  1918,  an  Officer  Material  School  was  estab- 
lished in  the  Engineering  Building  of  the  University  under  the  auspices  of  the  United 
States  Navy,  which  was  being  conducted  for  enlisted  men  in  the  Navy  showing 
special  ability.  Each  course  extended  over  a  period  of  three  months  and  was 
attended  by  a  squad  of  200  sailors,  who  were  quartered  in  the  University  dormi- 
tories. In  other  class  rooms  of  the  Engineering  Building,  a  School  of  Navigation 
was  conducted  under  the  supervision  of  John  F.  Lewis,  Chief  of  Section  2  of  the 
United  States  Shipping  Board's  Recruiting  Service,  and  for  nearly  two  years 
these  rooms  were  heated  and  lighted  without  expense  to  the  Government. 

83 


Induction  of  Students  into  the  S.  A.  T.  C,  University  of  Pennsylvania,  October  1,  1918. 

It  is  thus  seen  that  several  thousand  men,  beside  the  regular  University  of 
Pennsylvania  students,  were  being  trained  at  the  University  for  special  branches 
of  the  United  States  service. 

Besides  this,  the  University  organized  among  her  sons  three  ambulance  units, 
a  Base  Hospital,  several  Bed  Cross  units,  and  various  detached  units.  Its  hospital 
set  aside  250  of  its  beds  for  the  special  use  of  the  Army  and  Navy.  Many  of  the 
University  laboratories  were  turned  over  to  and  were  being  used  by  the  Government 
and  its  special  experts.     Various  laboratories  in  the  Engineering  Building  had  been 


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Final  Review  of  Naval  Unit,  University  of  Pennsylvania,  December  7,  1918. 

84 


turned  over  to  the  United  States  Shipping  Board,  where  it  carried  on  routine  work 
for  the  Department  of  Concrete  Ship  Construction  of  the  Emergency  Fleet.  The 
various  testing  laboratories  of  the  Engineering  School  also  were  being  used  by  the 
United  States  Signal  Corps  Instruction  Department  in  testing  airplanes,  etc. 

In  all  departments  of  the  University  new  subjects  were  introduced  and  old 
subjects  modified  so  that  the  regular  students  had  special  opportunities  to  prepare 
for  military,  naval  or  other  governmental  service,  or  for  constructive  work  in  in- 
dustries related  to  the  war  or  government  work.  In  the  professional  schools 
many  such  courses  were  offered. 

A  report  received  January  15,  1920,  gives  the  total  number  of  10,000  Penn- 
sylvania men,  students,  faculty  and  alumni,  who  served  during  the  World  War. 
Of  this  number  207  died,  166  were  wounded  and  165  were  decorated. 

Drexel  Institute  :  The  induction  of  students  in  the  Students'  Army  Train- 
ing Corps  Unit  at  Drexel  Institute  began  on  October  10,  1918.  First  Lieutenant 
James  P.  Lyons  was  detailed  as  Commanding  Officer  of  the  Unit  on  September  17, 
1918.  On  November  26th,  Second  Lieutenants  Jammer,  Sewell,  Tarbox  and 
Brunner  reported  from  the  Students'  Army  Training  Corps,  Training  Camp, 
Plattsburg  Barracks,  New  York.  There  were  247  men  enrolled  in  this  Unit,  five 
of  whom  were  transferred  to  the  Officers'  Training  Camp  for  Infantry,  Camp 
Gordon,  Georgia.  The  Unit  was  demobilized  on  December  18,  1918.  Four  of  the 
Drexel  students  received  second  lieutenants'  commissions  at  the  Plattsburg  Camp. 
These  were:  William  K.  Woodruff,  William  Adam,  Jr.,  Edward  R.  Focht  and  Eugene 
T.  White. 

Hahnemann  Medical  College:  On  October  1,  1918,  the  Students'  Army 
Training  Corps  of  the  Hahnemann  Medical  College  of  Philadelphia  came  officially 
into  existence  and  on  December  16th  officially  went  out  of  existence.  Two 
hundred  and  eighteen  men  were  enrolled.  Colonel  Lockwood  was  the  first  com- 
manding officer. 

Two  and  a  half  months  of  Army  life  and  training  was  the  lot  of  the  students; 
that  it  did  them  much  good  physically,  there  is  no  doubt;  how  much  medicine  they 
learned  during  that  time  is  a  question. 

Barracks  life  at  the  First  Regiment  Armory  gave  the  students  something  to 
think  about  for  many  a  day.  Their  experiences  were  many  and  varied.  How 
much  studying  they  did  no  one  will  ever  know,  except,  perhaps,  the  students 
themselves;  how  many  pranks  they  played  on  one  another  and  the  officers  they 
surely  know;  perhaps  the  officers  do  not  know,  and  it  is  just  as  well  that  they  do  not. 

Colonel  Lockwood  was  succeeded  by  Captain  William  Henry  Frazee.  Captain 
Frazee  was  a  strict  disciplinarian,  which  goes  with  Army  life,  and  it  did  not  take 
him  long  to  set  to  rights  the  relaxation  which  would  naturally  take  place  on  the 
change  of  commanding  officers.  Captain  Frazee  was  fond  of  his  student  body,  and 
did  everything  possible  to  make  barracks  life  pleasant  for  them.  Several  dances 
were  held  for  the  students  which  were  followed  by  "eats."  Captain  Frazee  always 
seemed  to  know  where  to  get  free  music  and  "feed"  for  these  occasions,  which 
were  always  enjoyable  and  for  which  the  Corps  was  always  doubly  thankful. 

While  Captain  Frazee  was  fond  of  discipline,  he  still  had  a  warm  spot  in  his 
heart  for  those  who  were  in  trouble  and  always  tempered  his  justice  with  mercy. 

Colonel  Lockwood  and  Captain  Frazee  were  fortunate  in  having  an  able 

85 


staff  of  assistants,  who,  like  the  student  body,  at  once  became  devoted  and 
attached  to  them,  and  left  no  stone  unturned  to  make  their  stay  at  Hahnemann 
a  most  pleasant  and  successful  one.  The  staff  consisted  of  Lieutenant  Samuel 
J.  Hughes,  Personnel  Officer;  Lieutenant  Harold  A.  Donegan,  Adjutant,  and  Lieu- 
tenant M.  Berkman,  Quartermaster. 

Jefferson  Medical  College:  In  the  summer  of  1917,  immediately  after  the 
creation  of  the  Medical  Enlisted  Reserve  Corps  by  the  War  Department  and  the 
United  States  Naval  Reserve  Force  by  the  Navy  Department,  under  Presidential 
authorization,  all  students  and  prospective  students  of  Jefferson  Medical  College 
were  circularized  and  urged  to  join  either  one  or  the  other  of  these  organizations. 
During  the  session  1917-18,  339  of  the  466  students  of  Jefferson  College  were  enlisted 
in  the  Medical  Enlisted  Reserve  Corps  and  thirty-one  in  the  United  States 
Naval  Reserve  Force. 

Following  several  conferences  with  the  War  Department  by  Dr.  Ross  V. 
Patterson,  the  Dean  of  the  College,  a  contract  was  entered  into  on  September  16, 
1918,  for  the  establishment  of  the  Jefferson  Medical  College  Unit  of  the  Students' 
Army  Training  Corps.  Acting  under  special  orders  from  the  War  Department, 
W.  D.  Canaday,  Captain,  Infantry,  U.  S.  A.,  who  had  just  successfully  completed 
the  organization  of  the  Students'  Army  Training  Corps  at  Williams  College. 
Williamstown,  Mass.,  reported  at  Jefferson  Medical  College  on  October  21,  1918, 
as  commanding  officer,  and  with  five  lieutenants  began  the  organization  of  the  Unit. 

The  Unit  was  organized  with  extraordinary  rapidity.  The  medical  physical 
examination  was  completed  within  twenty-four  hours.  Almost  the  entire  medical 
personnel  of  the  faculty  and  their  assistants  were  organized  into  an  examining 
body  and  a  systematic  examination  completed  in  a  very  short  time.  The  Jefferson 
Hospital  Medical  Advisory  Board,  which  had  been  organized  for  some  months,  and 


Photo  by  F.   Gutelrunst 


Bayonet  Practice. 
86 


had  examined  several  thousand  referred  draft  board  cases,  acted  in  the  capacity 
of  an  Examining  Board.  Induction  into  military  service,  through  Draft  Board 
No.  4,  with  which  special  arrangements  had  been  made,  was  accomplished  with 
equal  facility.  The  details  necessary  to  the  induction  of  the  students  were 
expeditiously  handled  through  correspondence  and  telegrams  with  their  home 
boards.  This  was  a  task  of  some  magnitude,  as  the  home  geographical  distri- 
bution of  the  student  body  reached  into  some  forty  states.  With  the  exception 
of  two  or  three  cases,  the  whole  matter  was  very  promptly  handled  and  the  induc- 
tion completed  on  November  1,  1918,  when  431  of  the  462  students  in  the  College 
were  inducted  into  service,  398  into  the  Students'  Army  Training  Corps,  and  thirty- 
three  into  the  United  States  Naval  Reserve  Force.  Of  the  398  students  in  the 
Students'  Army  Training  Corps,  286  were  transferred  from  the  Medical  Enlisted 
Reserve  Corps. 

The  majority  of  those  not  inducted  into  service  were  citizens  of  foreign  coun- 
tries and  those  physically  unfit  for  military  service. 

The  Inasmuch  Mission  at  1011  Locust  Street,  Philadelphia,  was  requisitioned 
for  service  as  barracks.  A  contract  for  its  lease  from  the  Board  of  Managers  was 
entered  into;  the  building  was  rapidly  emptied,  cleaned  and  made  ready  for  oc- 
cupancy. Cots,  blankets  and  kitchen  supplies  were  contracted  for  and  delivered. 
The  students  were  rapidly  placed  in  uniforms  and  soon  received  their  entire 
equipment;  and  for  the  first  time  in  the  ninety-four  years  of  its  history,  the 
student  body  of  Jefferson  Medical  College  was  in  the  uniform  of  the  military 
forces  of  the  United  States.  The  Recreation  Board  of  Philadelphia  placed  the 
Starr  Garden  Park,  7th  and  Lombard  streets,  Philadelphia,  at  the  disposal  of 
the  Unit  to  be  used  as  a  drill  ground,  this  being  within  easy  marching  dis- 
tance of  the  College.  Permission  was  also  received  for  the  use  of  the  Third  Regi- 
ment Armory  at  Broad  and  Wharton  streets  for  drill  in  bad  weather.  Military 
drill  was  a  part  of  each  day's  work. 

Before  the  barracks  had  been  made  ready  for  occupancy,  it  became  evident 
to  the  students  and  the  faculty  and  even  to  the  commanding  officer  that  any 
effective  medical  work  would  be  ruined  by  putting  students  together  in  barracks 
under  conditions  entirely  unsuitable  for  study,  and  in  an  atmosphere  which  would 
be  utterly  discouraging  to  scholarly  attainment.  The  Dean  made  another  trip 
to  Washington  and  succeeded  in  getting  approval  of  the  War  Department  for  the 
students  of  this  Unit  to  remain  in  fraternity  houses,  of  which  there  were  eight,  and 
in  the  boarding  houses  in  which  they  had  secured  quarters  before  the  institution 
of  the  Students'  Army  Training  Corps.  They  reported  for  drill  in  the  morning 
at  six  o'clock,  however,  and  were  satisfactorily  messed  at  the  Military  Head- 
quarters on  Locust  Street. 

There  was  general  satisfaction,  relief  and  much  rejoicing  on  the  part  of  the 
students,  faculty  and  instructors  upon  the  demobilization  and  discharge  of  the 
members  of  the  Students'  Army  Training  Corps.  So  far  as  medical  schools  were 
concerned,  the  experiment  was  a  failure,  both  from  the  Military  and  Medical 
standpoints.  It  was  proved  that  it  was  quite  as  impossible  to  make  both  physicians 
and  soldiers  of  students  at  the  same  time  as  it  is  to  chase  two  rabbits  at  once. 
The  error  was  a  fundamental  one  of  conception;  impossible  administrative  diffi- 
culties were  imposed  by  the  plan  upon  both  college  and  military  authorities.  The 
mistake  should  never  be  repeated.     It  was  fortunate  that  the  experiment  lasted 

87 


only  for  a  short  time  and  that  the  discharge  of  the  men  on  December  18,  1918, 
gave  them  an  opportunity  for  the  rest  of  the  year  to  do  effective  medical  work. 
There  was  no  doubt  in  the  minds  of  medical  teachers  that  the  plan  was  absolutely 
destructive  of  all  effective  medical  work.  Whether  this  would  have  become  ap- 
parent to  the  War  Department  in  time  to  have  rectified  the  blunder  is  a  matter, 
of  course,  of  speculation. 

St.  Joseph's  College:  The  Student  Army  Training  Corps  was  organized 
at  St.  Joseph's  College,  Philadelphia,  September  26,  1918,  and  the  students  were 
inducted  into  the  United  States  Army  on  October  1st. 

Owing  to  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  demobilization  was  ordered  on  November 
26th  and  was  completed  on  December  10th. 

The  prevalence  of  the  influenza  made  it  necessary  to  suspend  classes  from 
October  4th  to  21st;  so  that  in  all  less  than  eight  weeks  were  actually  employed 
in  the  normal  activities  of  the  Unit. 

The  primary  purpose  of  the  Student  Army  Training  Corps,  as  stated  by  the 
War  Department,  was  to  utilize  the  executive  and  teaching  personnel  and  the 
physical  equipment  of  the  educational  institutions  to  assist  in  the  training  of  officer 
candidates  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  service. 

As  originally  planned  in  August,  the  collegiate  section  was  open  to  registrants, 
who  were  members  of  some  authorized  college,  university  or  professional  school, 
who  were  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  twenty-one,  and  who  were  physically 
qualified  for  general  or  limited  service  in  the  Army. 

On  September  5th  a  fist  of  twenty-three  prescribed  subjects  of  study  was  drawn 
up  by  the  War  Department  for  the  student  soldiers — fourteen  hours  of  class  and 
thirty-eight  hours  of  study  a  week  being  prescribed  for  their  preparation.  On 
September  18th  these  subjects  were  grouped  into  courses  appropriate  to  various 
branches  of  the  service,  and  from  time  to  time  thereafter  until  the  day  of  demobiliza- 
tion detailed  syllabi  were  sent  from  Washington,  setting  forth  more  specifically 
the  grade  and  character  of  the  instruction  to  be  given  in  each  line  of  work.  To 
meet  these  recurring  suggestions,  many  readjustments  in  the  program  prepared 
by  the  College  became  necessary. 

The  subjects  from  which  the  academic  program  was  to  be  made  up  were  the 
following : 

War  issues  (prescribed  for  all),  military  law  (prescribed  for  all),  English, 
French,  German,  mathematics,  physics,  chemistry,  biology,  geology,  psychology, 
geography,  topography  and  map-making,  meteorology,  astronomy,  hygiene, 
sanitation,  descriptive  geometry,  mechanical  and  freehand  drawing,  surveying, 
economics,  accounting,  history,  international  law  and  government. 

By  a  concession  of  the  faculty,  work  done  by  the  members  of  the  Student 
Army  Training  Corps  in  the  following  subjects  was  credited  towards  the 
requirements  of  the  A.  B.  degree:  War  issues,  mathematics,  physics,  chemistry, 
biology,  astronomy,  surveying. 

The  military  officers  were:  Commanding  Officer,  Lieutenant  J.  P.  Lyons; 
Adjutant  and  Quartermaster,  Lieutenant  L.  E.  Fields;  Supply  and  Personnel 
Officer,  Lieutenant  F.  P.  McCardell ;  Assistant  Officer,  Lieutenant  Kessel ;  Visiting 
Surgeon,  Michael  F.  Gallagher,  M.D.;  Inspecting  Surgeon,  Lieutenant  M.  L. 
Lichtenberg. 

88 


Photo  by  F.   Gutekunst. 

S.  A.  T.  C.  at  the  Pennsylvania  Museum  and  School  of  Industrial  Art. 

Temple  University:  In  the  early  fall  of  1918,  Temple  University  estab- 
lished a  Student  Army  Training  Corps.  It  combined  with  its  Units  the  students 
from  the  Pennsylvania  Museum  and  School  of  Industrial  Art.     The  students  at 


Photo  by  F.   Gutekunst. 


S.  A.  T.  C.  at  Temple  Universi'y. 
89 


Temple  were  registered  in  the  College  of  Liberal  Arts,  the  Medical  School  and  the 
Dental  School.  There  were  275  men  in  this  unit  and  ninety  men  in  the  Unit  from 
the  Industrial  Art  School.  There  was  an  additional  Unit  of  sixty-eight  Navy  men, 
some  of  these  being  Temple  students,  others  taking  instruction  at  the  Art  School. 

The  Second  Regiment  Armory  located  near  the  University  provided  barracks 
for  a  portion  of  the  men,  other  large  halls  being  secured  in  the  vicinity  for  additional 
barracks  and  a  mess  hall.  The  Samaritan  Hospital  assigned  the  large  solarium 
wards  and  the  roof  garden  ordinarily  used  for  the  children  to  the  Corps  as  an  in- 
firmary. 

Captain  Will  H.  Dietrick  was  appointed  to  the  official  charge  of  the  Unit 
remaining  with  the  University  after  the  demobilization  of  the  Unit  and  until  it  was 
decided  not  to  continue  the  Reserve  Officers'  Training  Camp  which  succeeded  the 
Student  Army  Training  Corps.  Dr.  James  H.  Dunham,  Ph.D.,  the  dean  of  the 
College  of  Liberal  Arts,  had  charge  of  the  educational  program.  Almost  im- 
mediately after  the  men  went  into  barracks  the  influenza  appeared  among  them 
and  the  entire  University  went  into  quarantine.  Three  members  of  the  Corps 
died  as  the  result  of  the  epidemic,  two  being  medical  students  who  were  serving 
for  the  time  in  the  emergency  hospitals. 

After  the  epidemic  had  passed  the  University  settled  down  to  the  new  con- 
ditions. All  schedules  were  more  or  less  made  to  conform  to  the  regulations  imposed 
by  the  presence  of  an  Army  camp  in  its  midst. 

Professors  and  students  rapidly  readjusted  themselves  to  the  new  conditions. 
The  life  of  the  University  was  beginning  to  function  smoothly  when  the  order  for 
demobilization  came.  Many  of  the  students  returned  to  the  colleges  from  which 
they  had  come.  The  students  of  Temple  slipped  back  into  their  regular  courses, 
and,  save  for  the  presence  of  the  Captain  and  the  small  group  who  remained  in 
the  Reserve  Officers'  Training  Corps,  the  University  by  the  end  of  the  school  year 
was  in  very  much  the  same  condition  as  it  had  been  at  the  close  of  the  previous  year. 

The  University  was  fortunate  in  the  officers  assigned  to  it,  so  that  there  was 
no  friction  between  the  Army  officials  and  those  of  the  University.  All  cooperated 
in  trying  to  work  out  the  most  stupendous  problem  that  has  ever  been  presented 
to  the  universities  of  America. 

PENNSYLVANIA  WOMEN'S  DIVISION  FOR  NATIONAL 
PREPAREDNESS* 

In  the  early  autumn  of  1915,  Mrs.  George  W.  Childs  Drexel  determined  to 
organize  the  women  of  Pennsylvania  to  meet  eventualities.  With  the  war  clouds 
in  Europe  growing  blacker,  Mrs.  Drexel  felt  that  'it  was  only  a  matter  of  time 
before  this  country  would  become  involved  in  the  struggle.  Women,  she  knew, 
would  be  called  upon  to  render  many  and  varied  services,  and  it  was  to  meet  these 
new  and  real  responsibilities  that  she  quickly  developed  her  plan. 

A  meeting  was  held  at  her  town  house  in  September,  1915,  among  those  present 
being:  Miss  Marion  Riddle,  Miss  Sophie  Cadwalader,  Mrs.  J.  Gardner  Cassatt, 
Mrs.  John  W.  Geary,  Mrs.  Rodman  E.  Griscom,  Mrs.  G.  Q.  Horwitz,  Mrs.  Norman 
Jackson,  Mrs.  Thos.  McKean,  Dr.  Clara  Marshall,  Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin,  Miss 
Mary  Mitchell,  Mrs.  I.  H.  O'Hara,  Mrs.  George  Wharton  Pepper,  Mrs.  Cornelius 

*By  the  Secretary  of  the  Philadelphia  War  History  Committee. 

90 


Stevenson,  Mrs.  Robert  E.  Strawbridge,  Mrs.  Alexander  Van  Rensselaer  and  Mrs. 
Rarclay  H.  Warburton. 

At  this  meeting  plans  for  an  organization  were  discussed.  Mrs.  Drexel  was 
elected  President.    The  Vice-Presidents  elected  were  Mrs.  Martin  and  Mrs.  O'Hara. 

The  other  women  present  constituted  the  Executive  Committee. 

After  several  weeks,  Mrs.  Drexel  had  a  series  of  interviews  with  Major  General 
Leonard  Wood  and  saw  Secretary  of  War  Garrison,  both  of  whom  were  much 
impressed  with  the  practical  way  in  which  the  matter  was  presented. 

The  next  meeting,  to  which  representative  women  from  all  the  counties  in  the 
State  were  called,  was  held  on  November,  1915,  at  18th  and  Locust  streets,  when 
Mrs.  Drexel  summarized  her  plans  and  made  her  appeal  as  follows: 

"The  purpose  of  this  Division  is  to  organize  women  throughout  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania  for  preparedness  in  the  event  of  war,  and  to  be  ready  for  work  in 
those  fields  in  which  women  can  most  effectively  aid  at  such  times  or  in  case  of 
State  calamity. 

"The  division  will  be  composed  of  chapters,  each  with  a  minimum  membership 
of  500,  with  a  chairman  for  each  chapter.  These  chairmen,  by  virtue  of  their 
office,  will  compose  the  State  Council.  There  will  also  be  officers  and  an  executive 
committee  with  headquarters  in  Philadelphia." 

About  150  women  were  present  and  they  returned  to  their  several  cities  de- 
termined to  organize  for  work.  The  State  Vice-Presidents  were  increased  to 
five,  the  three  additional  officers  being  Mrs.  Sharp,  of  Chambersburg,  Vice-President- 
at- large;  Mrs.  H.  Wells,  of  Wilkes-Rarre,  for  the  northeast  section  of  the  State; 
and  Miss  Adams,  of  Kane,  for  the  northwest  section  of  the  State. 

Among  the  original  Chapters  were: 

Allentown — Miss  Helen  F.  MacDonald 
Army    and     Navy — Mrs    Francis    Howard 

Williams 
Bristol— Mrs.  Griffith  H.  Williams 
Bucks  County — Mrs.  F.  Leroy 
Coatesville — Mrs.  Addison  A.  Lamb 
Colored— Mrs.  E.  B.  Leaf 
Columbia — Miss  Lillie  S.  Evans 
College  Women — Mrs.  D.  Feidt 
Delaware  Valley— Mrs.  Charles  A.  Parsons 
Doylestown — Miss  Elizabeth  Boss 
Drexel  Biddle  Bible  Class — Mrs.  A.  J.  Hawk- 

sley 
Franklin — Miss  Gertrude  Adams 
Gettysburg— Mrs.  Walter  H.  O'Neal 
Harrisburg — Mrs.  Charles  Byder 
Lansdowne— Mrs  E.  Wager-Smith 
Langhorne — Mrs.  Tryon 
Lancaster — Miss  Susan  Carpenter  Frazier 
Lebanon — Mrs  Harrison  Souder 


Main  Line — Mrs.  Charlton  Yarnall 
Milton — Mrs.  J.  Hunter  Miller 
Norristown — Mrs.  Martha  C.  Mecunes 
Oil  City — Mrs  Fannie  Gaude 
Old  York  Boad — Mrs  Harry  E.  Asbury 
Penna.  Bailroad — Mrs.  George  Dallas  Dixon 
Phila.,  General — Mrs.  Henry  B.  Coxe 
Pittsburgh — Mrs.  Harry  Brown 
Pottsville — Miss  Anne  E.  Bidley 
Sewickley — Mrs.  Alexander  Laughlin 
Snyder  County — Mrs.  Schrier 
State  College — Mrs.  E.  E.  Sparks 
Sunbury — Mrs.  H.  J.  Evans 
Urquhart — Mrs.  George  W.  Urquhart 
West  Chester — Mrs.  George  W.  Phillips 
West  Philadelphia — Mrs  J.  Hamilton  Small 
Wilkes-Barre — Mrs.  Wells 
Williamsport — Mrs.  La  Bue  Munson 
Wyncote — Mrs.  M.  K.  Neiffer 
York  County — Mrs.  J.  C.  Schmidt 


Extension  of  Work 

As  the  Pennsylvania  Women's  Division  for  National  Preparedness  developed 
its  work,  eight  departments  were  established : 

Department  No.  1.  Care  of  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Families  and  Care  of  Sufferers 
from  General  Calamity — Mrs.  J.  Gardner  Cassatt,  Director.  In  the  event  of  America 

91 


engaging  in  war,  soldiers  in  service  would  receive  $15  a  month;  sailors,  $20.  It  was 
obvious  that  this  amount  would  be  insufficient  to  provide  even  necessities  for  the 
families  at  home.  Calamity,  such  as  flood,  earthquake  or  fire  would  produce  con- 
ditions for  the  relief  of  which  this  department  would  work,  but  of  which  no  estimate 
could  be  made  as  to  the  service  required.  The  department  pledged  itself  to  re- 
sponsibility of  the  care  of  soldiers'  and  sailors'  families  and  of  sufferers  from  general 
calamity. 

Department  No.  2.  Nursing — Mrs.  Norman  Jackson,  Director.  Securing 
nurses  for  the  Army. 

Department  No.  3.  Surgical  Supplies — Mrs.  Rodman  E.  Griscom,  Director. 
This  department  enrolled  all  who  wished  to  aid  in  the  preparation  of  dressings, 
bandages,  compresses,  etc.,  to  be  used  in  time  of  war  and  calamity. 

Department  No.  4.  Convalescent  Homes  for  Hospitals — Miss  Marion  Biddle, 
Director .  The  object  of  this  department  was  to  enroll  all  who  would  promise  to 
provide  and  support,  wholly  or  in  part,  a  suitable  building  to  be  used  as  a  hospital 
building  or  convalescent  home  in  the  event  of  war  or  calamity.  Fifty-five 
buildings  were  offered. 

Department  No.  5.  Messenger  and  Communication  Service — Miss  Mary 
Mitchell,  Director.  This  department  organized  the  first  service  of  its  kind,  and  all 
members  were  required  to  learn  not  merely  the  running  of  automobiles,  but  also 
their  care  and  the  making  of  at  least  minor  adjustments  and  repairs.  A  large 
number  of  women  were  also  enrolled  who  learned  to  wig-wag. 

Department  No.  6.  First  Aid  and  Assistance  in  Daily  Routine  Work  of  Hos- 
pitals and  Dietetics — Dr.  Clara  Mitchell,  Director. 

Department  No.  7.  Emergency  Commissariat.  (Canteen) — Mrs.  Robert  E. 
Strawbridge,  Mrs.  Thomas  McKean  and  Mrs.  Barclay  H.  Warburton.  Depart- 
ment No.  7  was  the  first  of  its  kind  anywhere,  and  as  a  result  of  the  preliminary 
experiences  the  subsequent  work  of  the  Red  Cross  was  expedited.  Practically 
every  troop  train  traveling  through  Philadelphia  from  Mt.  Gretna  to  the  Border 
was  met.     23,510  men  were  canteened. 

Department  No.  8  A.  Government  Camps — Mrs.  George  Wharton  Pepper, 
Director.  The  object  of  this  section  of  Department  No.  8  was  to  provide  funds  for 
Pennsylvania  men  who  desired  to  prepare  for  military  service  in  the  training 
camps  at  Plattsburg  and  elsewhere;  also,  to  aid  in  securing  the  best  candidates  for 
enrolment. 

Department  No.  8  B.  Clerical  Service — Miss  Sophie  Cadwalader,  Director. 
The  work  of  this  section  comprised  bookkeeping,  typewriting,  card-cataloging,  and 
other  kinds  of  clerical  work  in  the  event  of  war  or  calamity,  when  professional 
workers  would  be  hard  to  obtain.  A  knowledge  of  accounts  was  stressed,  as  well 
as  a  clear  and  legible  handwriting. 

Department  No.  8  C.  Sewing — Mrs.  Alexander  Van  Rensselaer,  Director. 
The  object  of  this  section  was  to  enrol  women  to  cut  out  and  sew  upon  garments 
required  by  hospitals  and  convalescent  homes,  in  the  event  of  war  or  calamity. 

In  January,  1916,  a  mass  meeting  was  held  in  the  Garrick  Theatre,  at  which 
1,700  women  from  all  counties  in  the  State  were  present,  and  so  great  was  the  de- 
mand for  seats  that  over  six  hundred  were  unable  to  crowd  their  way  into  the 
building. 

The  purpose  of  the  Division  was  explained  by  George  Wharton  Pepper  and 

92 


George  Q.   Horwitz.     Major  General  Leonard   Wood  made   the  main  address. 

State  Headquarters  were  established  in  the  Central  City  Building  and  spe- 
cially trained  women  speakers  toured  the  counties.  The  number  of  chapters 
increased  to  sixty-two,  with  a  membership  of  11,000.  Every  member  was  com- 
pelled to  take  up  one  certain  form  of  preparedness  work  and  to  abide  by  her  choice. 

The  division  purchased  a  portable  dental  equipment  for  use  on  the  Mexican 
Border  in  1916  and  paid  the  salary  of  Dr.  C.  J.  Hollister.  The  sum  of  $25,000 
was  collected  for  equipping  Base  Hospital  No.  10. 

After  America  entered  the  war,  it  was  found  best  to  continue  the  work  under 
the  American  Red  Cross  and  the  division,  as  such,  discontinued  in  April,  1917. 
In  practically  every  case  where  there  had  been  a  chapter  of  the  division,  the  chair- 
man became  the  head  of  the  local  Red  Cross  Chapter. 

LOCAL  BELGIAN  RELIEF  COMMITTEE 

One  of  the  first  efforts — if  not  the  first — for  Belgian  relief  was  organized  by 
Mrs.  Edward  S.  Sayres,  who,  on  September  30,  1914,  called  on  the  Belgian  Consul 
and  offered  the  services  of  the  Flower  Mission,  of  which  she  was  President,  to 
collect  and  ship  food  and  clothing  to  non-combatants  in  Belgium.  Her  offer  was 
accepted  and  on  October  11th  notices  were  read  in  all  Main  Line  churches  that  a 
meeting  would  be  held  the  next  day  at  "Black  Rocks,"  the  residence  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sayres,  and  that  on  the  14th  contributions  would  be  received  at  the  Bryn 
Mawr  Reading  Room. 

Twenty  persons  attended  the  first  meeting,  which  was  addressed  by  Mr.  Paul 
Hagemans,  the  Consul  General  of  Belgium.  Mrs.  Charles  C.  Harrison  was 
appointed  to  carry  on  the  work  in  Philadelphia  and  later  became  Chairman  of  the 
Belgian  Committee  of  the  Emergency  Aid.  On  the  14th,  an  audience  of  150 
contributed  2,091  pieces  of  clothing  and  blankets.  From  October  15th  to  21st  the 
Committee,  assisted  by  Mrs.  Hagemans  and  Miss  Hagemans,  received  8,831  gar- 
ments in  Overbrook.  The  Committee  collected  $1,040.69  and  purchased  new 
garments  and  thirty  barrels  of  flour.  The  10,922  garments  and  other  supplies 
filled  an  entire  freight  car.  The  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  contributed  its 
services  and  shipment  was  made  to  the  Belgian  Consul  at  New  York,  whence  the 
shipment  left  on  the  Rotterdam  addressed  to  The  Netherlands  Committee  for 
Relief  of  Belgian  Refugees.     It  reached  its  destination  on  November  7th. 

On  April  17,  1919,  the  King  of  the  Belgians  conferred  on  Mrs.  Sayres  the 
Medal  of  Queen  Elizabeth. 


93 


PHILADELPHIA  AND  THE  28th  DIVISION 
William  Bell  Clark 


fNE-FOURTH  of  the  total  personnel  of  the  National  Guard 
of  Pennsylvania,  when  it  entered  the  Federal  service  to 
win  immortal  honor  in  the  World  War  as  the  28th  Division, 
came  from  Philadelphia.  Hundreds  of  the  lads  who  left  the 
City  of  Philadelphia  in  the  ranks  of  its  Guard  Units  made 
the  supreme  sacrifice  on  the  battlefields  of  France.  Other 
hundreds  will  carry  to  their  graves  the  scars  of  wounds 
sustained  when  Pennsylvania's  Iron  Division  wrote  grim 
history  in  a  foreign  land.  Those  so  fortunate  as  to  have 
escaped  the  casualty  fists  will  have  with  them  to  the  end 
memories  of  the  shorn  wheatfields  by  the  Marne  and  the  Ourcq,  the  ruins  that 
once  was  Fismes,  the  gas-swept  plateau  overlooking  the  Aisne,  the  death- 
capped  ridges  beside  the  Aire  and  the  No  Man's  Land  beyond  Thiaucourt.  Thus, 
the  "red  keystone"  of  the  28th  is  an  insignia  to  which  Philadelphia's  claim  is 
great.     The  history  of  the  Division,  as  it  is  here  unfolded,  is  written,  therefore, 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley  Co.   of  America. 

"The  Call  to  Arms"  by  a  Quartette  from  the  1st  Regiment,  N.  G.  P. 

94 


Courtesy  of  Frank   W.    Buhler, 


Stanley   Co.    of   America. 

Capl.  Ward  Pierson,  leading  his  Company. 


with  the  view,  not  of  slighting  the  State  at  large,  but  to  expand  upon  the  part 
played  by  those  who  hailed  from  this  city.  It  is  a  history  of  the  divisional  units; 
a  more  intimate  narrative  of  such  of  those  units  as  were  recruited  in  whole  or 
in  part  from  Philadelphia. 

From  the  Border  to  Hancock 

On  the  day  in  1916  when  President  Wilson  decided  to  chastise  Pancho 
Villa  for  his  temerity  in  attacking  the  border  town  of  Columbus,  N.  M.,  the 
Pennsylvania  National  Guard  Division  began  its  momentous  history.  It  is  a 
far  cry  from  Texas  in  the  summer  of  1916  to  France  in  the  summer  of  1918,  but 
the  events  which  had  their  inception  with  the  President's  Executive  Order  of  June 

18,  1916,  marched  with  steady  sequence  to  their  culmination  overseas.  The  tour 
of  duty  on  the  Mexican  border  proved  the  preliminary  training  for  the  achieve- 
ments of  Pennsylvania's  Guardsmen  in  the  American  Expeditionary  Force.  Down 
on  the  sand  plains  of  Camp  Stewart,  Texas,  was  begun  the  transition  from  militia 
to  a  potent  fighting  division. 

One  day  after  the  President's  call,  the  machinery  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Adjutant  General's  office  began  to  operate.    General  Order  No.  21,  issued  on  June 

19,  1916,  from  Harrisburg,  directed  all  National  Guard  organizations,  with  a  few 
exceptions,  to  report  for  duty  at  their  home  stations  on  Thursday  morning,  June  22d, 
and  to  assemble  at  Mt.  Gretna,  long  the  training  ground  of  the  Guard,  by  June  24th. 
At  that  time  Philadelphia  had  three  full  regiments  of  infantry — the  1st,  2d  and  3d — 
forming  the  1st  Infantry  Brigade;  regimental  headquarters  and  four  companies  of 
the  6th  Infantry;  a  squadron  of  cavalry — First  City,  Second  City,  and  A  and  G 
Troops,  a  company  of  engineers  (B),  and  the  Tacony  field  hospital  and  ambulance 

95 


company.  To  these  latter,  designated  as  Field  Hospital  No.  2  and  Ambulance 
Company  No.  2,  fell  the  honor  of  being  first  mustered  into  the  Federal  service. 
They  passed  into  the  control  of  the  War  Department  on  June  28th,  four  days 
after  reaching  Mt.  Gretna,  and  were  on  their  way  to  the  border  the  following  day. 
Company  B  of  the  Engineers  was  federalized  on  June  29th;  the  entire  1st  and  2d 
Regiments  of  Infantry  on  June  30th;  1st  Brigade  Headquarters  and  the  3d  Regi- 
ment on  July  1st;  the  four  Cavalry  Troops  on  July  6th,  and  the  Field  and  Staff, 
Band,  Sanitary  Detachment  and  Companies  E,  K,  L,  M  of  the  6th  Infantry  on 
July  7th.  Either  the  day  they  were  mustered  in  or  the  day  following,  the  units 
started  southward  in  troop  trains. 

If  the  Pennsylvania  Guardsmen  dreamed  of  following  Pershing's  Expeditionary 
Force  into  the  heart  of  old  Mexico  after  the  wily  Villa,  they  were  doomed  to  dis- 
appointment. Arriving  on  the  border,  they  were  sent  to  Camp  Stewart,  not  far 
from  El  Paso,  Tex.,  where  through  the  long  hot  summer  they  were  drilled,  drilled, 
drilled.  Nor  was  this  all.  The  War  Department  found  the  Pennsylvanians  long 
on  infantry  and  short  on  artillery  and  proceeded  to  remedy  the  defect  by  trans- 
forming two  of  the  infantry  regiments,  the  2d,  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  9th,  of 
Wilkes-Barre  and  the  Luzerne  county  mining  region,  into  artillery.  These,  with 
the  1st  Artillery,  from  Pittsburgh,  Williamsport  and  Phoenixville,  were  formed 
into  an  artillery  brigade.  The  2d  Infantry  became  the  2d  Artillery  and  the  9th 
Infantry  the  3d  Artillery.  The  Philadelphia  artillerymen  were  equipped  with 
4.7  guns  and  became  the  "heavies"  of  the  brigade. 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley  Co.   of   America. 

National  Guardsmen  in  Camp  at  Jenkinlown. 

96 


The  War  Department  found  also  that  some  of  the  infantry  regiments  and 
the  cavalry  regiment  were  minus  certain  units  called  for  on  the  Army  organization 
plan.  Transfers  effected  in  two  of  these  increased  the  number  of  organizations 
credited  to  this  city.  In  the  6th  Infantry,  a  headquarters  company,  a  supply 
company  and  a  machine  gun  company  were  formed  and  designated  as  Philadelphia 
units,  and,  in  the  1st  Cavalry,  headquarters  and  supply  troops  were  organized  in  a 
similar  manner  and  also  awarded  to  Philadelphia. 

By  early  fall  the  Pennsylvania  Guard  Division  had  secured  a  splendid  basic 
training.  There  had  been  divisional  maneuvers,  brigade  maneuvers  and  regi- 
mental maneuvers,  target  practice,  bayonet  instruction,  trench  digging  lessons, 
schools  of  instruction  on  general  military  subjects,  lectures  and  so  on  through  a 
crowded  curriculum.  However,  on  September  29th  when  word  came  through 
ordering  the  1st  and  3d  Regiments  home,  it  was  received  with  gladness.  Phila- 
delphia waited  with  open  arms  and  each  organization  upon  its  arrival  was  treated 
to  a  banquet,  those  to  the  larger  units  being  held  in  the  temporary  Convention 
Hall  at  Broad  Street  and  Allegheny  Avenue,  and  to  the  smaller  ones  in  their  own 
armories  or  headquarters.  The  last  to  get  back  from  the  border  was  the  2d  Artillery, 
which  on  one  of  the  bitterest  days  of  the  winter  of  1916-1917  heralded  its  return 
by  a  regimental  review  wherein  it  displayed  to  a  proud  city  its  new  artillery  equip- 
ment, the  heavy  4.7's  and  their  caissons. 

Philadelphia's  Guardsmen  donned  civilian  clothes  and  began  to  pick  up  the 
threads  broken  the  preceding  summer.  Some  of  them  remained  civilians  for  a 
half  year,  others — those  who  came  up  from  the  south  among  the  last — for  scarcely 
more  than  two  months.  The  rumble  of  the  World  War  was  coming  daily  nearer 
to  the  United  States.  On  February  3,  1917,  Ambassador  Bernstorff  was  given 
his  passports;  on  February  14th  he  sailed  for  home;  on  February  26th  President 
Wilson  asked  Congress  for  authority  to  arm  American  merchant  ships;  on  March 
21st  the  President  summoned  Congress  in  extra  session  on  April  2d,  and  on  March 
25th,  twelve  full  days  before  the  declaration  of  a  state  of  war  with  Germany, 
Philadelphia's  1st  and  3d  Infantry  were  called  into  the  Federal  service  once 
more. 

The  Guardsmen  reported  at  their  respective  armories  for  duty  at  7  a.m. 
March  28th  and  were  mustered  into  the  Federal  service  on  March  30th  and  31st. 
The  1st  Infantry  was  assigned  immediately  to  duty  guarding  bridges,  war  industries 
and  canal  locks  in  the  territory  east  of  the  Susquehanna  River,  with  regimental 
headquarters  in  the  armory  at  Broad  and  Callowhill  streets.  The  3d  was  ordered 
to  the  western  part  of  the  State  on  similar  duty  and  departed  in  troop  trains  on 
April  2d.  By  April  6th,  the  day  the  gauntlet  was  cast  down  to  the  enemy,  both 
organizations  were  on  the  lookout  for  aliens  or  alien  sympathizers  in  the  vicinity 
of  places  of  military  importance  in  the  State. 

The  disposition  of  the  units  of  the  1st  Infantry  was  as  follows:  1st  Battalion 
Headquarters,  Broad  and  Callowhill  streets;  Company  A,  headquarters,  Neshaminy ; 
detachments,  Perkasie,  Yardley  and  Midvale  Steel  Works;  Company  B,  head- 
quarters, Bridgewater;  detachments,  Morrisville  and  Frankford  Junction;  Company 
C,  headquarters,  Schuylkill  Arsenal;  detachment,  Grays  Ferry  Bridge;  Company  D, 
headquarters,  32d  Street  and  Lancaster  Avenue;  detachments,  Girard  Avenue 
bridge  and  Chamounix  Lake,  Fairmount  Park. 

97 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Trucks  parked  on  City  Hall  Plaza. 


2d  Battalion  Headquarters,  Coatesville;  Company  E,  Frankford  Arsenal; 
Company  F,  headquarters,  Coatesville;  detachments,  Thorndale  and  Downingtown; 
Company  G,  headquarters,  West  Reading;  detachments,  Tuckerton  and  Manayunk ; 
Company  H,  headquarters,  Phoenixville;  detachments,  Norristown,  Manayunk 
and  Earnest. 

3d  Battalion  Headquarters,  Columbia;  Company  I,  headquarters,  Rockville; 
detachment,  Lemoyne;  Company  K,  headquarters,  Safe  Harbor;  detachments, 
Lemoyne,  Martic  Forge  and  Columbia;  Company  L,  headquarters,  Boone  Station 
near  Darby;  detachments,  Eastwick,  Eddystone  and  Remington  Arms;  Company  M, 
headquarters,  Lemoyne;  detachments,  Hummelstown,  Columbia  and  Shocks  Mills. 

Headquarters  Company,  Broad  and  Callowhill  streets;  Machine  Gun  Company, 
headquarters,  Broad  and  Callowhill  streets;  detachment,  37th  and  Market  streets; 
Supply  Company,  Broad  and  Callowhill  streets. 

West  of  the  Susquehanna  River,  the  3d  Infantry  was  disposed  as  follows: 
Regimental  Headquarters,  Altoona,  Pa.;  1st  Battalion  headquarters,  Johnstown; 
Company  A,  Johnstown;  Company  B,  Point  Marion;  Company  C,  Port  Perry; 
Company  D,  Rockwood. 

2d  Battalion  Headquarters,  Huntingdon;  Company  E,  Huntingdon;  Company 
F,  Newport;  Company  G,  Spruce  Creek;  Company  H,  Mifflin. 

3d  Battalion  Headquarters,  1155  Liberty  Avenue,  Pittsburgh;  Companies  I, 
K  and  L,  same  address;  Company  M,  Washington,  Pa. 

Machine  Gun  Company,  1155  Liberty  Avenue,  Pittsburgh;  Supply  Company, 
Altoona,  and  Sanitary  Detachment,  Altoona. 

98 


One  other  Pennsylvania  infantry  regiment,  the  18th,  of  Pittsburgh,  had  also 
been  called  out  at  the  same  time  as  the  1st  and  3d,  and  was  on  guard  duty  in  the 
northwestern  quarter  of  the  State,  with  headquarters  at  Ridgeway. 

While  the  other  units  of  the  National  Guard  awaited  the  call  to  Federal  service, 
they  and  the  regiments  already  on  duty  conducted  spirited  recruiting  campaigns. 
The  main  recruiting  stations  of  both  the  1st  and  3d  Regiments  were  in  their  local 
armories,  although  all  of  them  set  up  sub-stations  in  the  various  towns  where  their 
units  were  quartered.  At  the  same  time  the  Adjutant  General  proceeded  to 
organize  additional  units  to  fill  the  complement  of  the  Division.  To  Phila- 
delphia fell  another  company  of  Engineers  (E),  a  Field  Bakery  Company,  Field 
Hospital  No.  3,  Truck  Companies  Nos.  3  and  4  of  the  Supply  Train,  the  2d  Com- 
pany of  Military  Police,  and  Truck  Companies  Nos.  10, 11  and  12  of  the  Ammuni- 
tion Train. 

On  June  25,  1917,  Company  B,  of  the  Engineers,  reported  for  duty,  was 
mustered  into  Federal  service  the  following  day  and  shortly  afterwards  was  sent 
to  Camp  Meade,  Admiral,  Md.,  for  construction  work.     Subsequently  it  repaired 


Courtesy   of  Frank   W.    Buhler,    Stanley   Co.    of   America. 

Philadelphia  Artillerymen  at  Jenkintown. 

to  Camp  Hancock  for  similar  duty  ahead  of  the  balance  of  the  Division  which, 
within  two  weeks,  was  called  to  the  colors,  each  unit  being  ordered  to  mobilize 
at  its  respective  headquarters  or  armory  on  July  15th. 

On  July  16th  the  entire  Philadelphia  Battalion  of  the  6th  Infantry  and 
the  field  and  staff,  headquarters,  supply  and  machine  gun  companies  were 
mustered  in,  as  were  all  members  of  the  Sanitary  Detachment  save  three  who 
reported  on  July  22d.  On  July  17th  the  Artillery  Brigade  Headquarters,  Brigadier 
General  William  G.  Price,  Jr.,  commanding,  was  sworn  in  at  the  headquarters 
in  the  Liberty  Building.  Then  in  sequence  came  Truck  Company  No.  3  on  July 
20th;  the  Field  Bakery  Company  on  July  20th  and  21st;  Field  Hospital  No.  2, 
July  21st;  Ambulance  Company  No.  2,  July  21st  and  22d;  Field  Hospital  No.  3, 
July  22d  and  24th;  Troops  A  and  E  (First  City),  July  23d;  Headquarters  Troop, 
July  24th;  2d  Field  Artillery,  July  20th  to  24th;  Truck  Company  No.  4,  July  24th; 
Troop  G,  July  25th;  Troop  D  (Second  City),  July  26th;  First  Infantry  Brigade 

99 


Headquarters,  July  26th;  2d  Company,  Military  Police,  August  3d;  Truck  Com- 
panies Nos.  10,  11  and  12,  Ammunition  Train,  August  2d;  and  Supply  Troop, 
August  4th. 

On  August  5,  1917,  the  entire  Pennsylvania  National  Guard  Division,  num- 
bering 841  officers  and  25,234  men,  was  mustered  into  the  National  service  formally. 
The  following  table  shows  the  strength  of  the  Philadelphia  units  on  that  day: 

Officers  Men 

First  Brigade  Headquarters 2  5 

Artillery  Brigade  Headquarters 3  10 

Field  Bakery 1  62 

Ambulance  Company  No.  2 4  81 

Field  Hospital  No.  2 5  79 

Field  Hospital  No.  3 6  80 

Truck  Company  No.  3,  Supply  Train 1  49 

Truck  Company  No.  4,  Supply  Train 1  46 

Truck  Company  No.  10,  Ammunition  Train 58 

Truck  Company  No.  11,  Ammunition  Train 53 

Truck  Company  No.  12,  Ammunition  Train 52 

Company  B,  Engineers 4  71 

Company  E,  Engineers 4  158 

Second  Company,  Military  Police 2  123 

Second  Field  Artillery 41  1,232 

Headquarters  Troop,  1st  Cavalry 1  52 

Supply  Troop,  1st  Cavalry 2  52 

Troop  A,  1st  Cavalry 3  94 

Troop  D,  1st  Cavalry 3  106 

Troop  E,  1st  Cavalry 3  99 

Troop  G,  1st  Cavalry 3  128 

1st  Infantry 55  1,977 

3d  Infantry 56  1,680 

Field  and  Staff,  6th  Infantry 9 

Headquarters  Company,  6th  Infantry 1  29 

Supply  Company,  6th  Infantry 2  39 

Machine  Gun  Company,  6th  Infantry 3  62 

Sanitary  Detachment,  6th  Infantry 5  27 

Company  E,  6th  Infantry 3  76 

Company  K,  6th  Infantry 3  81 

Company  L,  6th  Infantry 3  82 

Company  M,  6th  Infantry 3  78 

Total  232        6,821 

During  the  brief  period  between  August  5,  1917,  and  the  concentration  at 
Camp  Hancock,  the  smaller  units,  with  the  exception  of  some  of  the  truck  companies, 
were  held  at  their  local  headquarters.  The  truck  companies  were  either  held  at 
the  1st  Regiment  Armory  or  sent  to  Mt.  Gretna  for  immediate  duty.  In  the  case 
of  the  2d  Artillery,  a  suitable  site  for  a  temporary  camp  was  found  near  Noble, 
Pa.,  on  the  estate  of  John  Wanamaker,  and,  in  honor  of  the  donor,  was  named 
Camp  Wanamaker.  In  mid-August,  the  1st  and  3d  Infantry  were  relieved  of  guard 
duty  and  began  to  concentrate  in  and  near  Philadelphia,  the  1st  securing  a  camp 
site  near  the  Commercial  Museum  and  naming  it  Camp  Brown  after  its  Com- 
mander, Colonel  Millard  D.  Brown.  The  3d  Infantry  left  the  western  part  of 
the  State  on  August  14th,  and  the  following  day  arrived  home,  camping  at  Camp 
A.  Merritt  Taylor,  a  short  distance  beyond  the  69th  Street  Terminal  in  Delaware 
County. 

100 


The  move  south  began  in  September.  The  1st  Infantry  left  Camp  Brown 
by  train  on  September  11th,  arriving  at  Camp  Hancock  on  Friday,  September 
14th;  the  3d  left  on  September  12th,  arriving  September  15th,  and  the  other  units 
in  order  until  by  the  end  of  the  month  the  entire  Division  was  assembled  on  the 
new  grounds  a  short  distance  outside  the  City  of  Augusta,  Ga. 

The  ensuing  nine  months  was  a  heart-breaking  period  for  the  officers  and 
men  of  the  old  Guard.  They  saw  brigadiers,  colonels,  majors  and  captains  skilfully 
eliminated  through  the  action  of  Army  Plucking  Boards.  Even  their  Major- 
General,  Charles  M.  Clement,  was  relieved  December  11,  1917,  and  succeeded 
December  15th  by  General  Charles  H.  Muir.  Historic  organizations  were  broken 
up  or  amalgamated  with  other  units.  The  War  Department,  with  wisdom  learned 
abroad,  was  making  some  radical  changes  in  Army  organization,  particularly  with 
reference  to  infantry  regiments.  Under  the  new  plan,  the  strength  of  the  Infantry 
was  increased  from  150  men  to  a  company  to  250  men,  while  machine  gun  bat- 
talions, hitherto  unheard  of  in  the  American  Army,  were  being  established  as 
part  of  the  Divisional  Organization.  All  of  this  reorganization  was  not  carried  on 
without  considerable  trouble.  Various  portions  of  the  State,  through  their  repre- 
sentatives in  Congress,  attempted  to  save  their  regiments  whole,  remonstrating 
against  the  destruction  of  former  identities.  In  the  case  of  the  1st  Cavalry,  it 
was  re-assembled,  after  the  first  break  up,  as  the  103d  Cavalry  and  was  finally 
redistributed  to  other  units.  In  the  final  infantry  alignment,  the  western  part 
of  the  State  was  far  more  successful  than  the  eastern  in  saving  its  regiments,  as 
the  10th,  16th  and  18th,  all  from  west  of  the  Susquehanna,"  were  kept  intact  as 
the  110th,  111th  and  112th  Infantry  regiments,  respectively.        .  ,  •*  :    - 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley  Co.   of   America. 

National  Guardsmen  camping  on  the  Wanamaker  Estate,  Jenkintown. 

101 


,f  pt&natysnal, '  <     rcic      ,j/<Ci*<r 


25//i  Division  Men  at  Jersey  City. 


The  general  order  which  caused  all  of  the  trouble,  and  which,  incidentally, 
established  officially  the  28th  Division,  was  dated  November  15th.  Its  result 
will  be  better  understood  from  the  following  table,  which  shows  the  original  guard 
unit,  from  whence  it  hailed,  and  what  became  of  it : 


National  Guard  Unit  Locality 

1st  Infantry Philadelphia 

3d     Infantry     (less    band     and 

several  hundred  men) Philadelphia 

4th  Infantry: 

Machine  Gun  Company,  C 
and  D  Companies,  part  of 
Sanitary  Detachment  and 
Supply  Company Lancaster,  Columbia,  Allentown . 


?8lh  Division  Unit 
109th  Infantry. 

110th  Infantry. 


109th    Machine    Gun 
Battalion. 


2d  Battalion  and  part  of  Head- 
quarters and  Supply  Com- 
pany  Columbia,    Allentown,    Hamburg, 

bury,  Pine  Grove,  Lebanon 

Companies  A  and  B,  part  of 
Headquarters,  and  Supply 
Company Beading,  Allentown,  Columbia.  . . . 


Sun- 


Detachment        Headquarters,  .„.• 

Supply  and  B  Company .Columbia,  Allentown. 

102 


107th    Machine    Gun 
Battalion. 

108th    Machine    Gun 
Battalion. 

.  53d  Depot  Brigade. 


6th  Infantry  (less  band).. .     Philadelphia,  Pottstown,  Chester,  Phoe- 

nixville,        Norristown,     Doylestown, 

Media,  West  Chester llltb  Infantry. 

8th  Infantry  (less  band) Harrisburg,  York,  Tamaqua,  Chambers- 
burg,  Mahanoy  City,  Huntingdon, 
Carlisle,  Pottsville,  Bedford,  Lewis- 
town 112th  Infantry. 

10th  Infantry Greensburg,  Monongabela,  New  Brighton, 

Somerset,   Mount  Pleasant,    Indiana, 
Altoona,     Washington,     Waynesburg, 

Blairsville,  Latrobe 110th  Infantry. 

13th  Infantry  (less  band) Scranton,Wilkes-Barre,EastStroudsburg, 

Honesdale,  Bloomsburg,  Moscow 109  th  Infantry. 

16th  Infantry Oil    City,   Corry,   Meadville,    Bradford, 

Kane,     Franklin,     Erie,     Ridgeway, 
Warren,     Kittaning,     Butler,     Grove 

City 112th  Infantry. 

18th  Infantry Pittsburgh 111th  Infantry. 

1st  Artillery Pittsburgh,    Williamsport,    Phoenixville, 

South  Bethlehem 107th  Field  Artillery. 

2d  Artillery Philadelphia 108th  Field  Artillery. 

3d  Artillery. Wilkes-Barre,  Hazleton,  Pittston,  Nanti- 

coke,  Plymouth,  Tunkhannock 109th  Field  Artillery. 

1st  Cavalry: 
Detachments       Headquarters 
Company,  Supply  Company, 

and  Troops  B,  F,  I,  M,  E. .  .  Philadelphia,  Tyrone,  New  Castle,  Sun- 
bury,  Lewisburg 103d  Engineers. 

Machine  Gun  Troop Boalsburg 108th    Machine     Gun 

Battalion. 

Detachment  Troop  I Sunbury Division  Headquarters 

Troop. 

Detachments  Troops  F  and  H .  Newcastle  and  Pittsburgh 107th  Field  Artillery. 

Detachments  Troops  D,  K,  I,  L, 

M  and  Troops  A,  C,  and  G.  .Philadelphia,    Lock    Haven,    Bellefonte, 

Lewisburg,  Sunbury,  Harrisburg 108tb  Field  Artillery. 

Detachments  Troops  I,  K.  L.  .Sunbury,  Lockhaven,  Bellefonte 109th  Field  Artillery. 

Detachments  Troops  E,  B,  M .  Philadelphia,  Tyrone,  Lewisburg 103d    Trench    Mortar 

Battery. 

1st  Engineers Philadelphia,  Scranton,  Pottsville 103d  Engineers. 

1st  Battalion  Signal  Corps Pittsburgh 103d  Field  Signal  Bat- 
talion. 

Military  Police ; Pittsburgh,  Philadelphia 103d  Headquarters  and 

Military  Police. 

Supply  Train Harrisburg,      Lancaster,      Philadelphia, 

Pittsburgh 103d  Supply  Train. 

Ammunition  Train Philadelphia,       Allentown,       Shamokin, 

Harrisburg,    West  Chester,    Williams- 
port,  Selinsgrove 103d  Ammunition 

Train. 

Sanitary  Train Philadelphia,      Pittsburgh,      Lancaster, 

Coraopolis ; 103d  Sanitary  Train. 

Of  the  remainder,  the  bands  of  the  3d,  4th,  6th,  8th  and  13th  Infantry  were 
detached  entirely  from  the  Division,  and  the  3d  Battalion  of  the  4th  Infantry  had 
months  before  been  sent  to  the  Rainbow  (42d)  Division  as  a  machine  gun  battalion. 

Once  the  changes  had  been  made  and  the  men  settled  down  to  routine,  the 

103 


time  passed  slowly  on  their  hands.  There  were  hikes  and  sham  battles,  bayonet 
practice  and  gas  mask  instructions,  guard  mounts  and  target  shooting,  trench 
digging  and  reviews,  regimental  and  otherwise.  One  of  the  biggest  days  was 
February  22,  1918  (Washington's  Birthday),  when  Secretary  Lansing  reviewed 
the  entire  Division  in  a  morning  parade.  Rumors  of  a  quick  movement  overseas 
began  to  float  around  the  camp  in  January,  1918,  and  persisted  continually  until 
the  orders  finally  came,  but  it  was  late  April  before  the  28th  bade  farewell,  and 
a  hearty  one,  to  Camp  Hancock. 

Overseas  and  the  Marne 

The  28th  Division  might  have  spent  even  a  longer  time  at  Camp  Hancock 
had  it  not  been  for  the  critical  situation  which  arose  on  the  western  front  in  the 
spring  of  1918.  The  Germans  had  launched  two  big  offensives,  the  one  which 
retook  the  old  Somme  battlefield  and  threatened  to  break  the  British  line  toward 
Amiens,  and  the  other  which  endangered  the  channel  ports  in  northern  France. 
Great  Britain  had  made  frantic  appeal  to  the  United  States  for  an  army  and  it 


Courtesy  A. 


A  Cargo  Ship  built  at  Hog  Island. 


was  in  part  answer  to  this  appeal  that  sailing  orders  came  to  Hancock.  The 
Division  was  at  full  war  strength  when  the  orders  arrived.  Some  months  before,  a 
draft  of  Pennsylvania  selective  service  men  had  been  received  and  had  been  used 
to  fill  in  what  gaps  existed  on  the  regimental  rosters.  About  a  week  before  de- 
parture another  small  draft  of  men,  from  middle  and  western  states  and  numbering 
about  500,  was  also  added  to  the  Division,  making  the  first  addition  of  non-Pennsyl- 
vanians.  These  men  were  distributed  five  or  six  to  the  line  companies  of  infantry 
and  soon  absorbed. 

The  units  of  the  Division  began  to  leave  Camp  Hancock  by  train  on  April  21st, 
traveling  to  Camps  Mills,  Upton  and  Merritt.  Of  the  larger  units  containing 
many  Philadelphians,  the  109th  Infantry  departed  from  the  south  on  April  22d; 
the  110th  Infantry  on  April  24th;  the  111th  Infantry  on  April  26th;  the  103d 
Sanitary  Train  on  May  10th  and  the  108th  Field  Artillery  on  May  11th.  By 
May  15th  the  old  training  ground  was  deserted  save  for  the  53d  Depot  Brigade. 

Twelve  British  and  two  American  transports  convoyed  the  Division  overseas. 
Six  ships  were  in  the  first  convoy,  which  sailed  from  New  York  on  May  3d,  arriving 
at  Liverpool,  England,  May  16th  and  17th.     They  were  as  follows: 

104 


H.  M.  S.  City  of  Calcutta,  107th  Machine  Gun  Battalion  and  1st  Battalion, 
110th  Infantry ;  H.  M.  S.  Anchises,  108th  Machine  Gun  Battalion;  U.  S.  S.  Corsican, 
2d  Battalion,  110th  Infantry;  H.  M.  S.  Ansonia,  3d  Battalion,  110th  Infantry; 
H.  M.  S.  Demosthenes,  headquarters  and  auxiliary  units,  110th  Infantry;  H.  M.  S. 
Carmania,  109th  Infantry,  and  Division  Headquarters,  with  Major  General 
Muir  and  staff. 

On  May  5th  the  speedy  H.  M.  S.  Olympic  departed  from  Hoboken  with  the 
56th  Infantry  Brigade  Headquarters  and  the  111th  Infantry  and  arrived  at  South- 
ampton on  May  12th,  four  days  before  the  slower  convoy,  which  had  sailed  two  days 
before  it.  On  May  7th  H.  M.  S.  Aquitania,  with  the  103d  Train  Headquarters, 
28th  Division  Military  Police,  109th  Machine  Gun  Battalion  and  112th  Infantry, 
set  sail  and  reached  Liverpool  on  May  14th,  also  ahead  of  the  first  convoy.  Five 
more  ships  sailed  in  convoy  from  New  York  on  May  19th.     They  were: 

H.  M.  S.  Ceramic,  103d  Ammunition  Train;  H.  M.  S.  Briton,  103d  Sanitary 
Train;  H.  M.  S.  Matagama,  103d  Engineers;  H.  M.  S.  Justicia,  108th  and  109th 
Field  Artillery;  U.  S.  S.  Saturnia,  107th  Field  Artillery.  These  five  docked  at 
Liverpool  on  May  30th  and  31st.  The  final  ship,  H.  M.  S.  Khiva,  with  the  103d 
Supply  Train,  sailed  from  New  York  on  May  27th  and  arrived  at  Liverpool  on 
June  7th. 

Short  time  was  spent  by  any  unit  on  the  British  Isles.  Two  days  at  "Notty 
Ash,"  a  camp  near  Liverpool,  was  practically  the  longest  stay,  after  which  the  men 
were  loaded  on   trains   for    Dover    and   rushed   from    the   British   port    across 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

National  Guardsmen  off  for  War. 
105 


Workers  at  Eddystone  Rifle  Plant. 

the  English  Channel  to  Calais.  Once  in  France,  rapid  disposition  was 
made  of  each  unit.  For  purposes  of  accustoming  it  to  modern  warfare,  the  infantry 
was  broken  up  in  battalions  and  brigaded  with  the  British  in  the  vicinity  of  Nieles- 
les-Blequin.  This  training  lasted  for  two  weeks;  in  other  words,  until  the  time 
when  the  Germans  launched  their  third  offensive  toward  Montdidier. 

With  the  enemy  surging  Paris-ward  in  mid-June,  the  28th  was  called  hastily 
from  the  British  sector  and  everything,  save  the  artillery  brigade  at  Vannes, 
assembled  in  the  vicinity  of  Gonesse,  which  lies  northeast  of  Paris  and  along 
highways  radiating  to  either  the  British  or  French  battle  fronts.  While  at  Gonesse, 
the  Division  heard  of  the  fourth  great  German  offensive  of  the  year,  an  offensive 
which,  aiming  at  Soissons  and  Rheims,  was  broken  at  the  latter  place  but  swung 
down  to  the  Marne  in  a  pocket  which  had  its  apex  at  Chateau-Thierry. 

The  epic  of  the  7th  Machine  Gun  Battalion  of  the  3d  Division  at  the  Chateau- 
Thierry  bridge-head  on  May  31st  and  of  the  Marines  of  the  2d  Division  at  Belleau 
Wood  and  Bouresches  on  June  6th  had  already  gone  down  into  history  when  in 
late  June  the  28th  Division — the  artillery  brigade  excluded — was  rushed  in  motor 
lorries  to  south  of  the  Marne  with  divisional  headquarters  at  Saulchery,  and 
the  four  infantry  regiments  encamped  eastward  from  that  point  as  far  as 
Montmirail. 

The  first  unit  of  the  Division  to  reach  the  front  line  and  suffer  casualties  was 
Company  E  (from  Philadelphia)  of  the  103d  Engineers,  which,  on  the  evening  of 
June  28th,  lost  eight  men  wounded,  when  a  road  over  which  they  were  passing 

106 


to  their  billets,  a  short  distance  from  Chateau-Thierry,  was  heavily  shelled.  The 
entire  2d  Battalion  of  the  Engineers,  working  under  orders  from  the  38th  French 
Corps,  were  engaged  during  the  subsequent  two  days  in  digging  second  line  trenches 
south  of  the  Marne  near  Chateau-Thierry. 

On  the  night  of  June  30th  the  first  infantry  engagement  took  place  with  two 
"model"  platoons  from  the  111th  Infantry  participating.  It  was  purely  volunteer 
work  on  the  part  of  the  Pennsylvania  doughboys,  who  were  chosen  from  A  and  B 
Companies  of  the  regiment  to  join  with  the  135th  French  Infantry  in  an  attack  on 
Hill  204,  lying  north  of  the  Marne  and  east  of  Chateau-Thierry.  Lieutenant  Cedric 
Benz,  of  A  Company,  and  Lieutenant  John  H.  Shenkel,  of  B  Company,  com- 
manded the  two  platoons.  The  attack,  launched  at  night,  was  a  complete  success, 
thirty-eight  prisoners  being  taken,  the  hill  cleaned  of  machine  guns  and  snipers, 
and  all  done  with  slight  casualties  and  so  much  individual  heroic  work  that  the 


Courtesy    of    the    Atlantic    Refining    Co. 

U.  S.  S.  "Folger"  showing  anti-Submarine  Gun  forward. 

French  issued  about  twenty  Croix  de  Guerres  and  were  profuse  in  divisional  and 
corps  commendations  of  the  Americans. 

From  July  1st  to  14th  the  balance  of  the  Division  trained  in  the  region  south 
of  the  Marne,  platoons  from  the  other  three  infantry  regiments  being  sent  occasion- 
ally to  the  front  line.  To  the  westward,  Companies  A  and  B  of  the  103d  Engineers 
and  Company  C  of  the  109th  Machine  Gun  Battalion  took  over  the  defense  of 
the  Charly  bridge-head  on  July  9th,  and  between  then  and  July  15th  were  sub- 
jected to  intensive  shell  fire  and  suffered  quite  a  few  casualties. 

A  new  offensive  from  the  Huns  was  momentarily  expected.  Just  where  it 
would  strike  was  a  question  of  doubt  which  all  the  French  and  American  aerial 
observers  could  not  answer.  It  was  figured  that  it  would  either  be  westward  on 
the  front  between  Soissons  and  Chateau-Thierry,  or  southward  on  the  east  and  west 
sides  of  Bheims.  The  French  did  not  expect  a  direct  thrust  across  the  Marne  east 
of  Chateau-Thierry   and  were  confident  that  even  if  it  should  come  there  the 

107 


Transport  "Siboney,"  built  at  Cramp's  Shipyard. 

artificial  defenses  of  barbed  wire  would  stop  the  advance.  Hence  the  French 
line  was  thinnest  along  the  Marne  between  Chateau-Thierry  and  Dormans,  while 
what  reserves  they  had  were  concentrated  back  of  Soissons  and  Rheims. 

The  line  of  the  Marne  was  held  from  Chateau-Thierry  to  Dormans  by  the 
3d  American  and  125th  French  Divisions,  the  former  extending  from  Chateau- 
Thierry  to  Crezancy  and  the  latter  from  Crezancy  to  Dormans.  Behind  them, 
on  July  14th,  was  stationed  the  28th  Division,  which  had  been  moving  up  by  easy 
stages  for  three  days.  The  infantry  line  of  the  28th,  in  the  reserve  trenches,  three 
miles  south  of  the  front,  consisted  (from  west  to  east)  of  the  112th,  111th,  110th 
and  109th  Infantry,  with  the  109th  Machine  Gun  Battalion  in  support  of  the  112th 
and  111th  Infantry  (the  56th  Brigade)  and  the  108th  Machine  Gun  Battalion  in 
support  of  the  110th  and  109th  Infantry  (the  55th  Brigade).  The  1st  Battalion 
of  the  103d  Engineers  was  also  stationed  with  the  55th  Brigade. 

In  this  position  the  56th  Brigade  lay  behind  the  3d  American  Division  and  the 
55th  Brigade  behind  the  125th  French  Division.  The  Surmelin  River,  which  runs 
northwestward  to  empty  in  the  Marne  near  Mezy,  bisected  the  55th  Brigade,  the 
109th  Infantry  lying  to  the  east  of  the  river  and  the  110th  to  the  west.  The 
Surmelin  River  did  more  than  bisect  the  55th  Brigade.  It  marked  the  boundary 
between  two  groups  of  French  armies  with  the  following  confused  result:  The 
56th  Infantry  Brigade  was  in  the  38th  French  Corps  of  the  6th  French  Army, 
supporting  the  3d  American  Division,  of  the  same  Corps,  and  the  55th  Brigade, 


Copyright  by  N.  L.   Stebblns,  Boston. 

U.  S.  S.  "Wyoming ,"  flagship  U.  S.  North  Sea  Fleet,  built  at  Cramp's  Shipyard. 

108 


while  supposedly  in  the  5th  French  Corps  instead  of  the  38th  French  Corps,  had  one 
of  its  regiments,  the  110th,  operating  in  38th  Corps  territory,  and  the  other,  the 
109th,  in  5th  Corps  territory. 

This  was  the  general  situation  on  the  night  of  July  14th,  save  that  four  com- 
panies, two  from  the  109th  and  two  from  the  110th,  had  been  detailed  for  purposes 
of  instruction  with  the  125th  French  Division  several  days  before  and  were  still 
in  the  front  line  south  of  the  Marne.  These  units  were  Company  L,  109th,  Captain 
James  B.  Cousart;  Company  M,  109th,  Captain  Edward  P.  Mackay;  Company  B, 
110th,  Captain  William  Fish,  and  Company  C,  110th,  Captain  W.  Curtis  Truxal. 
The  total  strength  of  the  four  units  was  942  officers  and  men,  but,  instead  of  being 
concentrated,  they  were  scattered  along  a  five  mile  front  with  French  units  between 
each.     The  exact  disposition  is  given  as  follows: 

Company  L,  109th — two  platoons  on  the  line  of  observation  along  the  railroad  south  of 
Jaulgonne  with  two  platoons  in  the  edge  of  the  woods  near  the  crest  of  the  hill  to  the  south. 

Company  B,  110th,  had  two  platoons  on  the  line  of  observation  immediately  west  of  the 
river  bridge  south  of  Passy  and  two  platoons  in  the  edge  of  the  woods  about  one  kilometer  to  the 
south. 

Company  C,  110th,  was  disposed  similar  to  Company  B,  but  on  the  right  of  the  river  bridge 
south  of  Passy. 

Company  M,  109th,  likewise  had  two  platoons  along  the  railroad  to  the  east  of  Company  C, 
110th  Infantry,  and  two  platoons  in  support  in  an  orchard  on  the  slope  of  the  hill  to  the  south 
and  slightly  west. 

For  instruction  purposes  but  one  platoon  of  each  company  had  been  placed 
on  the  line  of  observation,  but  at  the  time  the  situation  is  given  a  relief  was 
taking  place  in  each  company,  the  enemy  barrage  coming  down  at  the  time  both 
the  platoon  relieving  and  the  one  to  be  relieved  were  on  the  line  of  observation. 

The  story  of  the  great  German  barrage  which  broke  out  at  11.55  o'clock  on 
the  night  of  July  14th,  and  which  deluged  not  only  the  front  line  but  the  reserve 
positions  as  well,  is  by  this  time  a  familiar  tale.  In  the  dry  terms  of  the  report, 
the  explanation  of  what  happened  on  the  front  occupied  by  the  four  American 
companies  reads: 

On  the  right  of  the  sector  of  the  125th  French  Division,  which  extended  to  the  east  of  Cour- 
thiezy,  inclusive,  the  enemy  followed  the  rolling  barrage  and  succeeded  in  penetrating  through 
the  Bois  de  Conde  until  he  reached  the  heights  north  of  St.  Agnan  at  about  3  p.m.  The  French 
line  had  gradually  given  ground,  falling  back  to  a  line  which  ran  roughly  from  St.  Agnan  north- 
west through  the  center  of  the  clearing  of  Janvier  Fme.  to  the  Moulin  Buine,  about  two  and  one- 
half  kilometers  south  of  Varennes. 

But  what  had  happened  to  the  four  companies?     Bead  on: 

The  orders  issued  by  the  commanding  general,  125th  French  Division,  prior  to  the  attaching 
of  the  four  American  companies  to  his  division  for  instruction  purposes  provided  that  in  case  of 
attack  the  outpost  line  would  fall  back  to  the  line  of  principal  resistance  which  ran  around  the  edge 
of  the  woods  on  the  northern  crest  of  the  hills  throughout  the  sector.  In  view  of  the  additional 
strength,  in  case  the  Boche  should  attack  while  the  four  American  companies  were  attached  to 
the  division,  subsequent  orders  were  issued  prior  to  the  date  of  the  Boche  attack,  to  the  effect  that 
the  outpost  line  would  be  held  and  the  Boche  prevented  from  crossing  the  river.  The  orders 
which  the  captains  of  the  four  American  companies  received  were  to  "Besist  to  the  utmost"  in 
case  of  attack.  The  spirit  of  this  order  was  carried  out  by  the  four  American  companies  with 
the  following  results: 

Company  M,  109th  Infantry,  on  the  extreme  right,  fought  its  way  back  through  the  woods, 
eventually  reaching  the  French  line  north  of  Conde-en-Brie  with  about  150  (?)  men.     The  other 

109 


three  companies  held  their  ground,  the  forward  platoons  being  almost  to  a  man  either  killed  or 
captured,  while  the  support  platoons  held  their  ground  till  outflanked  or  surrounded.  But  a 
small  percentage  of  these  three  companies  succeeded  in  reaching  our  lines. 

So  much  for  the  official  report.  Here  are  the  figures  of  one  of  the  bravest 
battles  against  odds  in  the  history  of  the  American  Expeditionary  Force: 

Company  L,  109th:  Killed,  twenty-six;  died  of  wounds,  four  (one  of  these  a  prisoner); 
wounded,  forty-eight;  prisoners,  eighty-nine  (fourteen  of  whom  were  wounded  in  addition  to 
the  one  who  died  of  wounds) ;  escaped,  seventy-six. 

Company  M,  109th:  Killed,  twenty-three;  died  of  wounds,  four  (all  prisoners);  wounded, 
twenty-nine;  prisoners,  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  (including  fourteen  wounded  and  four  who 
died  of  wounds);  escaped,  sixty-six  (including  nine  who  were  on  detached  service  at  the  time). 

Company  B,  110th  Infantry:  Killed,  twenty-eight;  died  of  wounds,  four  (all  prisoners); 
wounded,  forty-one;  prisoners,  fifty-three  (including  nineteen  wounded  and  four  died  of  wounds); 
escaped  one  hundred  and  fifteen. 

Company  C,  110th  Infantry:  Killed,  forty-six;  died  of  wounds,  three  (all  prisoners) ;  wounded, 
nineteen;  prisoners,  one  hundred  and  thirty-one  (including  fifty-one  wounded  and  three  died  of 
wounds);  escaped,  twenty-six. 

Of  the  total  of  942  officers  and  men  with  the  four  companies  on  July  15th,  123 
were  killed  in  action,  fifteen  died  of  wounds,  137  were  wounded,  but  did  not  fall 
into  the  enemy's  hands,  ninety-eight  were  wounded  and  captured  by  the  Germans 
and  284  were  captured  although  not  wounded.  Just  283  men  escaped  unscathed. 
In  L  Company,  Captain  Cousart  was  captured,  as  was  Sergeant  (Cadet)  Abraham 
Mildenberg,  while  Lieutenants  William  Bateman  and  William  R.  Dyer  were  killed. 
Lieutenant  James  B.  Schoch  and  Lieutenant  Willard  M.  R.  Crosman  brought  off 
most  of  the  survivors,  the  report  stating:  "About  8  p.m.  (July  15th)  Lieutenant 
Schoch,  of  L  Company,  of  the  109th  Infantry,  and  about  fifty  men  came  straggling 
through  Brigade  P.  C.  looking  for  something  to  eat." 

Captain  Mackay,  of  M  Company,  also  managed  to  escape  with  ten  men,  as  did 
Lieutenant  Thomas  B.  W.  Fales  with  forty,  while  Lieutenants  William  B.  Brown, 
Walter  L.  Swarts  and  Edward  Hitzeroth  were  captured. 

In  B  Company  of  the  110th,  Captain  Fish,  Lieutenant  Claude  Smith,  Lieu- 
tenant Alban  Jones  and  Lieutenant  Gilmore  Hayman  brought  off  about  123  men, 
while  Lieutenants  James  Gus  Graham,  and  Bert  Guy  were  wounded  and  taken 
prisoners,  the  latter  being  so  badly  injured  that  he  died  shortly  afterwards  in  a 
prison  camp  at  Hindenburg,  Upper  Silesia. 

Captain  Truxal,  Lieutenants  Wilbur  E.  Schell  and  Robert  J.  Bonner  of  C 
Company,  110th,  were  captured,  Lieutenant  Bonner  being  badly  wounded,  and 
Lieutenant  Samuel  S.  Crouse  was  killed. 

In  addition,  three  officers  from  other  units  on  observation  with  the  French  were 
captured  along  with  about  eight  men  from  the  sanitary  detachments  of  the  two 
regiments.  The  officers  were:  Lieutenants  James  Gee  of  A  Company,  110th; 
Edward  R.  Taylor  of  K  Company,  110th,  and  Herman  Sloan  of  K  Company, 
109th.  Lieutenant  Charles  F.  Linn  of  the  Medical  Detachment  of  the  110th 
managed  to  fight  his  way  back  in  safety,  as  did  Captain  Charles  L.  McLain  of  F 
Company,  110th,  but  the  latter  was  wounded. 

On  the  left,  the  3d  American  Division  held  intact,  but  the  collapse  of  the 
French  and  the  isolation  and  ultimate  destruction  of  the  four  companies  of  the 
28th  endangered  the  entire  right  flank  of  the  American  forces  and  at  the  same  time 
formed  a  pocket  which  began  at  Mezy  and  continued  westward  to  Dormans.     In 

110 


this  extremity,  the  38th  United  States  Infantry,  the  most  eastern  unit  of  the  3d 
Division,  swung  its  right  wing  down  the  course  of  the  Sumerlin  River  as  far  as 
Coningis,  where  a  portion  of  the  125th  French  Division,  reorganized,  maintained 
a  front  extending  southeasterly  to  Monthurel.  From  Monthurel  due  eastward 
ran  the  line  of  the  109th  Infantry,  thus  suddenly  thrown  from  support  to  a  front 
line  position.  To  the  right  of  the  109th  lay  the  20th  French  Division,  a  shock 
unit  which  had  been  hurried  up  when  the  125th  collapsed.  The  110th  American 
Infantry,  west  of  the  Sumerlin,  while  exposed  to  the  Hun  bombardment,  was 
protected  by  the  French  line  between  Coningis  and  Monthurel  from  direct  attack. 

The  German  horde  poured  down  through  the  Bois  de  Conde  hours  behind 
schedule,  due  to  the  splendid  resistance  of  the  four  companies,  and  emerged  on  the 
front  of  the  109th  late  in  the  afternoon.  The  2d  Battalion  of  the  109th,  under 
Major  Ralph  A.  Gregory,  faced  the  oncomers  and  was  reinforced  at  once  by  the 
1st  Battalion  of  the  103d  Engineers  and  part  of  the  109th  Machine  Gun  Battalion. 
By  a  ruse,  in  wearing  French  uniforms,  the  enemy  appeared  in  the  open  and  the 
Pennsylvania  men,  mistaking  them  for  retiring  poilus,  withheld  fire  until  it  was  too 
late  and  found  themselves  driven  back  by  terrific  machine  gun  fire  from  the  Conde 
woods.  At  7.30  p.m.  the  French  counter-attacked  toward  St.  Agnan,  but  without 
success.  In  the  meanwhile,  on  the  left  of  the  line,  Captain  William  C.  Williams, 
of  H  Company,  with  a  small  reconnoitering  party,  crossed  a  plateau  facing  Mont- 
hurel and  was  in  danger  of  being  cut  off.  Bugler  George  L.  Mcllroy  won 
the  Distinguished  Service  Cross  by  daring  the  withering  fire  with  a  message  for 
help,  and  Captain  Williams  secured  the  same  coveted  honor  by  the  manner  in 
which  he  extricated  himself  and  his  men.  The  Distinguished  Service  Cross  fell 
also  to  Captain  Edward  J.  Meehan,  of  D  Company,  whose  unit  had  been  in  an 
advanced  exposed  position,  and  which  he  saved  by  determined  fighting. 

On  July  16th  at  10  a.m.  the  109th  counter-attacked,  using  all  units  save  I 
Company,  which  was  held  in  reserve.  During  the  night,  however,  the  Germans 
had  brought  up  more  machine  guns  and  proceeded  to  enfilade  the  line  from  the 
direction  of  St.  Agnan.  Three  impetuous  assaults  were  halted  by  the  terrific  fire 
and  the  casualties  ran  high.  Captain  Walter  M.  Gearty  and  Lieutenant  Donald 
MacNutt,  of  A  Company,  were  killed,  as  was  Lieutenant  Henry  Q.  Griffin,  of 
C  Company.  Lieutenant  Walter  Fiechter,  of  K  Company  and  Captain  Felix 
Campuzano,  of  B  Company,  were  wounded.  Corporal  J.  J.  Lott,  of  B  Company, 
was  cited  for  bravery  for  the  manner  in  which  he  twice  slipped  forward  and  cut 
barbed  wire  entanglements,  returning  each  time  to  lead  details  through  the  gaps 
and  not  desisting  until  severely  wounded.  Gas  and  shells  had  added  to  the 
casualties  in  both  the  109th  and  110th.  The  Regimental  P.  C.  of  the  109th  near 
Conde-en-Brie  was  struck  and  Rev.  Walter  Murray,  the  Regiment's  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
man,  killed.  The  officers  wounded  included  Captain  Roland  C.  Heisler,  Regimental 
Adjutant;  Captain  James  F.  Cooper,  of  G  Company,  and  Lieutenants  George  Henry 
West,  of  L  Company,  and  John  J.  Owens,  Battalion  Reconnaissance  Officer.  In  the 
110th  a  whole  squad  of  machine  gunners  were  killed  when  a  shell  made  a  direct 
hit  on  their  dugout,  and  another  shell  plowed  into  Company  A  while  the  unit  was 
marching  to  position,  killing  four  men  and  so  severely  injuring  two  others  that 
they  died  on  the  way  to  a  hospital. 

In  the  meanwhile,  further  west,  the  2d  Battalion  of  the  111th  Infantry,  under 
Captain  William  Dunlap,  was  sent  forward  on  July  17th  to  relieve  the  hard-pressed 

111 


30th  Infantry  of  the  3d  American  Division  in  the  vicinity  of  Crezancy.  On  that 
same  day  the  battalion  counter-attacked  between  Crezancy  and  Fossoy,  driving 
the  Huns,  who  had  gained  the  south  bank  of  the  Marne,  in  disorder  across  the  river. 
On  July  18th,  Lieutenant  John  H.  Burd  Quinn,  of  B  Company,  111th  Infantry, 
was  killed. 

Through  July  17th  the  109th  Infantry  continued  a  holding  position  on  the 
hill  north  of  Conde,  while  the  French  again  attacked  further  east.  The  German 
heavy  guns  from  along  the  Marne  continued  their  bombardment  throughout  July 
17th  and  July  18th,  but  ceased  before  the  end  of  the  latter  day.  In  the  meanwhile 
the  109th  had  been  relieved  at  2  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  July  18th  and  with- 
drawn for  a  much  needed  rest.  The  combined  Franco- American  offensive,  launched 
south  of  Soissons  at  dawn  on  July  18th,  afforded  the  chance  for  the  relief. 

From  July  18th  to  July  20th  the  Germans  continued  to  hold  the  Conde  woods, 
but  their  chief  desire  was  to  get  back  across  the  Marne  to  safety.  For  the  next 
three  days  the  infantry  regiments  of  the  55th  Brigade  rested,  receiving  replacements. 
They  were  particularly  needed  in  the  109th.  The  regiment  was  minus  803  men  on 
July  22d,  the  day  the  replacements  arrived.  These  803  were  accounted  for  then 
as  follows:  Killed,  79;  wounded,  407;  missing,  317.  In  the  110th  Infantry,  where 
the  loss  had  been  entirely  from  shell  fire  and  gas,  save  for  B  and  C  Companies,  the 
casualties  for  the  period  were:  Killed,  57;  wounded,  137;  missing,  226;  total,  420. 

While  the  infantry  rested,  the  engineers  immediately  set  to  work  to  prepare 
for  an  advance.  The  1st  Battalion  repaired  the  roads  at  Moulins,  Courthiezy 
and  Chevaney,  just  south  of  the  Marne,  laboring  between  July  22d  and  25th  under 
terrific  shell  fire.  At  the  same  time  the  2d  Battalion  was  busy  further  west, 
Companies  E  and  F  repairing  roads  from  Aulnois  through  Essomes  and  Chateau- 
Thierry,  and  Company  D  building  a  pile  trestle  bridge  across  the  Marne  at  the 
eastern  end  of  Chateau-Thierry. 

Through  the  Heart  of  the  Marne  Pocket 

The  56th  Brigade  was  the  first  to  start  north  in  pursuit  of  the  retreating 
Germans.  On  the  afternoon  of  July  21st  the  111th  and  112th  Infantry,  passing 
through  Chateau-Thierry,  crossed  the  Marne  on  pontoon  bridges  and  on  July  23d, 
with  the  112th  in  advance,  both  regiments  proceeded  toward  Grande  Bue  Fme., 
where  orders  were  received  from  Brigadier  General  William  Weigel,  of  the  56th 
Brigade,  placing  the  111th  Infantry  at  the  disposal  of  the  26th  (New  England 
National  Guard)  Division.  The  order  was  carried  out  by  9  a.m.  July  23d  and 
the  regiment  went  into  camp  in  the  woods  to  the  east  and  west  of  the  farm.  At 
3  a.m.  on  July  24th  the  2d  and  3d  Battalions  of  the  111th  relieved  the  101st  and 
102d  Infantry  and  prepared  for  an  attack  the  same  day  at  dawn. 

At  6.45  a.  m.  both  battalions  surged  forward,  but  encountered  no  opposition. 
In  the  meanwhile  General  Weigel  had  taken  over  command  of  the  sector  from  the 
26th  Division  and  the  56th  went  forward  again  as  a  brigade,  the  111th  on  the 
right  and  the  112th,  under  Colonel  George  C.  Bickards,  on  the  left.  General 
Weigel  named  La  Croix  Bouge  Ferme  as  the  brigade  objective.  The  advance 
continued,  subjected  to  machine  gun  fire  on  the  left,  until  about  4  p.m.,  when,  in 
attacking  through  the  Forest  de  Fere,  a  scalding  machine  gun  fire  was  met.  The 
far  end  of  the  lllth's  line,  and  the  112th  "were  "hung  up"  and  four  companies  of 
the  111th — E,  H,  I  and  K — with  Colonel  Shannon  in  the  center,  pushed  ahead  in 

112 


the  form  of  a  "V"  and  were  almost  surrounded.  The  men  of  the  regiment  call  it 
their  "Lost  Battalion,"  as  the  four  companies  were  isolated  for  two  hours  until  the 
left  and  right  wings  were  enabled  to  close  up  the  gap.  As  darkness  approached  and 
the  enemy's  resistance  redoubled,  it  was  decided  to  hold  the  ground  so  far  gained 
and  dig  in  for  the  night.  Company  K  was  placed  in  the  front  line  and  the  balance 
of  the  troops  echeloned  to  the  rear.  All  night  and  through  the  following  morning 
the  Germans  shelled  the  position,  but  without  dislodging  the  defenders,  and  on 
the  evening  of  July  25th  the  sector  was  taken  over  by  the  167th  Infantry  and  the 
111th  returned  to  Courpoil  and  Trugny  woods  for  a  much  needed  rest.  The 
111th  remained  in  Trugny  woods  until  July  28th,  when  it  was  moved  to  Vente 
Jean  de  Guillame  and  held  in  reserve  until  August  3d. 

On  July  27th  the  55th  Brigade,  the  110th  Infantry  leading,  crossed  the  Marne 
near  Mezy  and  pushed  forward  to  the  Foret  de  Fere  in  support  of  the  39th  French 
Division.  Ahead  of  the  109th  and  110th  lay  the  Ourcq  country  with  the  front 
line,  from  left  to  right,  consisting  of  the  42d  (Rainbow)  Division,  the  39th  French 
Division  and  the  3d  American  Division.  That  same  night  the  110th  Infantry 
moved  ahead  to  relieve  the  156th  French  Infantry,  effecting  the  relief  by  daybreak, 
when  the  Pennsylvania  regiment  was  ensconced  with  the  3d  Battalion  to  the  north 
and  west  of  Courmont,  the  2d  Battalion  on  the  edge  of  the  village  and  the  1st 
Battalion  in  reserve  in  a  woods  two  kilometers  further  west.  The  110th  faced  one 
of  the  strongest  positions  prepared  by  the  enemy  in  its  retreat — a  hill  known  as 
both  188  and  212,  depending  upon  what  elevation  different  maps  happened  to 
give  it.  The  crest  of  the  hill  was  covered  by  the  Grimpettes  woods  and  in  this 
fastness  the  Hun  had  assembled  one  of  the  choicest  arrays  of  machine  guns  flanked 
by  light  artillery  and  protected  by  skilfully  prepared  trenches.  Along  the  south 
slope  of  the  hill  flowed  the  Ourcq  River,  a  stream  at  that  season  about  ten  feet 
wide.  The  side  of  the  hill  up  which  the  110th  was  to  go  was  practically  bare  of 
vegetation,  the  only  protection  being  a  partially  sunken  road  about  midway  up 
the  slope. 

Before  the  first  attack  could  be  launched,  the  Regimental  Headquarters  at 
Fresnes  was  struck  by  a  shell  which  killed  Lieutenant  Colonel  Wallace  W.  Fetzer 
and  five  orderlies.  This  was  on  the  morning  of  July  28th.  On  the  afternoon  of 
the  same  day  the  2d  Battalion  started  for  the  hill.  The  Ourcq  was  crossed  in 
small  combat  groups  and,  reforming  on  the  northern  side,  the  battalion  started 
up,  despite  a  total  absence  of  artillery  support.  The  enemy  waited  until  the 
advancing  doughboys  were  about  300  yards  away  and  then  opened  up  with  rifle 
and  machine  gun  fire.  The  effect  was  deadly.  The  battalion  halted  and  then 
the  men  attempted  to  work  their  way  forward  on  their  stomachs.  But  the  fire 
was  too  severe.  After  exhausting  every  effort  to  get  closer  to  the  German  lines, 
the  battalion  was  forced  finally  to  withdraw.  Three  officers  were  wounded  in  the 
course  of  the  afternoon,  they  being  Lieutenants  Robert  G.  Frasier,  Robert  B. 
Herbert  and  Frederick  T.  Yeager. 

On  the  morning  of  July  29th  a  combined  attack  was  attempted  upon  the 
Grimpettes  woods  and  Hill  230,  directly  north  of  it.  The  3d  Battalion  attempted 
to  storm  the  latter  position,  but  was  stopped  by  intensive  fire  from  the  summit, 
and  the  2d  Battalion  fared  no  better  in  front  of  Hill  212.  Companies  G  and  E  had 
led  off,  the  former  to  the  west  and  the  latter  to  the  east  of  the  line.  Each  forced 
its  way  upward  valiantly,  Company  G  managing  to  get  within  100  yards  of  the 

U3 


woods  before  being  held  up  and  Company  E  penetrating  the  timber  for  a  short 
distance.  Neither  could  hold  the  positions  gained,  however,  and  by  9  a.m.  were 
back  along  the  Ourcq  where  they  had  started.  The  two  attacks  had  cost  the 
regiment  dearly  in  both  officers  and  men.  In  E  Company,  Captain  James  E. 
Zundell  was  so  badly  wounded  that  he  died  the  following  day,  and  Lieutenant 
William  C.  Stevenson  was  instantly  killed.  Lieutenant  Earl  R.  Churchill  of  F 
Company  was  shot  to  death  by  machine  gun  bullets.  Lieutenant  George  T. 
Rodgers  was  killed  while  observing  with  the  37  mm.  platoon  of  Headquarters 
Company.  Lieutenant  John  W.  Day  of  the  Machine  Gun  Company  was  so  badly 
wounded  by  a  high  explosive  shell  that  he  died  of  his  injuries  on  September  7th, 
and  two  officers  of  K  Company,  Lieutenants  Richard  Stockton  Rullitt  and  Walter 
B.  Riggle,  were  killed  by  machine  gun  bullets  along  with  thirty-nine  men  from  their 
company.  Among  the  wounded  for  that  day  were  Lieutenant  Frederick  R. 
Bridges,  Company  H;  Lieutenant  Joseph  R.  Chambers,  Company  A;  Captain 
Wade  T.  Kline,  Company  I ;  Lieutenant  Owen  F.  McDonnell,  Company  D ;  Lieu- 
tenant George  W.  R.  Martin,  Company  A  (who  remained  on  duty  and  was  wounded 
again  the  following  day) ;  Lieutenant  Walter  S.  Peterson,  Company  C ;  and  Lieu- 
tenant George  L.  Roat,  Company  A. 

In  the  meanwhile,  on  July  29th,  the  109th  Infantry  had  been  swinging  to  a 
support  position  to  the  left  rear  of  the  110th.  The  3d  Battalion  was  in  the  lead  and 
was  advancing  during  the  morning  hours  under  both  machine  gun  and  shell  fire 
which  was  sweeping  down  the  Ourcq  valley  from  Sergy  and  further  north.  M 
Company,  under  Lieutenant  Edward  B.  Goward,  advanced  to  flank  a  machine 
gun  which  was  menacing  the  balance  of  the  battalion,  and  to  do  so  had  to  cross 
the  Ourcq.  The  platoon  in  the  lead  came  into  the  radius  of  other  rapid- 
fire  weapons  and  Lieutenant  Goward  was  mortally  wounded.  First  Sergeant 
Howard  L.  Barnes  went  to  his  assistance  and  was  likewise  wounded.  At  this 
instant,  Lieutenant  Thomas  B.  W.  Fales,  the  officer  who  had  brought  the  remnant 
of  M  Company  back  from  the  Marne  and  had  been  out  on  a  patrol,  returned  to  find 
the  men  becoming  demoralized.  Lieutenant  Fales  went  to  the  assistance  of 
Sergeant  Barnes  and  then  kept  on  to  Lieutenant  Goward,  but  was  so  seriously 
wounded  before  reaching  the  latter  that  he  died  the  following  day.  Despite  this 
setback  the  109th  reached  a  narrow  gauge  railroad  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Ourcq  and  dug  in  on  the  night  of  July  29th,  maintaining  the  position  despite  a  hail 
of  shrapnel  and  high  explosives. 

At  2.30  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  July  30th  the  110th  made  its  final  attack 
on  Hill  212.  The  regiment  was  given  artillery  support  at  last  and,  following  a 
heavy  barrage,  went  forward  with  the  entire  3d  Battalion  and  Company  D  of 
the  1st  Battalion  in  the  lead,  and  the  2d  Battalion  in  support.  Before  the  attack 
started  the  Regimental  Headquarters  at  Courmont  had  again  been  hit  by  a  shell 
and  seventeen  men,  including  two  captive  German  officers  who  were  being  inter- 
rogated, were  killed.  Despite  this  the  plan  as  laid  down  was  carried  out.  The 
victorious  110th,  losing  officers  and  men  in  large  numbers,  but  undeterred,  pressed 
forward  into  the  woods  and  over  the  summit  of  the  hill,  clearing  it  of  the  enemy 
and  taking  hundreds  of  prisoners.  When  the  fighting  was  over  the  bodies  of  400 
Germans  were  counted  on  the  ground.  Four  officers  were  killed  in  the  attack 
and  twenty-one  wounded,  the  dead  being  Lieutenant  Thomas  Massey  of  G  Com- 
pany; Lieutenant  Wilbur  Small  of  D  Company;  Lieutenant  Nelson  Perrine  of 

114 


Headquarters  Company  and  Lieutenant  Arthur  Walters,  who  had  reported  for 
duty  the  same  day  and  was  in  Regimental  Headquarters  when  the  shell  struck  it. 
Among  the  wounded  officers  were  Lieutenant  Marshall  S.  Barron,  M  Company; 
Lieutenant  Walter  S.  Bates,  F  Company;  Lieutenant  Henry  H.  Bonsall,  Head- 
quarters Company;  Lieutenant  Andrew  Boyes,  H  Company;  Lieutenant  Philip 
M.  Darby,  I  Company;  Lieutenant  Harry  M.  Foos,  Headquarters  Company; 
Lieutenant  David  Garrison,  K  Company;  Lieutenant  Ullman  C.  Hendler,  K  Com- 
pany; Captain  John  D.  Hitchman,  Regimental  Adjutant;  Lieutenant  William  0. 
Holmes,  I  Company;  Lieutenant  Joseph  E.  Kerst,  A  Company;  Major  Edward 
Martin,  Acting  Regimental  Commander;  Lieutenant  William  E.  Myers,  D  Com- 
pany; Lieutenant  William  E.  Pierce,  Brigade  Adjutant;  Lieutenant  R.  B.  Purman, 
K  Company;  Lieutenant  Charles  C.  Schrandt,  E  Company;  Lieutenant  Franklyn  E. 
Waite,  K  Company;  Lieutenant  Homer  E.  Wellman,  L  Company,  and  Lieutenant 
John  W.  Woodend,  L  Company. 

While  the  110th  was  winning  the  Grimpettes  woods,  the  109th,  on  the  left, 
was  giving  sterling  support.  The  109th  crossed  the  Ourcq,  the  2d  Battalion  leading, 
and  stormed  the  woods  in  front  of  Cierges.  On  this  day  Sergeant  John  Winthrop 
(later  killed  in  action)  won  special  commendation  for  the  way  in  which  he  took 
command  of  Company  G  when  all  of  its  officers  had  been  wounded.  Distinguished 
Service  Cross  winners  of  that  day  were  Major  Martin  of  the  110th;  Captain  John 
J.  Kennedy  of  the  110th;  Major  Thomas  B.  Anderson  (deceased),  110th;  Lieu- 
tenant Ullman  C.  Hendler,  Company  K,  110th  and  Lieutenant  Blake  Lightner, 
110th. 

On  the  night  of  July  30th  the  110th  was  relieved,  the  109th  taking  over  its  posi- 
tion on  the  crest  of  Hill  212,  and  on  August  1st  the  109th  in  turn  was  relieved.  Both 
regiments  moved  southward  to  the  woods  southwest  of  Le  Charmel  and  there 
on  the  night  of  August  1st  a  German  bombing  plane  located  the  camp  of  the 
110th  and  dropped  six  bombs,  killing  twenty-two  and  wounding  eighty  men.  In 
the  period  from  July  28th  to  the  air  raid  the  110th  lost  ten  officers  and  220  men 
killed,  31  officers  and  960  men  wounded  and  one  officer  and  39  men  missing.  In 
the  same  period  the  109th  lost  three  officers  and  fifteen  men  killed;  seven  officers 
and  391  men  wounded  and  154  men  missing.  Both  regiments  had  also  changed 
commanding  officers,  Colonel  Brown,  of  the  109th  being  succeeded  by  Colonel 
Henry  W.  Coulter,  and  Colonel  Kemp,  of  the  110th,  by  Major  Martin,  the  changes 
being  effected  by  order  of  Brigadier  General  Darragh,  commanding  the  55th 
Brigade,  on  the  afternoon  of  July  29th. 

Fismes  and  Beyond  the  Vesle 

Between  the  1st  and  4th  of  August  the  Germans  conducted  a  rapid  but 
successful  retreat  from  Cierges  and  Sergy  to  Fismes,  on  the  Vesle,  being  closely 
pursued  by  the  3 2d  American  Division  which  had  just  swung  into  the  fight.  On 
the  night  of  August  3d  the  3  2d  had  thrown  reconnoitering  parties  into  Fismes,  but 
these  were  driven  out  the  following  morning  and  it  was  not  until  nightfall  of 
August  4th  that  the  town  was  finally  won.  On  the  afternoon  of  August  3d,  with 
the  56th  Brigade  leading,  the  28th  Division  started  northward  to  the  support  of 
the  32d,  the  road  lying  through  the  Bois  Meuniere,  Cierges,  Sergy,  Chamery, 
Coulanges,  Cohan  and  Dravegny  to  St.  Giles,  just  south  of  Fismes. 

On  the  night  of  August  6th  the  2d  and  3d  Battalions  of  the  112th  Infantry 

115 


relieved  the  32d  Division  and  occupied  the  woods  lying  directly  south  of  the  town 
of  Fismes.  The  space  between  the  woods  and  the  town,  known  as  "Death  Valley," 
was  constantly  swept  by  shell  fire  and,  like  the  town  itself,  almost  untenable.  The 
two  battalions  consolidated  their  positions  in  the  night  of  August  6th,  and  the 
morning  of  the  7th,  supported  by  the  fire  of  the  109th  Machine  Gun  Battalion, 
succeeded  in  crossing  the  Vesle  west  of  Fismes.  On  the  next  day  the  2d  Battalion 
of  the  112th  fought  its  way  across  the  river  into  Fismette,  a  small  suburb  separated 
from  Fismes  proper  by  the  75-foot  width  of  the  Vesle  and  connected  by  a  three- 
arch  stone  bridge,  the  northern  third  of  which  had  been  blown  away  by  shell  fire. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  103d  Engineers  had  not  only  repaired  the  road  south 
of  Fismes,  but  had  built  the  bridge  west  of  Fismes  over  which  the  112th  had  won 
its  way  and  had  also  bridged  the  Ardre  River,  a  small  stream  running  north- 
westward into  the  Vesle  and  which  had  to  be  crossed  to  enter  Fismes.  It  was 
in  this  work  that  Lieutenant  Harry  C.  Hill,  of  Company  A,  was  severely  wounded 
on  August  7th,  while  directing  the  erection  of  wire  entanglements  and  groups  of 
combat  trenches  south  of  Fismes. 

The  112th  was  being  hard  pressed  in  the  hamlet  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Vesle  and,  on  August  8th,  the  1st  Battalion  of  the  111th  and  the  one-pounder 
platoon  of  Headquarters  Company  were  sent  forward  to  assist.  The  battalion 
reached  Fismes  early  in  the  morning  but  was  unable  to  cross  the  river  during, 
daylight  hours  of  August  9th,  two  officers,  Lieutenants  Anthony  Wausnock, 
Company  A,  and  James  B.  Wharton,  Company  C,  and  about  twenty  men  being 
wounded.  After  darkness  on  August  9th,  the  battalion  crossed  on  the  shattered 
bridge  and  at  4  a.m.  on  the  10th  attacked  northward  upon  the  hillside  beyond 
Fismette  in  an  effort  to  enlarge  the  holdings  on  the  north  bank.  It  was  a  daring 
effort,  but  enemy  machine  guns  were  too  numerous  for  the  small  force.  Within 
a  few  hours  the  battalion  had  lost  some  of  its  finest  officers  and  men  including, 
Captain  Edmund  W.  Lynch  and  Lieutenant  Frank  M.  Glendenning,  killed,  and 
Captain  James  A.  Williams  and  Lieutenants  Robert  B.  Woodbury,  Frank  C. 
Homer,  Myer  Kostenbaum,  Harry  J.  Keller  and  Walter  Ettinger,  wounded.  The 
2d  Battalion  of  the  regiment  had  started  on  August  9th  to  the  support  of  the  1st 
and  on  August  10th  the  111th  took  over  the  entire  sector  from  the  112th.  Shortly 
after  midnight  on  the  morning  of  August  11th,  the  3d  Battalion  tried  to  throw 
part  of  its  force  into  Fismette  to  the  support  of  the  other  two  battalions.  A 
deadly  German  barrage  stopped  the  effort  after  a  few  men  had  crossed  the  river, 
and  these  latter  remained  with  the  2d  Battalion  until  August  13th,  when  the 
regiment  was  relieved  by  the  109th  Infantry. 

The  job  of  keeping  open  the  lines  of  communication  between  the 
Vesle  and  Divisional  Headquarters  in  Dravegny,  devolved  upon  the  103d  Engineers, 
and  resulted  in  severe  casualties.  On  August  9th,  Captain  John  H.  Ballamy, 
topographical  officer,  was  killed  while  acting  as  liaison  officer  for  the  Regimental 
Commander  south  of  Fismes.  Two  days  later  Lieutenant  Harry  D.  Thrasher, 
camouflage  officer,  was  killed  near  Resson  Farm  while  directing  the  camouflage 
of  a  battery  position,  and  on  August  17th  Lieutenant  Colonel  Frank  J.  Duffy 
was  struck  and  instantly  killed  when  a  shrapnel  burst  overhead  as  he  was  entering 
his  side  car  at  Courville.  His  driver  died  at  the  same  time.  All  the  engineering 
companies  were  suffering  heavily,  as  were  the  men  of  the  103d  Sanitary,  Supply 
and  Ammunition  Trains. 

116 


For  the  ambulance  section  of  the  Sanitary  Train,  the  evacuation  of  the 
wounded  from  Fismette  and  Fismes  was  carried  on  under  extraordinary  difficulties. 
On  August  10th  the  110th  Ambulance  Company  (formerly  Ambulance  Company 
No.  2  N.  G.  P.)  which,  by  the  way,  had  been  the  only  ambulance  company 
available  for  duty  at  Conde-en-Brie  in  mid-July  and  had  evacuated  all  of  the 
wounded  on  supply  trucks  filled  with  straw,  had  five  of  its  ambulances  caught  in 
Fismes  under  a  terrific  barrage.  All  five  machines  got  through  safely,  one  with 
its  top  blown  away,  the  success  of  the  achievement  being  due  to  the  heroism  of 
Captain  George  E.  McGinnis,  Wagoner  Orignes  P.  Biemuller,  Private  James  R. 
Brown,  Private  James  T.  O'Neill  and  Wagoner  Harry  E.  Roach,  who  were 
awarded  Distinguished  Service  Crosses. 

The  55th  Infantry  Brigade  came  up  from  the  vicinity  of  St.  Giles  on  August  12th, 
the  110th  Infantry  relieving  a  French  regiment  to  the  right  of  Fismes  on  that  night, 
and  the  109th  taking  over  the  defenses  of  Fismes  and  Fismette  on  August  13th. 
The  109th  at  first  sent  only  a  single  company — I — into  Fismette,  but  two  days 
later  reinforced  it  with  two  platoons  from  M  Company.  During  its  tenure  of  the 
town — until  the  night  of  August  19th — the  slender  force,  aided  by  the  fire  of  the 
108th  Machine  Gun  Battalion  and  Company  K  of  the  109th  in  Fismes,  broke 
up  all  contemplated  counter-attacks  and  enlarged  its  holdings.  The  foothold  in 
Fismette  was  the  only  place  in  the  sector  where  the  division  was  across  the  Vesle. 
The  line  of  the  110th,  from  Fismes  eastward  and  to  the  north  of  Courville,  was 
200  meters  south  of  the  Vesle,  the  enemy  having  a  fortified  railroad  embankment 


International. 


103d  Trench  Morlar  Battery  arriving  at  New  York. 
117 


between  the  110th  and  the  river.  From  August  12th  to  August  18th  the  1st 
Battalion  of  the  110th  held  the  line  of  resistance,  two  medical  officers,  Captains 
Fred  B.  Shaffer  and  Walter  J.  Shidler,  being  wounded  during  the  period.  On 
August  18th  the  3d  Battalion  relieved  the  1st  in  the  front  line  and,  on  the  following 
day,  the  109th  was  relieved  in  Fismes  and  Fismette  by  the  2d  Battalion  of  the 
112th  Infantry.  Until  August  25th  the  110th  was  content  with  a  holding  position 
south  of  the  Vesle,  the  period  being  filled  with  night  raids,  in  one  of  which  Lieu- 
tenant Augustus  Aspenwall,  of  B  Company,  was  killed.  Other  casualties  of  the 
period  included  Lieutenant  Edward  W.  Fuge,  of  A  Company,  killed  August  19th, 
and  Lieutenants  William  V.  Harvey,  and  Cyrus  L.  Horner  of  the  Machine  Gun 
Company,  wounded  August  24th. 

A  determined  effort  was  made  before  dawn  on  August  25th  to  drive  the  enemy 
back  across  the  Vesle,  the  3d  Battalion  of  the  110th  attacking  in  a  three- wave 
formation  which  smashed  forward  to  the  objective,  but  was  unable  to  hold  it 
because  of  the  overwhelming  fire  from  the  heights  beyond.  Companies  I  and  L 
were  enfiladed  also  by  machine  gun  fire  and  were  forced  to  withdraw  before  M 
Company,  which,  under  Captain  Edward  J.  Stackpole,  Jr.,  held  its  position  until 
9.30  a.m.,  when  it  also  withdrew,  the  Captain  wounded,  and  another  officer,  Lieu- 
tenant Leonard  Jackson,  killed.  The  battalion  lost  more  than  one  hundred  men 
in  the  attack. 

Emboldened  by  the  success  in  driving  back  the  110th,  the  Germans,  on  the 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler.    Stanley  Co.   of   America. 

G.  A.  R.  Veterans  reviewing  World  War  Troops 
118 


morning  of  the  following  day,  descended  upon  the  112th  in  Fismette,  preceding 
the  attack  with  a  barrage  which  isolated  Companies  G  and  H  in  the  town  on  the 
north  bank.  There  is  a  story  that  a  German,  attired  in  an  American  uniform, 
ran  through  Fismette  in  advance  of  the  attack,  seeking  to  demoralize  the  defenders. 
If  the  story  is  true,  the  ruse  was  not  successful,  as  G  and  H  Companies  started  to 
retire  in  good  order.  The  barrage,  however,  which  prevented  reinforcements  being 
sent  them,  resulted  in  a  total  of  111  casualties  out  of  260  men  engaged,  the  majority 
being  taken  prisoner.  Captain  Edward  Schmelzer  and  Lieutenants  Milford  W. 
Fredenburg  and  Alfred  Young  were  among  the  prisoners,  while  Lieutenant  Joseph 
A.  Landry  was  killed.  One  officer,  Lieutenant  Benjamin  E.  Turner,  and  ten  men 
were  the  last  to  evacuate  the  town,  reaching  Fismes  shortly  after  dawn  of 
that  day. 

On  the  night  of  August  11th  the  53d  Artillery  Brigade,  which  had  completed 
its  training  at  Vannes,  began  to  reach  the  lines  of  the  division  south  of  the  Vesle, 
the  107th  and  109th  regiments  equipped  with  French  75's  and  the  108th  with  155 
howitzers.  Batteries  from  all  three  swung  into  position  along  the  front  south  of 
Fismes  and  Villette,  relieving  French  artillery  units,  and  soon  making  life  unbearable 
for  the  enemy  to  the  north.  All  through  the  last  half  of  August  the  53d  Artillery 
Brigade  tuned  up  with  preliminary  practice  on  the  enemy  in  the  highlands  between 
the  Vesle  and  the  Aisne.  Casualties  were  frequent,  principally  from  gas,  but 
valuable  coordination  with  the  tried  and  true  infantry  units  was  established  and 
the  precision  of  the  brigade's  barrages  soon  won  it  the  confidence  of  the  remainder 
of  the  Division.  The  first  fatality  occurred  on  August  18th  at  Arcis-le-Ponsart, 
when  Lieutenant  Henry  Howard  Houston,  2d,  Aide  to  General  Price,  the  Brigade 
Commander,  was  killed  by  a  high  explosive  shell. 

As  August  waned  the  pressure  of  the  Franco-American  forces  north  of  Soissons 
began  to  be  felt  in  the  vicinity  of  Fismes.  The  enemy  appeared  restless  and  it  was 
decided  to  drive  them  before  they  again  became  stabilized.  The  first  step  in  this, 
the  triumph  of  the  Oise- Aisne  offensive,  fell  to  the  111th  Infantry.  On  the  night 
of  August  31st  it  had  gone  forward  to  the  relief  of  the  112th  in  Fismes  and  for  a 
short  distance  to  the  right  of  the  town.  On  the  afternoon  of  September  4th  the 
3d  Battalion  launched  a  sudden  attack  in  cooperation  with  the  77th  Division  on  the 
left  and  the  110th  Infantry  on  the  right.  The  attack  went  home,  the  3d  Battalion 
retaking  Fismette  and  driving  the  defenders  pell-mell  up  the  hills  to  the  northward. 
Further  east,  the  2d  Battalion  of  the  110th  on  the  same  day  successfully  crossed 
the  Vesle  and  took  Baslieux,  a  town  some  distance  up  the  hill  to  the  north  of  the 
river.  On  September  5th  the  3d  Battalion  of  the  110th  leap-frogged  the  2d,  and 
advanced  further  up  the  heights,  but  with  the  loss  of  Major  Thomas  B.  Anderson, 
killed,  and  Captain  Stackpole  and  Lieutenants  John  L.  Robinson  and  James  T. 
Taylor,  wounded.  That  night  Major  General  Muir  discovered  a  gap  between 
his  Division  and  the  French  units  to  the  east  and  withdrew  the  111th  Infantry  from 
Fismes,  marching  it  across  the  front  to  position  on  the  right  of  the  divisional  line 
in  the  vicinity  of  Courlandon.  The  77th  Division,  on  the  left,  took  over  the 
Fismes  area  thus  vacated. 

The  stage  was  set  for  the  final  act.  The  division  was  ready  to  attack,  three 
regiments  abreast,  with  the  110th  on  the  left,  the  109th  in  the  center  and  the  111th 
on  the  right,  the  112th  being  divisional  reserve.  At  1.25  o'clock,  preceded  by  a 
twenty-five  minute  barrage,  the  three  regiments  started  forward  on  what  was 

119 


Chain  for  Army  Tractors,  made  by  The  Taylor-Wharton  Iron  and  Steel  Co. 


one  of  the  most  desperate  battles  of  the  war.  From  Fismette  through 
Baslieux  to  Courlandon  the  air  was  heavy  with  gas  wave  after  gas  wave,  which 
the  Germans  rolled  down  the  slope.  In  the  face  of  this,  and  of  a  tremendous 
concentration  of  machine  gun  and  artillery  fire,  the  three  regiments  pushed  for- 
ward at  the  rate  of  100  yards  every  two  minutes  until  by  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
they  had  advanced  approximately  three  kilometers  north  of  the  Vesle,  and  patrols 
from  the  109th  and  110th  had  fought  their  way  into  the  little  town  of  Glennes, 
on  the  very  summit  of  the  plateau  between  the  Vesle  and  the  Aisne.  The  attack 
had  been  driven  home  to  complete  success;  the  Germans  were  driven  back  to  the 
Chemin  des  Dames,  north  of  the  Aisne;  but  the  result  was  not  achieved  without 
terrific  losses.  In  the  109th,  Colonel  Samuel  V.  Ham,  who  had  succeeded 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Coulter,  the  latter  being  wounded  September  4th,  was  him- 
self desperately  injured  and  gained  the  Distinguished  Service  Cross  for  his  intrepid 
conduct.  With  Colonel  Ham  evacuated,  Major  Martin  of  the  110th  was  detached 
to  take  hold  of  the  109th,  and  shortly  after  he  left  his  original  regiment,  Colonel 
Frank  Tompkins,  its  Commander,  was  desperately  gassed,  the  command  devolving 
upon  Captain  John  Aiken,  who  was  also  gassed  the  same  day. 

The  109th's  casualties  included  Captain  F.  D.  Wolfe  of  D  Company  and 
Lieutenants  John  Litschert  of  H  Company,  Earl  R.  Davis  of  F  Company  and 
Hazzard  Melloy  of  I  Company,  killed,  and  the  following  officers  wounded:  Captain 
John  M.  Gentner,  C  Company;  Captain  Edward  J.  Meehan,  D  Company;  Lieu- 
tenants William  S.  Cripps,  Harold  A.  Fahr  and  G.  Wingfield  Phillips,  G  Company; 
Alfred  H.  Loney,  C  Company;  William  T.  Gammons,  B  Company;  H.  B.  Van 
Ostenbrugge,  K  Company,  and  William  C.  Ross  and  Alexander  H.  Latta,  Head- 
quarters Company. 

120 


In  the  110th,  Lieutenant  Jacob  Feldman  of  D  Company  was  killed  and 
Lieutenant  William  F.  Caldwell  so  badly  wounded  that  he  died  on  October  9th. 
Among  those  wounded  or  gassed  on  September  6th  and  the  next  day,  while  the 
regiment  was  in  a  holding  position  on  the  heights,  were  Captain  William  E.  Pierce, 
Regimental  Adjutant;  Captain  John  R.  Dunkel,  Company  G;  Captain  William  M. 
Sylvis,  Medical  Detachment;  and  Lieutenants  Stewart  M.  Alexander,  Head- 
quarters Company;  John  F.  Allison,  Machine  Gun  Company;  Charles  F.  Linn 
and  Alvah  L.  Parsons,  Medical  Detachment;  William  W.  Moyer,  Dental  Corps; 
Robert  E.  Perkins,  Company  D;  Charles  H.  Quarles,  Company  F;  William  Spirko, 
Company  E,  and  Chauncey  T.  Young,  Headquarters  Company.  Lieutenant  Young, 
who  was  a  Sergeant  during  the  engagement,  remained  on  duty  although  badly 
gassed,  was  promoted  for  gallantry  in  action,  but  died  from  the  effect  of  the  gassing 
before  his  commission  reached  him. 

In  the  111th  Infantry,  Captain  Louis  Fielding  of  E  Company  was  killed  and 
Lieutenants  Carroll  Missimer  and  Joseph  R.  Roulston  were  wounded. 

There  were  numerous  instances  of  extraordinary  heroism  on  the  part  of  men 
of  both  the  infantry  and  artillery  regiments.  One  of  the  citations  went  to  Captain 
(then  Lieutenant)  Hubert  W.  Dutton  of  D  Company,  109th  Infantry,  who  single- 
handed  charged  a  German  machine  gun  nest,  killed  the  officer  commanding,  captured 
the  crew  of  fourteen  men  and  4,000  rounds  of  ammunition  and  turned  the  gun 
on  its  former  owners,  keeping  it  in  action  for  five  hours  subsequently.  Another 
Distinguished  Service  Cross  man  was  Lieutenant  Allan  S.  Dayton  of  Rattery  C, 
107th  Field  Artillery,  who  led  an  infantry  patrol  out  ahead  of  the  line  to  adjust 
artillery  fire  on  machine  guns,  held  his  advanced  post  for  a  half  hour  until  telephonic 
communication  had  been  established  with  his  regiment  and  then  helped  to  carry 
a  wounded  officer  back  of  the  lines. 

The  Germans  tried  several  counter-attacks  on  the  night  of  September  6th, 
but  all  of  them  were  repulsed  by  the  triumphant  28th,  which  held  its  position 
for  the  next  twenty-four  hours  and  was  relieved  on  September  8th  by  a  French 
division.  This  operation  marked  the  conclusion  of  the  28th' s  participation  as  part 
of  a  French  Corps.  It  brought  the  following  citation,  signed  by  Generals  Matter 
and  Pougin,  of  the  French  Army: 

From  the  beginning  of  the  attack  the  American  detachments  were  signalized  by  their 
ardor,  bravery  and  enthusiasm.  In  spite  of  the  firing  of  the  enemy's  heavy  and  light  machine 
guns,  trench  mortars  and  the  work  of  riflemen  hidden  in  trees,  these  men  threw  themselves  bravely 
on  their  adversaries.  Fierce  hand-to-hand  fighting  resulted  and  the  combat  was  most  violent — 
the  men  never  ceased  fighting  during  all  the  operation,  fighting  in  a  way  to  arouse  the  enthusiasm 
and  admiration  of  the  French  commanders  and  men  of  the  French  Army. 

Another  citation,  from  General  L.  de  Mondesir,  reads: 

American  comrades!  I  am  grateful  to  you  for  the  blood  so  generously  spilled  on  the  soil 
of  my  country.  I  am  proud  to  have  commanded  you  during  such  days  and  to  have  fought  with 
you  for  the  deliverance  of  the  world. 

The  Argonne 

Following  its  relief  on  September  8th,  the  28th  Division  was  marched  eleven 
kilometers  south  from  the  front  to  a  point  well  below  the  Vesle,  and  from  there 
to  Epernay.  There  they  were  given  two  days  of  rest.  The  next  move  was  on 
September  13th  to  Nettancourt.     The  Division  was  ordered  out  on  the  night  of 

121 


September  17th,  and  proceeded  by  stiff  night  marches  northward  toward  the 
Argonne,  where,  on  September  20th,  it  took  over  the  sector  in  front  of  the 
Argonne  Forest  and  across  the  Aire  Valley,  leaving  a  thin  screen  of  French 
troops  on  the  outpost  line. 

The  first  great  American  offensive  was  about  to  be  launched  with  the  28th 
Division  covering  1,000  yards  front,  extending  from  Boureuilles  on  the  east  to  Cote 
285  on  the  west,  with  its  right  held  by  the  110th  Infantry  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Aire  and  its  left,  with  the  112th  in  line,  extending  deep  into  the  thick  woodlands 
of  the  Argonne.  The  109th  Infantry  was  in  the  center  of  the  front  line  and  the 
111th  in  divisional  reserve.  Little  need  be  said  of  the  great  five  and  a  half  hours' 
artillery  barrage  which  covered  the  broad  Meuse-Argonne  front  in  the  wee  small 
hours  of  the  morning  of  September  26th.  It  is  too  old  a  story  to  retell.  The 
position  of  the  28th  on  the  morning  of  September  26th  lay  between  the  77th 
(New  York  National  Army)  Division  on  the  left  and  the  35th  (Kansas  and  Missouri 
National  Guard)  Division  on  the  right.  Contact  with  the  77th  was  established 
in  the  Argonne  and  the  Aire  River  separated  the  most  eastern  regiment  of  the  28th 
from  the  most  western  one  of  the  35th. 

It  was  a  dense  foggy  morning,  which  a  preceding  smoke  screen  served  to  render 
more  opaque,  through  which  the  28th  advanced  in  the  opening  hours  of  the  drive. 
Fortunately,  the  75's  of  the  107th  and  109th  and  the  155's  of  the  108th  had  thrown 
the  Huns  out  of  their  front  line  trenches,  so  there  was  little  machine  gun  or  sniper 
fire  to  hinder  the  men  in  moving  forward.  As  it  was,  numerous  small  groups 
became  hopelessly  lost  in  the  clouded  atmosphere  and  several  times  it  was  neces- 
sary to  halt  and  reform.  The  ground  in  front  of  the  109th  and  110th  was  open 
but  extremely  hilly,  ridge  after  ridge  running  in  parallel  from  east  to  west,  while 
in  front  of  the  112th  was  the  thick  woodlands  of  the  Argonne.  As  a  result,  the 
two  regiments  of  the  55th  Brigade  were  able  to  make  more  rapid  progress  than 
the  112th,  and  before  the  first  day  had  ended  two  battalions  of  the  111th  had  been 
called  from  reserve  to  fill  the  gap.  Despite  the  handicap  of  the  country  over 
which  it  fought,  the  112th  made  much  more  rapid  progress  than  the  77th  Division 
on  its  left  flank.  On  the  right,  the  110th  Infantry  stormed  the  town  of  Varennes 
at  the  point  of  the  bayonet  in  the  late  afternoon  of  September  26th,  while  the 
109th,  in  the  center,  pushed  forward  abreast  of  it,  engaging  in  spirited  contest 
with  machine  gunners  and  snipers,  and  eventually  mopping  up  the  suburbs  of 
Varennes  at  the  same  time  that  the  110th  was  taking  the  portion  of  the  town 
west  of  the  Aire.  The  55th  Brigade  dug  in  just  beyond  Varennes  for  the  night, 
while  the  56th  continued  its  fight  through  the  woods  a  kilometer  or  so  behind. 
Captain  John  E.  Boyle  of  the  Machine  Gun  Company,  110th  Infantry,  was  wounded 
this  day,  as  were  three  Lieutenants  from  the  109th:  Edward  W.  Sterling,  E  Com- 
pany; Daniel  P.  Lafferty,  F  Company,  and  Charles  McFadden,  3d,  M  Company. 

The  next  day,  September  27th,  the  advance,  with  the  German  resistance 
stiffening,  reached  and  passed  Montblainville,  a  strongly  fortified  hamlet  lying 
north  of  Varennes  and  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Aire.  In  the  110th  Infantry 
Lieutenants  William  S.  Bonsai,  C  Company;  Stephen  W.  Dickey,  C  Company, 
and  Elmer  S.  Ecay,  L  Company,  were  killed.  The  wounded  of  the  regiment 
included  Lieutenant  Frederick  G.  Bell,  F  Company ;  Lieutenant  Thomas  L.  Cort, 
E  Company;  Captain  William  Fish,  B  Company  (who  remained  on  duty);  Lieu- 
tenant Harry  J.  Flynn,  A  Company;  Lieutenant  Arthur  J.  Schratweiser,  Head- 

122 


quarters  Company,  and  Lieutenant  Harry  J.  Traphoner,  G  Company.  In  the 
109th,  Captain  John  J.  Owens,  of  I  Company,  and  Captain  Roland  C.  Heisler, 
Regimental  Adjutant,  were  wounded  or  gassed. 

On  the  morning  of  September  28th  the  55th  Rrigade  launched  forward  along 
the  Aire  and  stormed  into  Apremont,  while  the  56th  Brigade,  still  finding  the 
woodland  hard  going,  was  brought  to  bay  before  Le  Chene  Tondu,  a  hill  lying  just 
west  of  Apremont.  The  fighting  of  the  day  was  terrific.  Lieutenant  Albert  J. 
Oronsteen  of  Company  G,  110th,  was  killed,  and  three  Lieutenants,  Samuel 
Hazlehurst,  Company  L ;  Joseph  S.  Ferguson,  Company  H  and  Clarence  Laird, 
Company  L,  were  so  badly  wounded  that  they  died  a  few  days  later.  In  addition 
the  following  were  wounded:  Lieutenant  Harry  M.  Foos,  Machine  Gun  Company; 
Lieutenant  Daniel  Fox,  Company  G;  Captain  Albert  0.  King,  Headquarters 
Company;  Lieutenant  George  W.  Kuhnbaum,  Company  E;  Lieutenant  Frank  L. 
Lynch,  Company  B;  Captain  Charles  L.  McLain,  Company  F;  Lieutenant  Arthur 
Robinson,  Company  G;  Lieutenant  Winthrop  E.  Sullivan,  Company  B,  and 
Lieutenant  Frederick  T.  Yeager,  Company  H.  In  the  109th  Infantry,  Lieutenant 
James  A.  Bonsack,  Jr.,  Company  A,  was  killed,  and  the  following  wounded: 
Lieutenant  Harry  A  Fryckberg,  Company  E;  Lieutenant  Herman  Goldstein, 
Company  I;  Lieutenant  Harry  R.  Sage,  Adjutant,  1st  Battalion. 

Apremont  had  been  originally  set  by  General  Headquarters  as  the  objective 
of  a  two  day  advance.  The  brains  which  mapped  out  the  campaign,  however, 
had  failed  to  take  into  consideration  the  nature  of  the  terrain  lying  between  the 
town  and  Boureuilles.  That  the  28th  Division  accomplished  the  task  set  for  it  in 
three  days  was  remarkable.  It  had  only  done  so  at  a  terrific  cost  of  men.  Regi- 
ments were  down  to  half  their  original  strength,  and  the  men  surviving  were  in 
a  bad  state  from  constant  exposure  and  extraordinary  physical  exertion.  Never- 
theless, the  high  command  decided  on  another  stroke  being  necessary  before 
relieving  the  Division.  This  stroke  was  needed  because  of  the  slow  progress  of 
the  77th  Division  on  the  left.  Before  it  could  be  launched,  however,  it  was  neces- 
sary for  the  55th  Brigade  to  consolidate  its  positions  in  Apremont  and  ward  off 
German  counter-attacks,  which  came  with  frequency  during  September  30th  and 
October  1st.  It  was  in  one  of  these  on  October  1st  that  the  gallant  remnant  of 
the  110th  and  a  few  companies  of  the  109th  withstood  the  assault  of  far  superior 
numbers,  and  Brigadier  General  Dennis  E.  Nolan  of  the  55th  Brigade  won  the 
Distinguished  Service  Cross  by  fighting  in  the  ranks  with  the  doughboys.  The 
Distinguished  Service  Cross  went  also  to  Lieutenant  Colonel  Joseph  H.  Thompson 
of  the  110th  Infantry  and  Lieutenant  Andrew  B.  Lynch  of  the  same  regiment,  who 
performed  meritorious  service  in  repulsing  the  counter-attack.  Lieutenant  Leslie 
W.  Horn  of  D  Company,  110th,  and  Lieutenant  Charles  R.  Rowan  of  G  Company 
were  both  so  severely  wounded  that  they  died  within  a  few  hours.  On  September 
29th  Lieutenant  John  V.  Merrick,  Company  D,  and  Lieutenant  Chester  A. 
Stover,  Company  M,  were  wounded  and  Lieutenant  Guy  on  J.  Wierman,  Company 
D,  was  taken  prisoner. 

About  the  same  time  that  the  counter-attacks  were  being  repulsed  by  the 
55th  Brigade,  the  56th  Brigade  was  attempting,  but  vainly  at  first,  to  take  Le 
Chene  Tondu.  So  strongly  fortified  were  the  Germans  that  the  position  seemed 
impregnable  to  an  unsupported  infantry  attack.  The  53d  Artillery  Brigade  was 
rendering  all  the  assistance  possible,  the  109th  Artillery,  in  Apremont,  having 

123 


already  been  badly  gassed  and  shelled.  On  October  4th,  Colonel  Asher  Miner 
of  the  109th  Artillery  was  badly  wounded. 

Such,  then,  was  the  situation  when  on  October  6th  the  103d  Trench  Mortar 
Battery,  its  men  exhausted  after  days  of  toil  over  the  muddy  road  and  harassed 
by  constant  shell  fire,  reached  the  56th  Brigade  line  and  for  the  first  time  put  their 
wicked  mortars  into  action.  On  that  day  the  103d  Trench  Mortar  Battery 
justified  itself  completely.  Its  shells,  deluging  the  ridge  and  the  trenches  beyond, 
literally  blew  the  Germans  out  of  the  way  so  that  the  111th  on  the  right  and  the 
112th  on  the  left  were  finally  able  to  push  forward  and  take  with  slight  loss  the 
position  which  had  cost  them  dearly  enough  during  the  preceding  week. 

The  77th  Division  on  the  left  was  getting  into  more  and  more  trouble,  its 
"Lost  Battalion"  having  suddenly  sprung  into  history,  and  it  was  to  save  this 
battalion  and  also  to  clear  the  path  for  the  farther  advance  of  the  New  York 
Division  that  the  final  phase  of  the  28th's  participation  in  the  Meuse-Argonne 
offensive  began.  It  was  the  morning  of  October  7th.  Ahead  lay  the  town  of 
Chatel  Chehery,  with  Hill  223  on  the  right  flank  and  Hill  244  on  the  left.  The 
original  plan  was  for  the  327th  Infantry,  of  the  82d  Division,  to  the  right  of  the 
28th,  to  take  Hill  223  while  the  55th  Brigade  captured  the  town  of  Chatel  Chehery 
and  the  56th  Brigade  stormed  Hill  244.  Under  this  arrangement,  the  advance 
of  the  55th  and  56th  Brigades  began  on  the  morning  of  October  7th,  and  by  10 
o'clock  the  109th  and  110th  were  into  and  through  Chatel  Chehery.  driving  the 
Huns  from  house  to  house  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  while  the  112th  Infantry 
was  advancing  upon  Hill  244  and  the  111th  Infantry  was  supporting  both  brigades. 
However,  the  327th  Infantry  was  held  up  south  of  Hill  223  and  the  Germans, 
in  force  on  this  eminence,  were  delivering  a  severe  enfilading  fire  upon  the 
occupants  of  Chatel  Chehery.  In  this  emergency  the  2d  Battalion  of  the  109th 
Infantry  was  sent  to  clean  up  Hill  223  and  succeeded  after  a  brief  struggle.  The 
112th  also  made  history  by  the  way  in  which  it  succeeded  in  storming  Hill  244. 
By  nightfall  of  October  7th  the  Division,  or  what  was  left  of  it,  had  cleared  the 
entire  region  of  the  enemy,  thrusting  a  menacing  salient  into  the  Argonne  which 
had  the  immediate  result  desired — the  rapid  evacuation  of  that  territory  by  the 
Germans,  who  had  been  holding  up  the  77th  Division  and  surrounding  the  "Lost 
Battalion."     One  day  later,  October  9th,  the  entire  28th  Division  was  relieved 


Fourteen-inch  Naval  Gun,  Railway  Mount,  in  action.     Built  by  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works. 

124 


by  the  82d,  the  men  being  marched  back  through  Apremont  to  Varennes  and 
there  loaded  on  motor  trucks  and  taken  southeastward. 

The  Artillery  in  Belgium 

A  few  days  later  General  Headquarters  was  asked  by  the  British  for  a  good 
artillery  brigade  to  act  in  conjunction  with  one  of  the  American  divisions  in  Belgium. 
Two  artillery  brigades,  the  identities  of  which  are  not  given,  had  failed  the  91st 
American  Division  on  the  Ypres  front  and,  according  to  reports,  had  delivered 
barrages  which  fell  short  and  endangered  the  advancing  infantry.  General  Head- 
quarters responded  by  detaching  the  53d  Artillery  Brigade  from  the  28th  Division 
and  entraining  it  on  October  18th  at  St.  Menehould  for  a  two-day  ride  half-way 
across  France  to  Calais  and  Dunkirk.  As  the  operations  of  the  artillery  brigade 
from  then  until  the  end  of  the  war  were  entirely  apart  from  the  movements  of  the 
balance  of  the  Division,  it  will  be  best  to  take  each  up  separately. 

With  the  brigade  of  artillery  went  the  horse  battalion  of  the  103d  Ammunition 
Train  and  all  of  the  units,  after  detraining,  moved  into  Ypres  for  the  night  of 
October  20th.  They  started  forward  the  next  morning  and  on  October  29th  went 
into  action  in  the  vicinity  of  Boschmolens.  Between  October  29th  and  November 
11th  the  brigade  was  almost  constantly  in  action.  Its  record  shows  a  string  of 
Belgian  War  Crosses  awarded  to  the  men  of  the  various  units  for  individual 
bravery,  and  a  brigade  citation,  which  went  to  Sergeant  Major  Howard  Taylor, 
of  the  horse  battalion  of  the  Ammunition  Train  for  the  way  in  which  he 
reorganized  two  sections  of  E  Company,  which  had  been  demoralized  and 
damaged  by  Hun  air  raiders  during  the  night  of  October  30th  between  Boschmolens 
and  Oygen.  On  Armistice  Day  the  artillery  brigade  had  reached  Audenarde, 
but  did  no  actual  firing  after  November  10th.  From  Audenarde  it  marched 
through  a  number  of  Belgian  towns  and,  after  a  month  spent  in  the  north,  en- 
trained for  Le  Mans,  in  the  embarkation  area,  where  the  rest  of  the  Division  joined 
it  in  April. 


125 


THE  WORK  OF  THE  DRAFT  ROARDS* 

f^^ZJO  group  of  men  rendered  a  more  arduous,  patriotic  service 
in  Philadelphia  than  the  members  of  the  fifty-one  Local 
and  two  District  Draft  Boards  and  those  who  cooperated 
with  the  Boards  in  the  capacity  of  Legal  and  Medical 
Advisers.  It  is  unfortunate  that  no  resume  has  been  made 
of  their  activities,  and  the  following  summary  is  too  frag- 
mentary to  do  them  justice.  However,  they  have  the 
personal  conviction  that,  called  upon  to  aid  in  enrolling 
the  young  manhood  of  the  City  for  the  Army  and  Navy, 
they  served  disinterestedly  and  with  signal  success. 
The  Selective  Service  Law  was  enacted  by  Congress  on  May  18,  1917,  and 

June  5,  1917,  was  fixed  by  the  President  as  the  day  on  which  all  males,  between 

the  ages  of  twenty-one  and  thirty  years,  inclusive,  were  required  to  register. 

Within  that  short  period  of  time,  a  great  administrative  machine  was  set  up. 

Following  the  initial  registration  many  other  problems  were  met  and  overcome,  and 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Fathers  and  Sons  checking  up  the  draft  numbers. 

♦Summarized  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Philadelphia  War  History  Committee  from  the  records 
of  Major  William  G.  Murdock  and  the  reports  of  the  Provost  Marshal-General. 

126 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Drafted  Men  escorted  by  band. 

'  'on  July  30,  1917,  the  Army  assimilated  the  first  man  selected  under  the  operations 
of  the  Act,  and  by  September  1,  1917,  the  date  by  which  the  Act  had  originally 
been  called  upon  to  produce  the  first  30  per  cent  of  the  initial  Draft,  the  Selective  Ser- 
vice System  stood  ready  to  deliver  to  thenationalCantonmentsl80,000selectedmen." 

All  work  in  connection  with  the  various  Drafts  was  done  under  the  direction  of 
Major  General  Enoch  H.  Crowder,  the  Provost  Marshal-General. 

Major  William  G.  Murdock,  U.  S.  A.,  was  appointed  the  Draft  Executive  and 
Disbursing  Officer  for  Pennsylvania.  Upon  the  recommendation  of  Mayor  Smith, 
the  members  of  the  Registration  (later  Draft)  Boards,  and  of  the  Legal  and  Medical 
Advisory  Boards,  were  appointed  by  Governor  Brumbaugh.  Major  Frank  C. 
Hammond,  M.  C,  was  appointed  as  Medical  Aide  in  the  late  summer  of  1918. 

The  area  assigned  to  the  Boards  followed,  generally,  the  Ward  lines  and,  as 
far  as  possible,  the  Election  officials  assisted  in  the  registrations.  Each  Local 
Board  had  a  Legal  Advisory  Board  and,  in  Philadelphia,  there  were  fifteen  Medical 
Advisory  Boards.  Local  Boards  had  original  jurisdiction  in  all  claims,  except 
Industrial  and  Agricultural,  in  which  the  District  Boards  had  original  jurisdiction. 
Members  of  the  Local  Draft  Boards  were  paid  $4.00  per  day,  under  the  First  Draft 
regulations.  When  the  "  Questionnaire  System  "  was  adopted,  and  until  September 
1,  1918,  they  were  paid  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  "Questionnaires"  filled  out. 
Finally,  they  were  allowed  a  dollar  an  hour  with  a  maximum  fee  of  ten  dollars  per  day. 

The  first  registration  day  was  June  5,  1917,  for  all  males  within  the  ages  of 
twenty-one  and  thirty  years,  inclusive. 

The  second  registration  day  was  exactly  one  year  later,  June  5,  1918.  At  this 
time  all  males  who  since  June  5,  1917,  had  become  twenty-one  years  of  age  were 
required  to  register. 

127 


The  third  registration  day  was  on  August  24,  1918,  and  was  similar  in  purpose 
to  the  second  registration  day. 

The  fourth  and  final  registration  day  was  on  September  12,  1918.  All  males 
between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  forty-five  years,  inclusive,  who  had  not  previously 
registered,  were  enrolled  by  the  Draft  Boards. 

The  following  table  gives  the  total  number  of  actual  registrants  and  the  total 
number  of  inductions  in  Philadelphia: 

Number 


of  Actual 

Number 

Number 

Registrants, 

of  Actual 

of  Actual 

June  5th 

Registrants, 

Total  Number 

Total  Number 

Local 

Registrants, 

and  August 

September 

of  Actual 

of 

Boards 

June  5,  1917 

24,  1918 

12,  1918 

Registrants 
11,518 

Inductions 

1 

5,077 

446 

5,995 

1,668 

2 

4,438 

358 

5,324 

10,120 

1,868 

3 

2,873 

233 

3,475 

6,581 

684 

4 

5,006 

436 

/      Combined 
\     with  No.  6 

}              5,442 

1,153 

5 

3,267 

223 

4,609 

8,099 

774 

6 

5,161 

462 

14,852 

20,475 

2,017 

7 

3,219 

250 

5,230 

8,699 

1,120 

8 

4,961 

372 

7,328 

12,661 

1,298 

9 

4,680 

384 

6,277 

11,341 

1,552 

10 

3,114 

285 

4,244 

7,643 

723 

11 

2,865 

264 

3,403 

6,532 

638 

12 

4,414 

413 

6,082 

10,909 

1,377 

13 

5,228 

526 

6,936 

12,690 

1,614 

14 

3,488 

270 

4,429 

8,187 

996 

15 

1,587 

107 

2,553 

4,247 

581 

16 

2,949 

257 

3,863 

7,069 

858 

17 

2,022 

173 

3,039 

5,234 

688 

18 

3,769 

318 

4,960 

9,047 

1,176 

19 

2,743 

242 

3,830 

6,815 

902 

20 

2,699 

273 

3,815 

6,787 

763 

21 

4,740 

459 

5,969 

11,168 

1,585 

22 

6,495 

626 

8,276 

15,397 

1,951 

23 

2,167 

197 

3,027 

5,391 

548 

24 

1,908 

184 

2,681 

4,773 

671 

25 

2,749 

256 

3,899 

6,904 

907 

26 

2,981 

284 

3,979 

7.211 

938 

27 

3,817 

326 

5,243 

9,386 

1,558 

28 

2,632 

265 

3,413 

6,310 

939 

29 

3,836 

386 

5,545 

9,767 

1,161 

30 

2,922 

275 

4,106 

•       7,303 

732 

31 

3,164 

285 

4,016 

7,465 

837 

32 

2,748 

236 

4,603 

7,587 

910 

33 

3,389 

282 

4,963 

8,634 

970 

34 

2,668 

212 

3,945 

6,825 

740 

35 

5,458 

528 

7,332 

13,318 

2,106 

36 

2,019 

199 

2,853 

5,071 

684 

37 

5,399 

382 

6,756 

12,537 

1,386 

38 

2,139 

161 

2,653 

4,953 

555 

39 

3,222 

264 

3,823 

7,309 

906 

40 

4,785 

393 

5,594 

10,772 

1,615 

41 

3,323 

282 

4,981 

8,586 

845 

42 

3,115 

360 

4,982 

8,457 

791 

43 

4,433 

365 

7,183 

11,981 

142 

44 

2,931 

237 

4,071 

7,239 

787 

45 

2,364 

215 

3,155 

5,734 

777 

46 

4,307 

424 

5,979 

10,710 

1,281 

47 

4,129 

312 

4,820 

9,261 

1,080 

48 

3,162 

202 

5,018 

8,382 

863 

49 

3,125 

236 

5,457 

8,818 

683 

50 

2,792 

271 

4,087 

7,150 

973 

51 

2,606 

230 

3,191 

6,027 
440,555 

756 

Totals 

179,085 

15,626 

245,844 

53,127 

128 

DRAFT  BOARDS 

(August  1,  1918.) 
Eastern  Judicial  District 

District  Board  for  Division  No.  1 

(Local  Boards  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  22,  23,  27,  35,  39,  40,  41,  42,  48,  49,  51.) 

John  Cadwalader,  Chairman  Julius  Lamor 

Dr.  Charles  H.  Willits,  Secretary  Samuel  S.  Fels 

Samuel  T.  Bodine  Edward  C.  Carson,  Chief  Clerk 

District  Board  for  Division  No.  2* 

(Local  Boards  9,  10,  11,  12,  13,  14,  15,  16,  17,  18,  19,  20,  21,  24,  25,  26,  28,  29,  30,  31,  32, 
33,  34,  36,  37,  38,  43,  44,  45,  46,  47,  50.) 

Walter  Willard,  Chairman  Alexander  Lawrence,  Jr. 

James  C.  McDonald  Charles  H.  Lafferty 

Bronte  Greenwood,  Jr.,  Chief  Clerk 

LOCAL  BOARDS  AND  LEGAL  ADVISORY  BOARDS 

Division  No.  1 — James  A.  Boberts,  Chairman;  Dr.  Morris  Cornfield,  J.  Harry  Evans,  J.  W. 
Scott,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Morris  J.  Speiser,  Chairman;  David  Phillips,  Herbert 
Salus. 

Division  No.  2 — -Whitmore  C.  Chambers,  Chairman;  Henry  C.  Bohlfing,  Dr.  Michael  L. 
Levitt,  Jos.  M.  Fruchter,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Edwin  Jaquett  Sellers,  Chairman; 
William  J.  Smyth,  John  J.  Sullivan. 

Division  No.  3 — Augustus  W.  Murphy,  Chairman;  Dr.  John  H.  Bemig,  Eugene  McCarron, 
Matthew  Bogers,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Harry  Mesirev,  Chairman;  Arthur  Hagen 
Miller,  Thomas  F.  McNichol. 

Division  No.  4 — Norton  O.  Harris,  Chairman;  Albert  Niedelman,  Dr.  Samuel  F.  Levin, 
Abraham  Cohen,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Dwight  M.  Lowry,  Chairman;  Theo  J. 
Grayson,  Meyer  Sack.  (Later  abolished.  Local  Board  No.  6  given  jurisdiction  over  former 
registrants  and  territory.) 

Division  No.  5 — John  P.  Connors,  Chairman;  Daniel  J.  Connelly,  Dr.  Wm.  Macintosh, 
Miss  Helen  Harrigan,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  John  Weaver,  Chairman;  Thos.  A. 
Meagher,  John  P.  Connelly. 

Division  No.  6 — George  W.  Long,  Chairman;  John  C.  Hinckley,  B.  Francis  Taylor,  Graham 
C.  Woodward,  Clinton  Bogers  Woodruff,  H.  W.  Beilly,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board: 
Bobert  Levin,  Chairman;  Thomas  Beatb,  I.  Smith  Baspin. 

Division  No.  7 — William  Campbell  Posey,  Chairman;  Edwin  C.  Atkinson,  John  H.  Egan, 
Alexander  C.  Finley,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Thomas  W.  Barlow,  Chairman;  Albert 
B.  Weimer,  Stanley  Folz. 

Division  No.  8 — Edward  F.  Swift,  Chairman;  John  L.  Hazelton,  Dr.  William  S.  Hoffman, 
Harry  H.  Hornstine,  M.  D.,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  William  F.  Borke,  Chairman; 
William  T.  Connor,  Emanuel  Furth. 

Division  No.  9 — Clarence  L.  Harper,  Chairman;  Daniel  Gimbel,  Dr.  John  Wanamaker,  3d, 
Albert  C.  Bommel,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Bobert  W.  Skinner,  Jr.,  Chairman; 
William  M.  Boenning,  Alfred  M.  Mohr. 

Division  No.  10 — Bev.  A.  D.  Geist,  Chairman;  Joseph  Bosenbuth.  Legal  Advisory  Board: 
J.  Frederick  Martin,  Chairman;  Clinton  O.  Mayer,  Samuel  Wolf. 

Division  No.  11 — John  Baker  Tuttle,  Chairman;  Harry  E.  Walter,  Dr.  Bobert  McCreight, 
Barbara  Berryman,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Frederick  J.  Knauss,  Chairman;  Chas. 
H.  Edmunds. 


*Note. — One  District  Board  was  later  established  in  Philadelphia,  known  as  the 
District  Board  for  the  City  of  Philadelphia.  Membership  consisted  of  members  of  former 
District  Board  No.  1. 

129 


Division  No.  12 — Thos.  B.  Harbison,  Chairman;  Harrison  Duffield,  M.  D.,  Dr.  Robert 
Judge,  A.  W.  Dougherty,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  David  Lavis,  Chairman;  Isaac 
Yocum,  Isaac  Hassler. 

Division  No.  13 — Frank  Buck,  Chairman;  Philip  E.  Wright,  Dr.  Samuel  J.  Ottinger,  Howard 
P.  E.  Runner,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Max  Aron,  Chairman;  Clinton  A.  Sowers, 
Thomas  Fahy. 

Division  No.  14 — Dr.  John  S.  Woodruff,  Chairman;  Dr.  David  D.  Custer,  Arthur  R. 
Littlewood,  Raymond  V.  John,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Alfred  R.  Haig,  Chairman; 
Frederick  A.  Soberheimer,  Raymond  V.  John. 

Division  No.  15 — Jos.  M.  Jennings,  Chairman;  George  B.  Linnard,  Dr.  Biddle  R.  Marsden, 
Robert  E.  Hirleman,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Elles  Ames  Ballad,  Chairman;  John 
A.  Brown,  John  B.  Colahan,  3d. 

Division  No.  16 — John  J.  Courtney,  Chairman;  Dr.  John  R.  Minehart,  Robert  T.  Mitchell, 
Joseph  A.  Bowes,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Edward  Hopkinson,  Jr.,  Chairman; 
Shippen  Lewis,  Charles  Hunsicker. 

Division  No.  17 — William  Blackwood,  Chairman;  James  B.  King,  Dr.  Chas.  A.  Currie, 
Thomas  M.  Gallegher,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  R.  W.  Archbald,  Jr.,  Francis  Chap- 
man, Francis  B.  Bracken. 

Division  No.  18 — Henry  K.  Fries,  Chairman;  James  T.  Nulty,  Dr.  George  C.  Hanna,  John 
T.  Nulty,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Henry  S.  Borneman,  Chairman;  William  H. 
Peace,  R.  O.  Moon. 

Division  No.  19 — Stacy  H.  White,  Chairman;  Allen  M.  Eberheart,  Dr.  A.  Wiese  Hammer. 
Legal  Advisory  Board:  William  B.  Linn,  Chairman;  J.  Washington  Logue,  Ernest  L.  Tustin. 

Division  No.  20 — Theodore  J.  Lewis,  Chairman;  Dr.  T.  J.  d' Apery,  Ross  E.  Williams,  W.  H. 
Norris,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Joseph  B.  Wilson,  Chairman;  T.  Henry  Walnut, 
David  J.  Smythe. 


Courtesy   of   Frank   W.    Buhler,    Stanley   Co.    of   America. 

This  Bowl  is  now  in  Independence  Hall. 
130 


Division  No.  21 — Eugene  Ziegler,  Chairman;  William  H.  Zeigler,  Joseph  M.  Smith,  Daniel 
McCormick,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Everett  A.  Schofield,  Chairman;  Horace 
Stern,  James  H.  Wolfe. 

Division  No.  22 — Joseph  W.  Gardiner,  Chairman;  Willard  E.  Barcus,  John  H.  Bailey,  H. 
Walford  Gardiner,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  C.  Berkeley  Taylor,  Chairman;  John 
Cadwalader,  Jr.,  Charles  S.  Wesley. 

Division  No.  23 — Francis  H.  Shields,  Chairman;  Dr.  John  D.  Ward,  Frank  W.  Sheaf er, 
Max  Gordon,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  John  Stokes  Adams,  Chairman;  Francis 
H.  Bohlen,  B.  Gordon  Bromley. 

Division  No.  24 — Andrew  C.  Keeley,  Chairman;  Dr.  Deacon  Steinmetz,  Albert  D.  Kohler, 
Arthur  B.  King,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Chester  N.  Farr,  Chairman;  Lay  ton  M. 
Schoch,  James  C.  Jones. 

Division  No.  25 — Dr.  Arthur  D.  Kurtz,  Chairman;  Dr.  Augustus  H.  Clagett,  Harry  A. 
Ade,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  W.  S.  B.  Ferguson,  Chairman;  A.  W.  Sansom,  Albert 
W.  Shields. 

Division  No.  26 — William  Abrahams,  Chairman;  G.  Ayres  Swayze,  Dr.  Chas.  E.  Bricker, 
George  H.  Bettner,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Max  Hertzberg,  Chairman;  John 
Dickey,  Leo.  MacFarland. 

Division  No.  27 — Lawrence  Farrell,  Chairman;  William  P.  Tinney,  Dr.  Alfred  C.  Marshall, 
Francis  A.  Cotney,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  John  C.  Hinkley,  Chairman;  Murdoch 
Kendrick,  Charles  Sinkler. 

Division  No.  28 — H.  Watson  Barras,  Chairman;  Dr.  George  Sinnamon,  Frank  H.  Longshore, 
Chief  Clerk.    Legal  Advisory  Board:  A.  H.  Wintersteem,  Frank  M.  Biter,  Samuel  B.  Scott. 

Division  No.  29 — Lorenzo  Smith,  Chairman;  Dr.  James  A.  Brady,  Dr.  William  T.  Ellis, 
Paul  W.  Smith,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Frederick  J.  Geiger,  Julius  C.  Levi,  Joseph 
P.  McCullen. 

Division  No.  30— Dr.  H.  B.  Keech,  Chairman;  Dr.  J.  P.  Emich,  Edw.  H.  Weber,  L.  W. 
Keech,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Russell  Duane,  Chairman;  John  M.  Scott,  Francis 
S.  Mcllhenny. 

Division  No.  31— John  W.  Mortimer,  Chairman;  Edwin  L.  Hoffman,  Dr.  Edw.  C.  Kottcamp, 
Edw.  C.  Kottcamp,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  C.  W.  Van  Artsdalen,  Chairman; 
Samuel  W.  Cooper,  Frederick  C.  Newbourg,  Jr. 

Division  No.  32 — W.  B.  Nicholson,  Chairman;  John  P.  Dwyer,  Dr.  Frank  B.  Hancock, 
Marie  Gibbs,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Robert  A.  Beggs,  Jr.,  Chairman;  Harold  B. 
Beitler,  C.  Oscar  Beasley. 

Division  No.  33— Chas.  E.  Gill,  Chairman;  Dr.  R.  H.  McCarty,  Jr.,  David  A.  Kerr,  Chief 
Clerk.    Legal  Advisory  Board:  Albert  P.  Gerhard,  Chairman;  Sydney  Young,  Chas.  S.  Wood. 

Division  No.  34 — Caspar  M.  Titus,  Chairman;  Bichard  S.  Wilson,  Dr.  George  F.  Enoch, 
Horace  Stoy,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Thomas  Kilby  Smith,  Chairman;  Frederick 
Beyer,  Geo.  W.  Harkins,  Jr. 

Division  No.  35 — David  C.  Patch  ell,  Chairman;  Dr.  A.  F.  Allman,  Thomas  McCaffrey, 
Chief  Clerk.    Legal  Advisory  Board:  Horace  Bumsey,  Chairman;  Edw.  Wells. 

Division  No.  36 — Dr.  John  A.  Bogar,  Chairman;  Bichard  V.  Farley,  Dr.  Phil  Kurtz,  John 
A.  Nagle,  Jr.,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Joseph  G.  Magee,  Chairman;  David  Mandell, 
Jr.,  Ormond  Bambo. 

Division  No.  37 — Allan  Sutherland,  Chairman;  Charles  D.  Knauer,  Dr.  Robert  D.  Snively, 
Howard  Eccles,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Beynolds  D.  Brown,  Joseph  A.  Culbert, 
Andrew  R.  McCown. 

Division  No.  38 — Charles  S.  Osmond,  Chairman;  E.  C.  Delahunty,  Dr.  D.  J.  Boon,  J.  Fred 
Lieberman,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Franz  Ehrlich,  Jr.,  Chairman;  J.  Rodman 
Paul,  William  N.  Trinkle. 

Division  No.  39 — John  L.  Murphy,  Chairman;  Alfred  Heymann,  Dr.  Samuel  Gordon, 
Marie  F.  Murphy,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Carroll  B.  Williams,  Chairman;  Cornelius 
Haggarty,  Jr.,  Frank  B.  Savidge. 

Division  No.  40 — Samuel  J.  Buck,  Chairman;  H.  D.  Prettyman,  Dr.  Joseph  A.  Rainville, 
M.  Richardson,  Chief  Clerk.    Legal  Advisory  Board:  J.  B.  Colohan,  Chairman;  Frank  R.  Savidge. 

131 


Division  No.  41 — T.  P.  Sheneman,  Chairman;  Septimus  Hatfield,  Dr.  H.  L.  Lutz,  Sarah  W. 
North,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Francis  G.  Gallagher,  Frank  A..  Harrigan,  Joseph 
W.  Kentworthy. 

Division  No.  42 — Samuel  Crothers,  Chairman;  S.  Lord  Gilberson,  Dr.  W.  Warren  Weaver, 
A.  Bulmer,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Grover  C.  Ladner,  Jr.,  Chairman;  Joseph 
Conwell,  Francis  H.  Thole. 

Division  No.  43 — William  H.  Margerison,  Chairman;  Frank  Toomey,  Dr.  William  Harmer 
Good,  Edward  L.  D.  Roach,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Edward  M.  Abbott,  Chairman; 
John  A.  Boyle,  Thomas  Kitchen. 

Division  No.  44— D.  Frank  Black,  Chairman;  Alexander  D.  Robinson,  Dr.  Max  F.  Herrman, 
I.  Hinkle,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Michael  J.  McEnery,  Chairman;  Bertram  D. 
Rearick,  Edmund  Bayley  Seymour,  Jr. 

Division  No.  45 — Harry  A.  Fricke,  Chairman;  Chas.  M.  Johnson,  Dr.  H.  K.  Roessler,  John 
J.  Klang,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Robert  P.  Schick,  Chairman;  Wm.  W.  Smithers, 
Augustus  B.  Stoughton. 

Division  No.  46 — David  J.  Fowler,  Chairman;  Dr.  A.  F.  Targette,  John  J.  Bradley,  Rose- 
mary D.  Bradley,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  H.  B.  Gill,  Chairman;  Howard  Lewis, 
David  Bortin. 

Division  No.  47 — John  J.  Keenan,  Chairman;  George  J.  Steinmeyer,  Dr.  Wilbert  J.  Wolf, 
John  J.  Keenan,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Harry  Felix,  Chairman;  Wm.  Potter  Davis, 
H.  MacGregor  Micheson. 

Division  No.  48— Rev.  Wm.  M.  Sullivan,  Chairman;  Rev.  P.  E.  Osgood,  Dr.  A.  F.  Snively, 
Michael  I.  Silver,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Forrest  N.  Magee,  Chairman;  Charles 
C.  Earickson,  Roy  M.  Boyd. 

Division  No.  49 — Rev.  M.  J.  Crane,  Chairman;  Rev.  George  M.  Brodhead,  Dr.  George  A. 
Knowles,  James  F.  McCabe,  Sr.,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Arthur  S.  Arnold,  Chair- 
man; Stevens  Heckscher,  Frank  H.  Benham. 

Division  No.  50 — Edward  C.  Shmidheiser,  Chairman;  Isaac  H.  Silverman,  Dr.  Leon  F. 
Luburg,  Hubert  J.  Dever,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  David  N.  Fell,  Jr.,  Chairman; 
James  A.  Flaherty. 

Division  No.  51 — William  F.  Cushing,  Chairman;  John  I.  Somers,  Dr.  Winfield  H.  Boeh- 
ringer,  John  F.  Duffy,  Jr.,  Chief  Clerk.  Legal  Advisory  Board:  Francis  M.  McAdams,  Chairman; 
Francis  J.  Maneely,  Joseph  W.  Shannon. 

MEDICAL  ADVISORY  BOARDS  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

Episcopal  Hospital— Doctors  H.  C.  Deaver,  A.  A.  Stevens,  C.  Y.  White,  Thomas  R. 
Neilson,  Elliston  J.  Morris,  Francis  W.  Sickler,  G.  Oram  Ring,  G.  Morris  Goldberg,  A.  B.  Gill, 
Chas.  C.  Biedert,  William  T.  Van  Pelt,  Frederick  Krauss,  Clarence  W.  Schaeffer,  Thomas  G. 
Aller,  Thomas  R.  Curris. 

Germantown  Hospital — Doctors  A.  D.  Whiting,  Howard  A.  Geisler,  Thomas  A.  Cope, 
Elbert  O.  Day,  Henry  N.  Thissell,  Mahlon  R.  Raby. 

Hahnemann  Hospital — Doctors  William  B.  Van  Lennep,  Herbert  L.  Northrop,  John  A. 
Brooke,  William  C.  Hunsicker,  Clarence  Bartlett,  G.  Harlan  Wells,  W.  Lawrence  Hicks,  Balph 
Bernstein,  Samuel  W.  Sappington,  Frank  O.  Nagle,  Fred  W.  Smith,  Joseph  V.  F.  Clay,  Clarence 
V.  Clemmer. 

Jefferson  Hospital — Doctors  Frederick  J.  Kalteyer,  F.  T.  Stewart,  E.  D.  Funk,  H.  F. 
Honsell,  F.  X.  Dercum,  S.  MaeCuen  Smith,  Boss  V.  Patterson,  Chevalier  Jackson,  H.  W.  Stel- 
wagon,  H.  A.  Wilson,  Joseph  Head,  H.  K.  Mohler,  Edward  J.  Klopp,  D.  L.  Despard,  Fielding 
O.  Lewis,  A.  Spencer  Kaufman,  Marion  Hearn,  Sherman  F.  Gilpin,  R.  Douglas  Scott,  W.  H. 
Kinney,  F.  R.  Widdowson,  Alfred  Heineberg,  George  F.  Phelps,  Arthur  C.  Sender,  Maurice 
Brown,  A.  J.  Davidson,  H.  W.  Banks,  Charles  R.  Heed,  J.  Scott  Fritch,  William  P.  Hearn,  S.  Solis 
Cohen,  Strieker  Coles,  Martin  Emil  Rehfuss,  W.  F.  Manges. 

Jewish  Hospital — Doctors  Bernard  Kohn,  William  H.  Teller,  Leon  Jonas,  S.  Solis  Cohen, 
Joseph  B.  Potsdamer,  Edwin  A.  Heller,  George  P.  Katzenstein,  M.  J.  Karpeles,  Milton  K.  Meyers, 
J.  C.  Knipe,  Aaron  Brav,  Sidney  Feldstein,  Herman  B.  Cohen,  H.  W.  Banks. 

132 


Lankenau  Hospital — Doctors  Henry  F.  Page,  John  B.  Deaver,  Stanley  Reimann,  Albert 
G.  Miller,  Joseph  I.  Smith,  Charles  Judson,  Rex  Hobensack,  Henry  Mercher,  Henry  Bartle, 
Bernard  Mencke,  H.  C.  Masland,  William  C.  Sharkey,  Edward  A.  Shumway,  Ellwood  Matlack. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Hospital — Doctors  D.  L.  Despard,  Richard  C.  Norris,  Wm.  R. 
Nicholson,  Alfred  Hand,  Jr.,  E.  Paul  Reiff,  Jos.  M.  Enders,  H.  J.  Hartz,  Delno  E.  Kirshner,  Ed. 
V.  Clark,  C.  P.  Clark,  H.  U.  North,  Israel  Carp,  L.  J.  Hammond,  Jos.  M.  Spellissy,  J.  Hendrie 
Lloyd,  Jesss  H.  Allen,  Walter  Roberts,  J.  B.  Turner,  Morris  Markowitz,  Thos.  W.  Tait,  Chas. 
S.  Hearn,  Thos.  J.  Byrne,  A.  R.  Renninger,  Wm.  N.  Watson,  0.  A.  Zimmerman,  Jos.  M.  McCarron, 
Henry  Morris. 

Orthopoedic  Hospital — Doctors  Morris  J.  Lewis,  G.  G.  Davis,  Charles  W.  Burr,  Louis  H. 
Mutschler,  E.  P.  Corson  White,  Hunter  W.  Scarlett,  Walter  E.  Rahte,  Frederick  Fraley. 

Presbyterian  Hospital — Doctors  H.  R.  Wharton,  Francis  Allen,  William  E.  Hughes, 

D.  McVey  Brown,  McCluney  Radcliffe,  James  Thorington,  J.  Aiman,  W.  A.  Allwood,  S.  H.  Home. 

Red  Cross  General  Hospital  No.  1  (Medico-Chirurgical  Hospital  Staff) — Doctors  James 
M.  Anders,  Albert  E.  Roussel,  Arthur  C.  Morgan,  H.  Leon  Jameson,  Ernest  La  Place,  James  P. 
Mann,  E.  B.  Gleason,  L.  Webster  Fox,  George  E.  Pfahler,  Charles  S.  Potts,  T.  H.  Weisenberg, 
Bobert  F.  Bidpath,  J.  Hamilton  Small,  George  H.  Meeker,  Herbert  J.  Smith,  Warren  C.  Batroff, 
H.  M.  Christian,  William  J.  McKinley,  0.  F.  Mershon,  Wm.  M.  Menah,  F.  A.  Mantz,  H.  S. 
Snydemen. 

Samaritan  Hospital — Doctors  William  Egbert  Robertson,  Harry  A.  Duncan,  A.  E.  Oliensis. 
Herbert  P.  Fisher,  E.  H.  Mcllvain,  L.  C.  Peter,  G.  A.  Lawrence,  Wm.  A.  Hitschler,  Harry  Off, 
S.  D.  Ingham,  Harry  Hudson. 

St.  Agnes  Hospital — Doctors  Joseph  Walsh,  Charles  J.  Hoban,  John  A.  O'Connell,  Paul 
B.  Cassidy,  George  P.  Muller,  John  M.  Fisher,  John  A.  Brophy,  Warren  B.  Davis,  Frederick  C. 
Narr,  Alfred  S.  Doyle,  W.  H.  MacKinney,  W.  H.  Haines,  Benjamin  L.  Gordon,  William  J.  Ryan, 
Leon  Brinkman,  Henry  S.  Wieder,  Charles  S.  Wachs,  John  G.  Penza,  Charles  F.  Bailey,  W.  C. 
Posey,  Milton  K.  Meyers. 

St.  Mary's  Hospital — Doctors  Ellwood  R.  Kirby,  William  A.  Hamilton,  William  T.  Demp- 
sey,  Louis  Love,  William  P.  Grady,  Louis  J.  Burns,  William  T.  Rees,  Eugene  Lindauer. 

St.  Timothy's  Hospital — Doctors  M.  Howard  Fussell,  George  D.  Fussell,  Linton  Turner, 
Otto  Rath,  Edward  Eichman,  William  Devitt,  James  A.  Kelly,  A.  Hewson,  Margaret  Duff,  David 
J.  Boon,  R.  L.  Entwistle,  Lawrence  L.  Simcox,  J.  A.  Maloney,  Carl  Williams,  Frederick  Fraley. 

University  of  Pennsylvania  Hospital — Doctors  H.  Maxwell  Langdon,  Edward  Martin, 
Alfred  Stengel,  William  G.  Spiller,  Allen  J.  Smith,  A.  C.  Wood,  Perry  Pepper,  Charles  Turner, 
B.  A.  Thomas,  Charles  P.  Grayson,  Grier  Miller,  Fred  D.  Weidman,  H.  K.  Pancoast. 

GOVERNMENT  APPEAL  AGENTS  IN  PHILADELPHIA 

Harry  B.  Gondolfo,  Samuel  P.  Cohen,  Francis  Lytleton  Maguire,  Frederick  Freed,  Bobert 

E.  Hagan,  Charles  E.  Bartlett,  James  C.  Corry,  William  T.  Connor,  J.  Joseph  Stratton,  Lewis 
A.  Feldman,  Francis  V.  Godfrey,  Agnew  MacBride,  Roy  M.  Livingstone,  Willis  R.  Heidinger, 
Paul  Reilly,  James  F.  Friel,  Bayard  Henry,  Bobert  T.  Corson,  H.  S.  J.  Sickle,  Lawrence  C.  Hick- 
man, Joseph  Smith,  Frank  B.  Stockley,  James  M.  Dohan,  Harry  S.  Platowsky,  W.  B.  S.  Ferguson, 
Frederick  G.  Dussoulas,  Bobert  B.  Fletcher,  Samson  McDowell,  P.  H.  Lynch,  Vivian  Frank 
Gable,  E.  P.  Gallagher,  Joseph  P.  McCullen,  Edward  Harshaw,  Herbert  U.  Porter,  John  Baxter, 
Samuel  J.  Ephraim,  Horace  H.  Dawson,  John  Lamon,  Samuel  Kratzok,  D.  J.  Callaghan,  Jacob 
Mathay,  Francis  H.  Thole,  Edwin  M.  Abbott,  John  W.  De  Frehn,  Thos.  Bluett,  J.  Fred  Jenkinson, 
Harry  C.  Most,  Arthur  S.  Arnold,  Walter  N.  Keating,  Charles  Edwin  Fox,  Harry  M.  Berkowitz. 


133 


PHILADELPHIA  AND  THE  79th  DIVISION 

Prepared  under  the  Direction  of  Colonel  J.  Frank  Barber, 
Chairman,   Historical  Committee,   79th    Division   Association 


?HE  largest  group  of  Philadelphia  men  inducted  into  the 
National  Army  through  Selective  Service  formed  the  major 
part  of  the  79th  Division  and  served  with  that  organization 
during  the  World  War.  Originally  the  personnel  of  the 
79th  was  to  have  been  drawn  in  entirety  from  the  thirty- 
seven  eastern  counties  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  State  of 
Maryland  and  the  District  of  Columbia.  While  this  plan 
had  to  be  abandoned,  large  drafts  of  the  original  Pennsyl- 
l  vanians  being  forwarded  to  other  divisions  after  some 
months  training  with  the  79th,  there  yet  remained  a  sub- 
stantial Pennsylvania  and  Maryland  majority  in  each  divisional  unit.  The  bal- 
ance consisted  of  Selective  Service  men  from  New  York,  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut, 
West  Virginia,  District  of  Columbia  and  Ohio.  In  the  beginning  there 
had  been  an  effort  to  organize  battalions  and  regiments  along  geographical  lines, 
with  the  result  that  Philadelphians  were  assembled  in  certain  groups.  The  ratio 
of  depletion  in  these  groups  was  the  same  as  in  all  others,  so  that  "all  Philadel- 
phia" units  ceased  to  exist  but  a  Philadelphia  majority  remained. 

The  officer  personnel,  on  the  other  hand,  underwent  slight  changes  and,  having 
been  chiefly  drawn  from  Pennsylvania  (Reserve  Officers  from  the  First  Officers' 
Training  Camp  at  Fort  Niagara),  remained  thus  throughout.  Philadelphia  was 
very  largely  represented  among  the  officers,  whether  it  was  a  unit  of  Pennsyl- 
vanians  or  of  Marylanders. 

Thus,  with  Philadelphians  in  all  units,  an  account  of  this  city's  men  in  the 
Division  can  be  presented  properly  only  through  a  summarized  history  of  the  Divi- 
sion in  its  entirety.  Such  then  is  the  purpose  of  this  chapter  and  if  emphasis  is 
laid  upon  Philadelphians,  it  must  be  remembered  that  this  volume  is  primarily 
for  Philadelphia  readers. 

Camp  Meade  to  Embarkation 

The  79th  Division  was  one  of  the  sixteen  National  Army  divisions  author- 
ized under  the  Act  of  May  18,  1917,  but  the  establishment  of  a  cantonment  con- 
sumed so  much  time  that  it  was  not  until  late  August,  of  the  same  year,  that  actual 
creation  began. 

It  was  a  long  cry  indeed  from  June  5th — National  Registration  Day — to  late 
August,  when  the  local  Draft  Boards  were  ready  with  the  first  "calls"  for  the  new 
National  Army,  but  if  the  personnel  was  to  be  slow  of  assembling,  the  preliminary 
measures  were  not  neglected.  The  First  Officers'  Training  Camp  at  Fort  Niagara 
was  preparing  more  than  1,100  candidates  for  commissions;  barracks,  mess 
halls,  etc.,  were  springing  up  like  mushrooms  at  Admiral,  Md.,  the  site  selected 
and  designated  as  Camp  Meade — named  for  that  gallant  Pennsylvanian  who 
turned  back  the  Southern  host  at  Gettysburg. 

134 


Mk    | 

Courtesy  of  Prank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of   America 

On  the  way  to  Camp. 


Major  General  (then  Brigadier  General)  Joseph  E.  Kuhn  arrived  at  Camp 
Meade  as  Division  Commander  on  August  25th.  Four  days  later  came  1,100  gradu- 
ates of  Fort  Niagara,  commissioned  as  lieutenants,  captains  and  majors  after 
three  months  of  intensive  training.  On  August  29th  also  600  men  from  the  Regu- 
lar Army  were  assigned  as  drill-masters  and  "non-coms"  and  the  regular  officers  to 
command  the  various  regiments  arrived.  By  mid-September  the  skeleton  frame- 
work of  the  Division  was  ready  for  the  enlisted  personnel.  Construction  on  the 
cantonment  was  being  pushed  rapidly,  in  the  effort  to  complete  its  housing 
capacity  for  40,000  men  as  fast  as  they  should  arrive  from  the  different  Draft 
Boards. 

The  first  Draft  Contingent  arrived  on  September  19th,  and  the  concentration 
of  Selective  Service  men  upon  the  camp  continued  for  eleven  days,  during  which 
time  the  local  Draft  Boards  of  Philadelphia  alone  sent  45  per  cent  of  the  first 
draft  call  of  14,245  men.  The  first  Draft  Contingent  to  reach  the  camp  on 
September  19th,  and  which  was  greeted  personally  by  General  Kuhn,  consisted 
of  369  men  from  three  West  Philadelphia  local  boards. 

Philadelphia  completed  sending  the  first  call  of  14,245  men  on  February  27, 
1918,  the  departure  having  been  divided  as  follows:  45  per  cent  by  September  23d, 
5  per  cent  by  October  6th,  35  per  cent  by  November  4th,  and  15  per  cent  by 
February  27th. 

Following  the  plan  to  organize  along  geographical  fines,  the  bulk  of  the  Phila- 


135 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley  Co.   of  America. 

South  Philadelphia  Speeds  its  Drafted  Men. 


Courtesv  of  Frank  W.   Buhler.    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

After  the  cheers  had  ceased. 
136 


Courtesy  of  Frank   W.    Buhler,    Stanley   Co.    of    America. 

Inspection  of  Drafted  Men. 

delphians  were  assigned  to  the  312th  Artillery  and  the  315th  Infantry.  This 
latter  unit  from  then  on  became  known  as  "Philadelphia's  Own."  Many  from 
this  city  also  went  to  the  314th  Infantry,  the  304th  Engineers,  the  301th  Trench 
Mortar  Battery,  and  the  312th  Field  Artillery.  Others  were  scattered  through 
practically  all  organizations.  The  accompanying  table  shows  the  predominating 
personnel  along  geographical  lines: 

Unit  From 

79th  Headquarters  Troop Area  at  large 

310th  Machine  Gun  Battalion .  .Eastern  Pennsylvania 

313th  Infantry Baltimore  and  vicinity  . 

314th  Infantry Pennsylvania  anthracite  region 

311th  Machine  Gun  Battalion Eastern  Pennsylvania 

315th  Infantry Philadelphia 

316th  Infantry Bural  Eastern  Pennsylvania 

312th  Machine  Gun  Battalion District  of  Columbia 

304th  Engineers Philadelphia  and  Central  Pennsylvania 

310th  Artillery Eastern  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland 

311th  Artillery Pennsylvania  anthracite  region 

312th  Artillery Philadelphia 

304th  Train  Headquarters Eastern  Pennsylvania 

304th  Supply  Train Maryland  and  Eastern  Pennsylvania 

304tb  Sanitary  Train Eastern  Pennsylvania 

304th  Ammunition  Train Maryland  and  Eastern  Pennsylvania 

304th  Field  Signal  Battalion Area  at  large 

304th  Trench  Mortar  Battery Philadelphia  and  vicinity 

79th  Military  Police Eastern  Pennsylvania 

The  total  personnel  of  the  Division  in  October,  1917,  had  reached  about  20,000 
men,  but  instead  of  the  remaining  7,000  being  assigned,  the  War  Department  began 

137 


the  first  of  a  long  series  of  drafts  which  took  from  the  Division  some  of  its  best  men. 
Between  October,  1917,  and  June,  1918,  these  drafts  pared  down  the  divisional 
strength  to  12,000  men,  despite  the  fact  that  thousands  were  coming  in  monthly. 
In  fact,  in  that  period  some  80,000  men  were  trained  at  Camp  Meade  and  75  per 
cent  of  them  transferred  elsewhere.  From  Philadelphia  a  second  Draft  Contingent 
for  Meade  began  to  arrive  on  April  2,  1918,  and  on  April  27th  began  a  five-day 
movement  of  several  thousand  men.  On  May  26th,  1,200  men  were  sent  to  the 
camp  from  this  city,  and  these  formed  part  of  the  final  assignment  which  brought 
so  many  from  other  states  to  the  Division. 

The  long  training  period  at  Camp  Meade  was  featured  by  one  big  event  when, 
on  April  6,  1918,  the  first  anniversary  of  America's  entry  into  the  war,  the  Division 
hiked  to  Baltimore  and  held  a  grand  review  in  that  city  before  President  Wilson. 
The  showing  of  the  Division  was  remarkable,  especially  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
many  of  the  men  had  quit  civilian  life  not  more  than  a  month  before. 

Within  three  months  after  the  review  at  Baltimore  the  Division  was  considered 
ready  for  overseas.  The  great  July  movement  of  troops  was  under  way,  a  move- 
ment which  eclipsed  all  world  records  in  transportation  overseas,  and  the  79th  was 
dispatched  as  one  of  the  first  to  start  for  France  in  that  period.  On  June  30th, 
General  Kuhn  and  his  staff  sailed  from  New  York  on  the  U.  S.  S.  Calamares. 
On  July  6th  the  various  organizations  began  to  leave  Camp  Meade  by  troop  train. 
On  July  8th  the  Leviathan  (formerly  the  Hamburg-American  liner  Valeriana*) 
sailed  from  Hoboken  with  the  Division  Headquarters,  Headquarters  Troop,  310th 
Machine  Gun  Battalion,  157th  Infantry  Brigade  complete  (313th  and  314th 
Infantry  and  311th  Machine  Gun  Battalion),  and  the  304th  Field  Signal  Battalion 
— more  than  12,000  men.  The  balance  of  the  Division — artillery  brigade  excepted 
— sailed  in  a  convoy  of  five  transports  on  July  9th.  These  vessels,  the  Agamemnon, 
America,  La  France,  Ml.  Vernon  and  Orizaba,  carried  the  158th  Infantry  Brigade 
complete  (315th  and  316th  Infantry,  and  312th  Machine  Gun  Battalion),  the  304th 
Engineers,  and  the  Supply,  Sanitary  and  Divisional  trains.  The  154th  Artillery 
Brigade  and  the  Ammunition  Train  sailed  from  Philadelphia  on  July  14th,  the 
transports  carrying  them  being  the  Haverford,  North  Land,  Saxonia,  Mesaba, 
Nevasa  and  Morvada. 

Training  in  France 

On  July  15th,  the  day  that  Ludendorff  launched  the  fifth  and  final  German 
offensive  on  the  Rheims-Chateau-Thierry  front,  the  Leviathan  steamed  into  Brest 
with  the  first  12,000  men  of  the  Division.  On  July  18th,  the  first  day  of  Foch's 
Franco-American  counter-offensive  between  Soissons  and  Chateau-Thierry,  the 
second  convoy  of  transports  with  the  balance  of  the  infantry  and  divisional  troops 
reached  the  same  port.  On  the  last  day  of  the  month,  the  artillery  brigade  landed 
in  England,  and  on  August  6th  the  310th  and  311th  regiments  crossed  the  Channel 
to  Cherbourg  and  the  312th  to  Le  Havre.     The  entire  Division  was  in  France. 

The  154th  Artillery  Brigade  did  not  join  the  balance  of  the  Division.  Imme- 
diately after  its  arrival  in  France  it  was  sent  to  the  artillery  training  area  in  the 
vicinity  of  Montmorrillon.  The  brigade  trained  hard  through  August,  Septem- 
ber, and  part  of  October,  being  ready  to  go  into  the  line  on  October  16th.  But  it  was 
not  to  be.  Just  as  lack  of  equipment  had  compelled  it  to  train  with  wooden 
dummy  guns  at  Camp  Meade,  so  lack  of  equipment  kept  it  impotent  in  its  training 

138 


area  until  after  the  armistice.  It  was  a  terrible  disappointment  to  the  gallant 
artillerymen.  Through  no  fault  of  their  own  they  were  barred  from  firing  a  single 
gun  at  the  enemy,  and  nothing  which  can  be  said  in  compliment  can  assuage  the 
bitterness  which  swept  over  officers  and  men  when  thus  deprived  of  what  had  been 
their  goal  and  ambition  through  months  of  training. 

The  balance  of  the  Division,  upon  arrival  at  Brest,  had  been  assigned  to  the 
Twelfth  Training  Area  around  Chatillon-sur-Seine.  Only  the  157th  Infantry 
Brigade  had  reached  the  spot,  however,  when  the  order  was  countermanded  and 
the  Division  ordered  to  the  Tenth  Training  Area  in  the  vicinity  of  Prauthoy  and 
Champlitte.  The  last  unit  of  the  Division  (the  artillery  brigade  is  excluded  here- 
after in  referring  to  the  Division)  reached  Prauthoy  on  July  29th. 

August  and  the  first  week  of  September  was  a  hectic  period  of  intensive  train- 
ing. A  French  Mission  was  assigned  to  the  Division,  and  officers  and  men  learned 
more  about  war  and  its  methods  than  they  had  in  a  much  longer  time  at  Camp 
Meade.  Combat  lessons  were  the  chief  items  on  a  crowded  curriculum,  and  officers 
and  men  absorbed  everything  with  avidity.  While  in  this  area  the  influenza 
epidemic  made  its  appearance  and  many  men,  suffering  from  the  disease,  had  to 
be  evacuated. 

On  September  7th  the  Division  was  ordered  to  entrain  the  following  day  for 
the  Robert  Espagne  Area,  east  of  Bar-le-Duc,  and  to  report  to  the  2d  French  Army 
for  tactical  control  and  administration.  For  three  days,  mostly  through  rain  and 
mud,  the  Division,  alternating  with  rail  and  truck  train,  moved  upon  its  new  area, 
and  on  September  12th  was  ordered  to  take  over  the  Avocourt-Malancourt  Sector 
(known  as  Sector  304),  which  lay  due  south  of  Montfaucon.  The  relief  was 
completed  during  the  night  of  September  15-16th,  the  157th  Brigade  taking  over 
the  left  brigade  sector  and  the  158th  Brigade  the  right  brigade  sector.  The  front 
at  that  time  was  about  six  and  one-half  kilometers  in  width  and  extended  from 
one  kilometer  west  of  Avocourt  to  a  point  500  meters  southeast  of  Haucourt. 

The  first  encounters  with  the  enemy  occurred  during  the  period  between 
September  16th  and  22d.  Both  were  trench  raids  undertaken  by  the  Germans  and 
repulsed  by  elements  of  the  313th  Infantry.  The  first  was  a  minor  affair,  which 
cost  the  Germans  the  life  of  a  young  guard  officer  whose  body  was  found  in  front 
of  the  trenches  the  following  morning.  The  second  raid  was  undertaken  by  picked 
"  sturm"  troops,  and  followed  a  severe  artillery  bombardment  and  a  box  barrage. 
It  was  the  first  real  trial  for  the  Americans  and  the  men  held  splendidly,  inflicting 
severe  losses  upon  the  enemy,  although  losing  three  men  killed,  nine  wounded 
and  one  taken  prisoner. 

From  September  22d  to  the  night  of  September  25th  the  stage  was  set  for  the 
first  great  American  offensive,  afterwards  to  go  down  into  history  as  the  first  phase 
of  the  Meuse-Argonne  battle.  The  original  six  and  one-half  kilometer  front  of 
the  79th  was  contracted  to  two  and  one-half  kilometers.  The  whole  American 
front  for  the  first  great  offensive  is  familiar  to  all.  It  covered  forty  kilometers 
(twenty-five  miles),  extending  from  the  western  boundary  of  the  Argonne  Forest 
on  the  left  to  the  Meuse  River  on  the  right,  with  the  line  in  between  held  by  nine 
divisions.  The  1st  Corps,  with  the  77th,  28th  and  35th  divisions  in  line  from  left 
to  right,  was  stationed  on  the  western  flank;  the  3d  Corps,  with  the  4th,  80th  and 
33d  divisions  from  left  to  right  on  the  eastern  flank,  and  the  5th  Corps  in  the 
center.     The  79th  Division  was  the  easternmost  of  the  three  divisions  of  the  5th 

139 


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Courtesy  of  the  Evening  Bulletin. 


79th  Division  Men  Docking  at  Philadelphia. 


Corps.  It  held  liaison  with  the  4th  Division  of  the  3d  Corps  on  the  right  and 
with  the  37th  Division  of  the  5th  Corps  on  the  left.  Beyond  the  37th,  on  the 
west  lay  the  91st  Division,  the  left  of  which  reached  the  line  of  the  1st  Corps. 

On  the  night  of  September  25th,  the  79th  began  preparations  for  the  offensive. 
The  157th  Brigade,  commanded  by  Brigadier  General  William  J.  Nicholson,  and 
consisting  of  the  313th  Infantry  (Colonel  Claude  B.  Sweezy)  and  the  311th  Infan- 
try (Colonel  William  M.  Oury),  had  taken  over  the  front  line,  with  the  158th 
Brigade  in  support.  The  158th  Brigade  consisted  of  the  315th  Infantry  (Colonel 
Alden  C.  Knowles),  and  the  316th  Infantry  (Colonel  Oscar  J.  Charles).  The 
Division  was  formed  for  an  attack  on  a  brigade  front,  the  313th  on  the  left  and  the 
314th  on  the  right.  Behind  the  313th  lay  the  316th,  and  behind  the  314th  the 
315th.  Each  regiment  was  prepared  to  attack  with  two  battalions,  holding  one 
battalion  in  brigade  reserve.  The  lessons  at  Meade  and  Prauthoy  were  about  to 
be  demonstrated  in  cold  reality. 


The  Meuse-Argonne  via  Montfaucon 

The  opening  blast  of  the  Franco- American  artillery  on  the  morning  of  Sep- 
tember 26th  heralded  a  bombardment  never  before  equalled  in  warfare.  Some 
3,000  guns  of  every  caliber  spoke  incessantly  on  that  forty-kilometer  front,  thun- 
dering away  minute  after  minute,  hour  after  hour,  upon  the  first,  second  and  third 
positions  of  the  enemy  until,  at  5  o'clock,  a  thick  smoke  screen  was  rolled 
forward  from  the  American  front,  followed  by  a  box  barrage  of  75's,  under  whose 

140 


arcing  fire  at  5:30  o'clock  (H  hour)  the  First  American  Arnry  "went  over  the 
top,"  a  blurred  glimpse  of  drab  in  the  haze  of  early  dawn. 

The  day's  objective  for  the  79th  Division  was  Montfaucon,  a  towering  peak 
nearly  six  kilometers  within  the  German  line,  but  the  American  high  command 
had  set  a  schedule  beyond  human  possibilities,  as  subsequent  events  showed. 
The  American  plan  for  the  whole  offensive  was  for  the  line  to  go  forward  to  the 
first  objectives  and  then  keep  on,  breaking  the  Kriemhilde  Stellung  line  and 
routing  the  enemy  before  it  could  recover  from  the  shock.  Montfaucon,  how- 
ever, proved  the  stumbling  block  in  this  plan.  It  had  been  held  by  the  Germans 
since  1914,  and  had  been  rendered  almost  impregnable  by  long  series  of  concrete 
emplacements,  barbed  wire  entanglements,  and  every  other  defensive  measure 
which  the  ingenuity  of  the  Boche  could  conceive.  Added  to  this,  it  was  com- 
manded by  an  enfilading  fire  from  the  heights  east  of  the  Meuse,  and  the  whole 
country  approaching  it  was  infested  by  machine  gun  nests  and  snipers. 

The  79th  made  a  desperate  effort  that  day  to  reach  the  rgiant  hill.  That 
the  attempt  was  a  failure  was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Army  Staff  had  planned 
something  beyond  the  possibility  of  human  accomplishment  in  the  short  space  of 
time  allotted. 

Getting  away  at  5:30  o'clock,  the  313th  and  314th  Infantry  met  their  first 
setbacks  when  they  reached  the  barbed  wire  entanglement  in  front  of  the  deserted 
German  front  line  trenches  and  found  that  the  wire-cutters  had  partially  failed 
to  clear  the  path.  For  twenty-five  minutes  the  advance  was  held  up  until  the  wire 
was  snipped  away.  Striking  forward  again,  the  313th,  on  the  left,  immediately 
ran  into  the  Bois  de  Malancourt,  where  it  met  its  first  serious  resistance.  Yard 
after  yard  was  gained  but  with  severe  losses.  Every  tree  seemed  to  harbor  a  sniper, 
every  clump  of  bushes  a  machine  gun  nest.  Occasionally  there  were  open  spaces, 
but  these  were  swept  by  enfilading  fire  and  proved  veritable  death  traps. 

Casualties  among  officers  and  men  ran  high.  By  the  time  the  regiment  had 
gained  the  western  end  of  the  Bois  de  Cuisy,  where  it  was  necessary  to  halt  and  re- 
form, the  losses  had  reached  serious  proportions.  Major  Benjamin  Franklin 
Pepper,  of  the  2d  Battalion,  was  killed  by  a  sniper's  bullet.  Major  Langley,  of  the 
3d  Battalion,  was  seriously  wounded.  Officers  and  men  of  the  shock  companies  in 
the  advance  were  dropping  everywhere.  It  was  in  this  first  stage  that  Captain  Harry 
Ingersoll  of  H  Company;  Lieutenant  F.  Stuart  Patterson,  Battalion  Adjutant;  and 
Lieutenant  Thomas  D.  Vandiver,  of  B  Company,  were  killed  outright  or  mortally 
wounded. 

In  the  meanwhile,  on  the  right,  the  314th  had  swept  forward  after  the  barbed 
wire  was  cut  and  met  little  resistance  in  the  first  rush,  engulfing  the  ruined  hamlet 
of  Harcourt  and  finally  emerging  upon  another  ruined  town,  Malancourt,  lying  well 
within  the  original  enemy  territory.  Terrific  enfilading  fire  swept  this  open  area. 
Despite  the  resistance,  the  314th  kept  advancing,  its  progress  slowing  up  consider- 
ably, however.  Supreme  acts  of  heroism  developed  on  all  sides  as  the  squads 
rushed  or  surrounded  machine  gun  nests.  The  deaths  of  Sergeant  Michael  C. 
Ventura  and  Sergeant  Peter  Strucel,  and  the  achievements  of  Sergeant  Grant  U. 
Cole,  Sergeant  Joseph  Cabla,  Corporal  James  A.  Larson,  and  Private  Clifford  M. 
Seiders,  are  incidents  of  the  manner  in  which  the  stalking  was  done.  Late  after- 
noon at  last  found  the  314th  abreast  of  the  position  of  the  313th  Infantry,  with 
Montfaucon  in  plain  view  beyond. 

141 


Courtesy  of  the  Evening  Bulletin. 


Three  Cheers  for  the  U.  S.  A. 


The  158th  Brigade,  coming  up  in  support,  was  undergoing  heavy  punishment 
from  shell  fire,  and  its  advance  units  were  constantly  engaged  in  mopping  up  the 
snipers  and  machine  gunners  whom  the  first  waves  had  overlooked.  In  fact,  the 
concealed  Boche  was  even  at  times  enabled  to  escape  detection  by  the  supporting 
troops,  as  in  the  instance  of  Captain  Albert  C.  Bubel,  of  the  304th  Engineers,  who 
ran  into  a  Boche  machine  gun  on  the  road  to  Montfaucon,  a  kilometer  or  so  behind 
the  advance,  and  won  the  D.  S.  C.  by  the  way  in  which  he  silenced  it.  Shell  fire 
and  snipers  cost  the  315th  three  officers  and  the  316th  one,  in  the  course  of  the  day — 
those  killed  being  Lieutenant  William  P.  Craig,  of  the  Medical  Detachment; 
Lieutenant  Raymond  A.  Turn,  Company  I;  and  Lieutenant  Floyd  S.  Strosnider, 
Company  L,  all  of  the  315th,  and  Lieutenant  John  Harold  Fox,  Company  D,  316th. 

Up  forward  the  resistance  in  front  of  the  313th  in  the  Bois  de  Cuisy  was  growing 
heavier  with  every  passing  minute,  and  the  result  was  that  by  dusk  the  157th  Bri- 
gade was  in  front  of  Montfaucon,  but  some  distance  behind  the  Division  on  both  the 
right  and  left,  which  had  not  met  with  such  desperate  resistance.  Orders  came  to 
the  brigade  to  make  one  last  effort  to  take  Montfaucon  that  day.  The  infantry 
had  already  outdistanced  the  heavy  guns  and  the  crowded  conditions  of  the  single 
highway — the  Avocourt-Malancourt  road — made  it  impossible  to  bring  up  artil- 
lery. That  meant  an  attack  would  have  to  be  made  without  a  covering  barrage. 
In  the  gathering  darkness  the  313th  attacked,  aided  by  two  small  French  whippet 

142 


tanks  which  had  somehow  gotten  through.  The  shock  companies  in  the  lead  had 
gotten  about  200  yards  from  the  edge  of  the  wood,  and  up  the  slope  leading  to 
Montfaucon,  when  they  were  deluged  with  machine  gun  and  artillery  fire  and  hand 
grenades.  The  men  could  not  see  the  machine  gun  positions  nor  make  any  effec- 
tive return  fire.  Their  leader,  Major  Israel  Putnam,  was  instantly  killed.  In 
the  words  of  the  Divisional  report  of  operations,  "After  suffering  heavy  casualties 
for  some  time  in  this  attempt,  withdrawal  was  ordered  to  the  edge  of  the  woods, 
at  which  point  the  regiment  bivouacked  for  the  night." 

The  311th  and  312th  Machine  Gun  Battalions  had  managed  to  work  in  some 
effective  firing  upon  located  machine  gun  nests  but  only  in  isolated  instances,  while 
the  310th  Machine  Gun  Battalion  had  been  held  up  by  traffic  congestion.  The 
road  conditions,  in  fact,  became  serious  from  the  very  opening  hour,  and  the  six 
companies  of  the  304th  Engineers  for  the  ensuing  five  days  were  building  and 
repairing  roads  under  continuous  shell  fire. 

On  the  morning  of  September  27th,  General  Kuhn,  dissatisfied  with  the  dis- 
position of  the  units  of  the  158th  Brigade,  relieved  the  Brigade  Commander 
and  created  a  provisional  brigade  of  the  314th  and  315th  Infantry,  under  Colonel 
Oury,  of  the  314th.  General  Nicholson,  of  the  157th  Brigade,  thus  found  his 
command  consisting  of  the  313th  and  316th  Infantry.  With  the  313th  and  314th 
reformed  during  the  night,  the  advance  was  resumed  on  the  27th,  the  latter  unit 
getting  off  at  4  a.m.  and  the  former  at  7  a.m.  Between  7  and  11  o'clock  that 
morning  the  313th  fought  a  dogged,  determined  fight  up  the  hill  toward  Mont- 
faucon. Swept  by  machine  gun  fire  and  heavies,  the  regiment  kept  on.  Aided  by 
effective  fire  from  one  company  of  the  311th  Machine  Gun  Battalion,  the  2d  Bat- 
talion of  the  313th  reached  the  outskirts  of  the  town  on  the  hill  at  11  o'clock,  and  at 
11:55  completed  its  occupation.  The  historic  message,  sent  back  to  Divisional 
Headquarters  by  Colonel  Sweezy,  gave  the  news  as  follows: 

Took  town  of  MONTFAUCON  llh  55,  after  considerable  fighting  in  town.  Many  snipers 
left  behind.  Town  shelled  to  slight  extent  after  our  occupation.  Am  moving  on  to  Corps  ob- 
jective and  hope  to  reach  it  by  16  h(4  p.m.) 

From  4  a.m.  onward  the  314th  had  been  in  deadly  fighting  on  the  right,  keep- 
ing abreast  of  the  313th's  advance  and  topping  the  rises  of  the  Fayal  Farm  at  about 
the  same  time  its  companion  unit  was  sweeping  into  Montfaucon.  Both  regiments 
suffered  heavily.  In  the  314th,  Captain  Clarence  P.  Freeman,  of  M  Company, 
and  Lieutenant  Clifford  McK.  Alexander,  of  L  Company,  were  killed,  while  the  lost 
among  the  ranks  had  been  so  heavy  as  to  interfere  with  further  successful  advance. 
Nevertheless,  both  regiments  tried  to  extend  their  operations.  The  313th  was 
heavily  shelled  from  the  Bois  de  Beuge  to  the  northwest  and  finally,  toward  even- 
ing was  compelled  to  dig  in  a  few  hundred  meters  north  of  Montfaucon;  while  the 
314th,  after  repeated  attempts  during  the  afternoon  to  take  Nantallois,  a  hamlet 
about  three  kilometers  north  of  the  town  on  the  hill,  finally  dug  in  about  a  half 
kilometer  south  of  its  objective. 

The  315th  and  316th  regiments  in  support  had  kept  close  on  the  heels  of  the 
leaders,  with  the  result  that  elements  of  the  316th  were  in  Montfaucon  within  a 
half  hour  after  it  fell.  But  conditions  farther  in  the  rear  had  grown  worse  and  worse. 
With  but  a  single  highway  for  the  evacuation  of  the  wounded,  the  bringing  up  of 
ammunition  and  supplies  and  the  advance  of  the  artillery,  it  was  inevitable  that 

143 


9iy 


Courtesy  of  the  Evening  Bulletin. 

A  Wounded  Man  of  the  79th  Division  being  carried  from  the  Transport  "Kroonland." 

the  Divisional  trains  should  become  jammed.  Eye-witnesses,  however,  declare 
that  the  congestion  was  absolutely  indescribable.  Of  it  Brigadier  General  William 
Mitchell,  Commander  of  the  Air  Service  for  the  1st  Army,  states: 

Although  there  was  some  congestion  in  other  places,  it  was  worse  in  this  area  .(the  Avocourt- 
Malancourt-Montfaucon  road)  than  I  have  ever  seen  on  a  battlefield. 

The  result  was  that  the  wounded  were  retarded  for  hours  in  their  progress 
toward  the  rear  and  the  supplies  for  the  front  line  troops  simply  could  not  get 
through.  The  rations  issued  on  the  night  of  September  25th  were  by  this  time 
exhausted,  and  to  the  fatigue  of  two  days  of  gruelling  fighting  were  added  the  dis- 
comfort of  empty  stomachs,  and  the  depression  caused  by  an  almost  incessant 
rainfall,  which  soaked  every  one  to  the  skin  and  rendered  the  ground  a  muddy 
morass. 

On  the  night  of  September  27th,  the  313th  and  314th  regiments,  which  had 
borne  the  brunt  of  the  first  two  days'  fighting,  were  relieved  and  passed  back  into 
support,  the  316th  moving  ahead  to  the  left  and  the  315th  to  the  right.  The  morn- 
ing of  the  28th  found  new  men  facing  the  Boche,  but  men  also  fatigued  and  hungry. 
Nevertheless,  the  two  regiments  started  off  at  dawn,  the  315th  on  the  east  pressing 
along  the  highway  toward  the  town  of  Nantallois,  and  the  316th  attacking  across 
open  ground  toward  the  Bois  de  Beuge,  a  cluster  of  woods  which  lay  to  the  west 
of  Nantallois. 

The  way  led  across  a  valley  which  ran  diagonally  from  northeast  to  south- 
west, and  which  was  exposed  over  a  two  kilometer  width  to  an  enfilading  fire  from 
the  heights  of  the  Meuse  far  over  to  the  right.  This  withering  fire,  aided  by  the 
myriad  machine  guns  in  front  and  Boche  machine  gunners  in  fast  planes  overhead, 
brought  the  advancing  lines  to  a  stop  within  a  few  hours.  There  was  a  pause  and 
then  another  advance.     The  blood  of  the  two  regiments  was  up.    The  315th 

144 


stormed  into  Nantallois  and  took  it  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  passing  through 
the  town  about  noon  and  gaining  a  hill  beyond,  where  it  dug  in  awaiting  word 
that  the  316th  was  up  abreast. 

But  the  316th,  on  the  left,  did  not  come  up  abreast.  A  terrible  tragedy  had 
occurred,  one  of  those  unforeseen  disasters  which  moulds  heroes  and  martyrs  in 
the  short  space  of  minutes.  The  316th  had  fought  its  way  effectively  through  the 
Bois  de  Beuge  and  faced  a  slight  woods  beyond.  The  3d  Battalion,  leading  the 
advance,  reached  the  edge  of  the  woods  and  ran  into  a  strong  machine  gun  position. 
Major  J.  Bayard  Atwood,  commanding  the  Battalion,  called  a  halt  until  such  time 
as  artillery  or  machine  guns  could  be  brought  up  to  reduce  the  position.  He 
received  a  curt  command  to  go  forward.  It  was  just  such  a  command  which  had 
sent  the  Light  Brigade  to  destruction  and  eternal  glory  at  Balaclava.  It  did  the 
same  for  L  and  M  Companies  of  the  316th  on  that  September  day  in  the  depths  of 
the  woods.  Some  one  had  blundered.  Officers  and  men  of  the  3d  Battalion 
paid  with  their  lives  for  the  fatal  error.  I  and  K  Companies  were  in  reserve;  L 
and  M  Companies  made  the  attack .  Two  full  companies,  well-nigh  500  men,  went 
forward  without  the  slightest  bit  of  artillery  or  machine  gun  barrage  to  cover  them. 
With  them  went  Major  Atwood  to  his  death;  with  them  went  Lieutenant  Albert 
Clinton  Wunderlich,  of  L  Company,  to  the  same  fate — officers  and  men,  500  of  them, 
assaulting  in  echelon  with  not  a  ghost  of  a  chance,  but  refusing  to  quit  until  both 
companies  were  well-nigh  annihilated.  Three  times  they  drove  forward  to  wither 
away  under  the  avalanche  of  fire  until  finally  the  attempt  was  abandoned.  Says 
the  Beport  of  Operations,  "The  regiment  was  badly  disorganized  at  this  point 
after  this  advance."  It  was  humanly  impossible  for  it  to  have  been  otherwise. 
It  bivouacked  on  the  spot  and  took  account  of  casualties,  while  over  to  the  right, 
the  315th  found  two  officers,  Lieutenant  Seth  Caldwell  Hetherington  and  Lieu- 
tenant Alfred  L.  Ouintard,  and  many  men  killed.  Nightfall  found  the  positions 
unchanged. 

All  through  the  day  on  the  heights  of  Montfaucon  a  little  detail  of  men,  headed 
by  Sergeant  Thomas  M.  Bivel,  of  the  Headquarters  Detachment,  had  been  earning 
the  commendation  of  General  Kuhn  by  their  heroism  in  manning  a  periscopic 
telescope  which  had  been  captured  the  day  before.  The  Hun,  in  his  haste,  had 
failed  to  destroy  the  telescope,  which  was  incased  in  a  solid  concrete  structure, 
and  the  enemy  made  every  effort  during  the  subsequent  three  days  to  atone  for 
this  mistake.  The  telescope  was  said  to  have  been  used  by  the  Crown  Prince  when 
Montfaucon  was  the  official  observatory  for  the  attacks  upon  Verdun  two  years 
before,  and  now  the  same  implement,  which  had  aided  the  German  observers,  was 
used  upon  them  by  Sergeant  Bivel  and  Privates  A.  J .  McCain  and  A.  S.  Boberts. 
This  trio  clung  to  the  concrete  building  while  it  was  being  blasted  to  fragments 
around  them,  and  their  services  were  rewarded  subsequently  by  the  D.  S.  C. 

The  morning  of  September  29th  found  the  315th  drawn  up  in  the  shelter  of  a 
low  hill  a  few  hundred  yards  north  of  Nantallois — "Suicide  Hill" — as  it  was  called 
by  the  men,  an  apt  name  indeed,  as  it  meant  self-destruction  to  venture  over  its 
crest  into  the  raging  inferno  of  machine  gun  fire  from  the  woods  beyond.  To  their 
left  the  316th  still  held  the  position  north  of  the  Boise  de  Beuge.  The  attack  was 
resumed  at  7  a.m.  The  left  battalion  of  the  316th  was  only  able  to  get  about 
300  meters  north  of  the  small  woods  which  had  proven  so  disastrous  the  day 
before,  but  the  right  battalion  pushed  clear  to  the  western  edge  of  the  Bois  des 

145 


Ogons.  The  advance  was  at  so  high  a  cost  that  by  noon  the  regiment  was  down 
to  1,000  effectives.  At  this  point  the  313th  was  called  from  support  to  the  attack, 
passing  through  the  316th,  which  in  turn  was  reorganized  as  a  battalion  and  held 
800  meters  behind  the  advancing  line.  The  313th  made  a  slight  advance  and  then 
physical  exhaustion  won.  The  men  had  expended  every  ounce  of  driving  power 
and  the  officers  realized  it.  At  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  Brigade  Commander 
ordered  the  313th  to  fall  back  and  maintain  a  holding  line  along  the  northern 
edge  of  the  Boise  de  Beuge,  and  this  was  effected  successfully.  However,  the  bat- 
talion of  the  316th,  passing  too  far  to  the  right,  got  ahead  of  the  313th  and  was 
through  the  Bois  des  Ogons  and  in  full  view  of  the  town  of  Romagne  by  late  after- 
noon. The  Battalion  Commander  urged  an  attack  and  asked  for  reinforcements, 
but  there  were  none  to  send  and  his  own  men  were  "  done  up. "  Regretfully  he  was 
forced  to  withdraw  to  the  holding  line. 

During  the  day  the  315th,  on  the  right,  had  been  engaged  in  continuous  and 
deadly  fighting.  Before  it  lay  the  Bois  des  Ogons,  held  by  the  enemy  in  force. 
The  Divisional  Artillery  had  succeeded  in  getting  close  enough  to  shell  the  woods, 
driving  out  the  machine  gunners  and,  with  this  effected,  the  315th  advanced  and 
obtained  a  temporary  hold  in  the  fastness.  But  not  for  long.  From  the  Madeleine 
Farm,  a  strong  point  in  the  woods,  and  from  the  Boche  artillery  farther  north, 
poured  such  a  fire  as  to  make  the  spot  untenable.  Finally,  after  a  number  of 
desperate  efforts,  the  315th  was  withdrawn  and  dug  in  on  the  reverse  slope  of 
"Suicide  Hill." 

The  toll  in  officers  and  men  among  all  four  regiments  had  been  more  severe 
than  on  any  other  day.  In  the  313th,  Lieutenant  Charles  G.  Reilly,  of  D  Company, 
was  killed;  Lieutenant  William  P.  McGoohan,  of  A  Company,  mortally  wounded; 
Captain  David  Rupp,  of  C  Company,  killed;  Lieutenant  David  M.  Rupp,  of  G 
Company,  killed ;  and  Lieutenant  William  J.  Watters,  of  A  Company,  killed.  In 
the  314th,  Lieutenant  Ballard  C.  Linch,  of  the  Sanitary  Detachment,  had  been 
killed.  In  the  315th,  the  killed  or  mortally  wounded  were  Lieutenant  George  N. 
Althouse,  of  H  Company;  Lieutenant  Benjamin  Bullock,  3d  Battalion  Adjutant; 
Lieutenant  James  F.  Delaney;  Captain  Joseph  Gray  Duncan,  Jr.,  of  the  Machine 
Gun  Company;  Lieutenant  Herman  D.  Partson,  of  Company  G;  and  Lieutenant 
WTilliam  A.  Sheehan,  of  Company  F.  The  killed  or  mortally  wounded  in  the  316th 
were  Lieutenant  Joseph  C.  Fitzharris,  Company  K;  Captain  Benjamin  H.  Hewitt, 
Company  F;  Lieutenant  Daniel  S.  Keller,  Regimental  Staff;  Captain  Allen  W. 
Lukens,  Company  G;  and  Lieutenant  Ivan  L.  Lautenbacher,  Supply  Company. 

That  day  back  abreast  of  Montfaucon,  where  on  the  Fayal  Farm  Field  Hos- 
pitals Nos.  315  and  316  had  established  themselves,  the  Huns  deliberately  shelled 
the  area.  There  were  between  500  and  600  wounded  men  under  treatment  there 
when  the  enemy  shelling  began.  Three  tents  were  struck  and  twenty-one  men 
killed,  including  a  German  captain  and  German  private,  captives  who  were  being 
treated  for  wounds.  The  men  of  the  two  hospitals  carried  those  most  severely 
injured  back  to  safety  while  the  "walking  cases"  limped  and  staggered  along, 
leaning  on  the  shoulders  of  burdened  orderlies,  until  the  area  was  cleared  without 
further  casualties. 

Before  dawn  on  the  morning  of  September  30th  an  order  from  the  5th  Corps 
announced  that  the  79th  would  be  relieved  by  the  3d  Division  during  the  day. 
As  a  result  it  was  decided  to  make  no  further  advance  but  hold  present  positions 

146 


until  relief  arrived.  During  the  entire  day  the  enfilading  fire  from  the  Meuse  to 
the  eastward  and  northwestward  from  the  region  of  Cierges  and  Romagne  beat 
in  upon  the  Division,  causing  many  casualties,  and  also  inflicting  severe  losses  among 
the  units  of  the  3d  Division  which  began  to  reach  the  front  shortly  before  11  o'clock. 
Under  this  fire  the  314th  Infantry  lost  two  officers  killed,  Major  Alfred  Reginald 
Allen  and  lieutenant  E.  Thorp  VanDusen,  of  the  M  achine  Gun  Company,  and  had 
one  mortally  wounded,  Lieutenant  Matthew  F.  Olstein,  of  the  Sanitary  Detach- 
ment. The  relief  went  on  steadily  under  the  greatest  difficulties,  and  by  6  p.m.  the 
last  unit  of  the  Division,  save  two  companies  of  the  311th  Machine  Gun  Battalion, 
which  were  not  relieved  until  the  following  day,  had  fallen  back  to  Montfaucon  for  a 
much  needed  rest.  The  304th  Engineers,  however,  after  reaching  the  vicinity  of 
Malancourt,  were  recalled  and  attached  to  the  3d  Division,  continuing  the  road 
work  until  October  8th,  when  they  were  permitted  to  march  from  the  area. 

The  79th  in  its  first  offensive  had  advanced  to  a  depth  of  ten  kilometers  and 
taken  905  prisoners,  together  with  considerable  quantities  of  machine  guns  and  other 
cannon.  Its  casualties  as  computed  immediately  after  its  withdrawal  from  the 
front,  totalled  108  officers  and  3,315  men,  divided  as  follows: 

Officers:  Killed,  22;  wounded,  77;  gassed,  9. 

Men:  Killed,  278;  wounded  2,150;  gassed,  138;  missing,  749. 

The  conclusions  of  the  General  commanding,  as  found  in  the  Report  of  Opera- 
tions, are: 

The  79th  Division  came  under  fire  for  the  first  time  since  its  organization.  More  than  half 
of  its  strength  was  made  up  of  draftees  of  not  more  than  four  months'  service,  and  considerable 
loss  of  actual  training,  due  to  time  lost  in  transport  from  the  United  States  and  in  moving  about 
while  in  France.  So  far  as  courage  and  self-sacrifice  are  concerned,  the  conduct  of  both  officers 
and  men  was  above  all  reproach;  but,  as  in  the  case  with  all  green  troops,  there  was  lacking  the 
experience,  which  comes  only  from  actual  contact  with  the  enemy.  In  view  of  the  difficulties 
of  the  terrain  and  the  inexperience  of  the  troops,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  both  officers  and  men 
fought  well. 

From  Troyon  to  La  Grande  Montagne 

For  three  days  after  leaving  the  Montfaucon  front  the  79th  Division  was  bivou- 
acked in  the  area  south  of  the  Esnes-Avocourt  Road,  and  on  October  4th  and  5th 
marched  to  the  Troyon  Sector,  lying  south  of  Verdun,  and  eight  kilometers  north 
of  St.  Mihiel.  It  received  several  days'  rest  and  then  relieved  the  26th  Division 
on  October  8th,  passing  from  the  administration  of  the  1st  American  Army  to  that 
of  the  2d  Colonial  French  Corps.  The  new  front  extended  from  Fresnes-en-Woevre 
on  the  north  to  one  kilometer  south  of  Doncourt-aux-Templiers,  a  distance  of 
eleven  kilometers.  It  was  supposed  to  be  a  quiet  sector.  Perhaps  it  had  been 
before  the  79th  arrived;  but  immediately  after  it  had  taken  over  the  line,  the  Huns 
began  to  alternate  trench  raids,  with  gas  attacks,  until  the  units  in  the  trenches 
were  constantly  on  the  alert.  Gas  casualties  totalled  nearly  500  before  the  orders 
came  to  move  out.  Originally  the  A.  E.  F.  reports  gave  the  occupancy  of  the  Tro- 
yon sector  as  a  rest  period,  but  a  revision  made  in  the  fall  of  1920  placed  this  sector 
as  a  part  of  the  Meuse-Argonne,  with  the  result  that  the  79th  Division  is  now  en- 
titled to  credit  for  participating  three  times  in  the  great  offensive. 

On  October  26th  the  33d  Division  came  into  Troyon  and  relieved  the  79th, 
which  forthwith^started  northward,  proceeding  by  marches  along  the  Meuse  River 

147 


to  the  sector  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Meuse.  known  as  La  Grande  Montagne,  four- 
teen kilometers  north  of  Verdun. 

In  La  Grande  Montagne  the  79th  relieved  the  29th  and  part  of  the  26th, 
which  had  just  completed  the  conquest  of  Belleu  Woods  (not  those  of  Chateau- 
Thierry  fame).  The  79th  was  now  a  part  of  the  17th  French  Corps,  and  its  activ- 
ities henceforth  were  interwoven  with  those  of  the  French.  The  new  divisional 
front  covered  a  width  of  7.3  kilometers  in  the  form  of  a  quadrant,  with  the  left 
flank  facing  north  and  the  right  flank  facing  east.  Back  at  Troyon  the  157th 
and  158th  Brigades  had  been  reformed,  Colonel  Oury  returning  to  the  command 
of  the  314th  Infantry  and  Brigadier  General  Evan  M.  Johnson  assuming  control 
of  the  158th  Brigade.  The  316th  Infantry  was  at  that  time  under  command  of 
Colonel  George  Williams,  the  313th  under  Colonel  William  J.  Bogers,  and  the 
304th  Engineers  under  Colonel  J.  Frank  Barber,  the  other  units  remaining  under 
the  same  leadership  as  at  Montfaucon.  Every  organization  was  back  at  war 
strength,  ample  replacements  having  been  received  and  drilled  during  the  stay 
in  the  Troyon  sector. 

On  October  31st,  when  the  79th  took  over  the  new  sector,  the  157th  Brigade 
moved  in  on  the  right,  facing  east  and  the  158th  Brigade  took  over  the  left  flank, 
facing  due  north.  Each  brigade  had  both  regiments  in  the  line,  the  disposition  at 
first  being  two  battalions  on  the  line  and  one  in  support,  although  this  later 
was  changed  to  one  battalion  in  the  line,  one  in  support  and  one  in  brigade 
reserve. 

Directly  in  front  of  the  158th  Brigade's  sector,  and  about  a  kilometer  away, 
was  the  famous  Hill  378  (Borne  du  Cornouiller,  as  the  French  called  it,  and  "  Corned 
Willie  Hill, "  as  the  doughboys  termed  it).  It  was  a  high,  jagged  eminence,  gashed 
by  shell-fire  and  wooded  in  spots.  It  had  been  considered  by  French  military 
experts  as  impregnable.  Three  previous  attempts  had  been  made  to  take  it, 
but  all  had  failed,  and  the  task  was  now  up  to  the  79th.  On  the  night  of  November 
2d  patrols  were  sent  out,  and  on  November  3d  the  316th  Infantry  began  a  recon- 
naissance in  force  in  three  columns  which  opened  up  severe  fighting  and  resulted 
in  partial  success.  At  6  a.m.  on  November  4th  the  316th  made  its  first  assault 
upon  the  position,  the  1st  Battalion  leading  off.  There  was  immediate  success; 
but  the  division  on  the  left  falling  back  enabled  the  Germans  to  counter-attack,  and 
the  316th  was  forced  to  relinquish  its  hold  on  the  lower  slopes  of  the  hill  for  the  time 
being.  Captain  Claude  Cunningham,  of  Company  H,  was  mortally  wounded  and 
three  officers  and  twenty-three  men  of  B  Company  captured,  one  of  whom,  Cap- 
tain Louis  C.  Knack,  died  of  his  wounds.  Lieutenant  Maxwell  McKeen,  of  D 
Company,  also  was  killed. 

On  November  5th  the  second  attack  was  launched.  Again  the  316th  fought 
its  way  doggedly  up  the  slope.  For  a  time  it  seemed  as  though  it  would  have  to 
fall  back,  but  the  men  kept  on  and  finally  attained  the  coveted  goal.  By  this 
time  the  fire  from  the  left  flank  had  become  terrific.  It  would  have  been  suicidal 
to  try  and  hold  the  hill  under  such  circumstances,  so,  although  they  had 
taken  it,  the  men  of  the  316th  were  forced  to  return  down  the  southern  slope,  this 
time  stopping  and  digging  in  at  the  point  they  had  reached  in  the  farthest  ad- 
vance of  the  preceding  day.  The  attack  had  cost  the  life  of  Major  William  Sinkler 
Manning,  son  of  the  Governor  of  South  Carolina,  who  was  killed  on  the  bullet- 
swept  slope,  and  of  Lieutenant  Lawrence  J.  Ayers,  of  H  Company.     On  the  same 

148 


day  Lieutenant  John  T.  Owens,  of  the  315th  Infantry,  was  killed  during  a  support 
attack  upon  the  right  of  the  316th's  objective. 

On  November  6th  a  battalion  of  the  313th  was  ordered  to  assist  the  almost 
exhausted  316th  in  taking  the  position,  but  the  newcomers  did  not  reach  the  as- 
signed position  until  too  late  in  the  afternoon  for  an  effective  attack.  On  the  7th, 
however,  after  a  heavy  barrage  delivered  by  the  312th  Machine  Gun  Battalion, 
the  3I6th  and  the  battalion  of  the  313th  started  up  the  hill  together  and  nothing 
could  stop  them  this  time.  Within  two  hours  they  were  over  the  crest,  and  the  top 
of  Hill  378  had  been  consolidated.  A  French  division  on  the  left,  which  had  been 
ordered  to  advance  and  had  been  held  up  for  three  days  because  the  defenses  of  Hill 
378  had  not  been  overthrown,  then  got  under  way  and  put  out  of  business  the  ma- 
chine guns  that  had  delivered  the  enfilading  fire  on  the  316th  during  the  previous 
days. 

Hill  378  stands  out  as  the  brightest  achievement  in  the  history  of  the  316th. 
It  won  a  divisional  citation  for  the  deed,  while  both  Major  General  Kuhn  and  Bri- 
gadier General  Johnson  were  cited  by  the  French  for  planning  and  executing  it. 

The  advance  of  the  French  division  had  straightened  out  the  line,  so  that  after 
November  7th  the  79th  was  no  longer  on  a  quadrant  front.  The  reduction  of  Hill 
378  enabled  the  158th  Brigade  to  pivot  until  it  faced  eastward  in  a  line  with  the 
157th  Brigade,  and  the  divisional  front  now  ran  from  west  of  Ecurey  to  west  of  Cre- 
pion,  a  front  of  almost  ten  kilometers.  The  straightening  out  of  the  line  resulted 
in  the  mopping  up  of  numerous  machine  gun  nests  entrenched  in  the  rolling  country. 

On  the  morning  of  November  8th  the  Germans  unleashed  a  terrific  rain  of 
fire  along  the  entire  front.  They  seemed  to  be  pouring  everything  in  the  shell 
line  upon  the  79th.  Hour  after  hour  it  continued,  until  in  the  afternoon  it  slackened 
and  finally  died  out  completely.  The  front  grew  oppressively  silent.  The  sus- 
pense was  terrific,  officers  and  men  not  knowing  whether  an  assault  was  coming 
or  whether  the  Germans  were  in  retreat.  Finally  aerial  observers  brought  in  word 
that  the  Huns  were  indeed  falling  back  toward  Damvillers.  The  French  Corps 
Commander,  to  reduce  the  width  of  the  79th's  front,  issued  instructions  to  General 
Kuhn  on  that  day  with  the  result  that  the  314th  took  over  the  entire  divisional 
front  for  a  short  space  of  time  while  the  315th  Infantry,  the  left  element  of  the  158th 
Brigade,  was  compelled  to  side-step  to  the  south.  The  effect  of  the  maneuver 
was  to  change  the  79th's  front  slightly,  the  line  now  being  from  east  of  Etraye  to 
east  of  Moirey,  Etraye  being  some  distance  south  of  Ecurey  and  Moirey  a  short 
distance  below  Crepion.  The  315th  marched  four  and  one-half  kilometers  at 
night  through  underbrush  and  woods,  and  reached  its  assigned  position  in  time  to 
attack  on  November  9th. 

On  the  morning  of  November  9th,  the  Division  was  in  position  with  the  314th 
on  the  line  and  the  313th  in  support  on  the  right  of  the  sector,  and  the  315th  behind 
the  line  on  the  left  of  the  sector,  with  the  316th  coming  up  in  support.  As  it  was 
impossible  to  deploy  the  315th  into  line  on  the  then  narrow  front,  the  attack  at 
dawn  developed  entirely  upon  the  314th  Infantry.  This  unit,  advancing  at  6  a.m. 
took  Crepion  at  8.20,  and  Wavrille,  Gibercy,  Etraye  and  Moirey  shortly  after- 
wards. On  the  left  the  314th  ran  up  against  such  heavy  fire  from  Hill  356  and 
the  Cote  de  Morimont  that  it  was  brought  to  a  halt,  but  on  the  right  it  progressed 
to  the  crest  of  Hill  328  by  nightfall.  In  the  meanwhile  a  battalion  of  the  315th 
relieved  the  left  battalion  of  the  314th  in  front  of  the  Cote  de  Morimont,  and  both 

149 


brigades  were  again  facing  the  enemy.  Major  Ward  W.  Pierson,  of  the  315th,  was 
killed  that  day  while  effecting  the  relief. 

The  plans  of  attack  were  changed  for  November  10th.  Because  of  the  natural 
strength  of  the  Cote  d'Orne  and  Cote  de  Morimont,  facing  the  315th  Infantry, 
it  was  decided  to  flank  them  from  the  south  and  southeast,  this  necessitating  a  di- 
rect attack  by  the  157th  Brigade  and  a  feint  against  the  strong  hills  by  the  158th. 
At  6  a.m.  the  314th  attacked  on  the  right,  completing  the  reduction  of  Hill  328, 
passing  through  Chaumont-devant-Damvillers  and,  after  dusk,  capturing  Hill  319. 
In  the  meanwhile  the  315th  had  fought  its  way  partly  up  the  slope  of  Cote  d'Orne 
and  dug  in  for  the  night.  The  last  officer  of  the  Division  killed  in  action  died  that 
day,  Captain  Frank  F.  Battles,  of  the  Machine  Gun  Company,  314th  Infantry. 

Beginning  at  9:30  a.m.  on  November  11th  the  attack  was  pushed  along  the 
entire  front.  The  314th  moved  forward  against  the  Cote  de  Romagne,  with  a 
battalion  of  the  313th  also  pressing  forward  for  the  same  objective  and  town  of 
Azannes.  At  the  same  time  another  battalion  of  the  313th  occupied  the  town  of 
Ville-devant-Chaumont,  and  the  315th  executed  a  flanking  attack  on  the  Cote 
d'Orne,  one  company  (D)  pushing  up  the  slope  and  capturing  a  9-inch  German  can- 
non. Armistice  hour  found  the  Division  well  on  its  way  to  its  objectives.  Nor 
had  the  other  divisional  units  aside  from  the  infantry  been  idle.  The  304th  En- 
gineers had  been  bridge  and  road  building  between  Vaucherauville,  the  Divisional 
Headquarters,  and  the  front  line;  the  supply  train  had  been  under  constant  shell 
fire  for  the  whole  eleven  days  since  taking  over  the  sector,  and  even  the  304th 
Ammunition  Train  had  managed  to  get  into  the  offensive.  The  horse  battalion 
had  been  with  the  Division  at  Montfaucon,  but  the  motor  battalion  did  not  get 
away  from  the  artillery  brigade  until  just  before  the  final  offensive.  It  had  reached 
the  sector  on  November  3d,  and  while  C,  D  and  F  Companies  had,  through  lack 
of  equipment,  been  forced  to  turn  engineers  and  work  with  the  road  and  bridge 
builders,  Companies  A,  B,  E  and  G  had  served  ammunition  constantly  from 
November  3d  to  Armistice  Day  and  hour. 

The  total  depth  of  the  79th  Division  advance  in  the  La  Grande  Montagne 
sector  had  been  9}/o,  kilometers.  It  had  taken  192  prisoners  and  material  in  great 
abundance.  Its  casualties  for  the  offensive  totalled  sixty-four  officers  and  2,636 
men,  divided  as  follows; 

Officers:  Killed,  10;  wounded,  39;  gassed,  13;  missing  in  action,  2. 

Men:  Killed,  453;  wounded  1,447;  gassed,  275;  missing,  including  captured,  461. 

To  compare  the  conclusions  with  those  given  after  Montfaucon,  the  following 
is  taken  from  the  Report  of  Operations: 

The  Division  fought  with  much  more  skill,  as  a  result  of  the  first  experience  at  Montfaucon. 
The  energies  of  combat  units  were  husbanded  and  not  dissipated  so  rapidly  as  on  the  first  offen- 
sive. Troops  were  kept  well  in  hand,  and  straggling  was  kept  at  a  gratifying  low  limit.  After 
eight  days  of  severe  combat,  the  158th  Brigade,  although  somewhat  depleted,  was  still  capable 
of  further  effort,  while  the  157th  Brigade,  after  three  days'  offensive,  was  still  relatively  fresh, 
and  the  Division  as  a  whole  could  have  maintained  considerable  driving  power  for  a  number  of  days. 

The  Armistice  Period  and  Afterwards 

From  November  11th  to  December  26th,  the  79th  remained  on  the  battle 
front,  taking  over  a  sector  from  Damvillers  on  the  north  to  Fresnes-en-Woevre 
(the  northern  point  of  the  old  Troyon  sector)  on  the  south.     They  kept  up  patrol 

150 


and  police  duty  during  that  month  and  a  half.  On  December  10th,  headquarters 
of  the  314th  Infantry,  Headquarters  Company  and  one  battalion  proceeded  to  the 
area  around  Montmedy,  Stenay  and  Virton  (Belgium)  for  the  purpose  of  guarding 
property,  listing  material  and  maintaining  order.  On  February  1st,  this  detach- 
ment rejoined  the  Division  in  the  Souilly  area. 

It  was  on  December  27th  that  the  Division  had  moved  to  the  Souilly  area, 
where  it  was  joined  in  January  by  the  154th  Artillery  Brigade,  the  first  time  the 
entire  Division  had  been  assembled  as  such  since  leaving  Camp  Meade.  While 
in  this  area  General  Kuhn  took  temporary  command  of  the  9th  Corps  during  the 
month  of  February,  Brigadier  General  Johnson  taking  over  the  control  of  the 
Division  during  his  absence. 

From  the  Souilly  area  the  Division  moved  during  the  last  days  of  March  to  the 
area  northeast  of  Chaumont  around  Andelot  and  Rimaucourt  (Fourth  Training 
Area).  It  was  here  that  the  Division  was  reviewed  by  General  Pershing,  the  last 
official  review,  by  the  way,  in  its  history.  General  Pershing,  who  decorated  the 
colors,  and  awarded  numerous  Distinguished  Service  Crosses,  afterwards  addressed 
a  letter  to  General  Kuhn  in  which  he  said: 

"It  afforded  me  great  satisfaction  to  inspect  the  79th  Division  on  April  12th,  and  on  that 
occasion  to  decorate  the  standards  of  your  regiments  and,  for  gallantry  in  action,  to  confer  medals 
upon  certain  officers  and  men.  Your  transportation  and  artillery  were  in  splendid  shape,  and  the 
general  appearance  of  the  Division  was  well  up  to  the  standard  of  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces.  Throughout  the  inspection  and  review  the  excellent  morale  of  the  men  and  their  pride 
in  the  record  of  their  organizations  was  evident. 

"In  the  Meuse-Argonne  Offensive  the  Division  had  its  full  share  of  hard  fighting.  Entering 
the  line  for  the  first  time  on  September  26  as  the  right  of  the  center  corps,  it  took  part  in  the 
beginning  of  the  great  Meuse-Argonne  Offensive.  By  September  27  it  had  captured  the  strong 
position  of  Montfaucon;  and  in  spite  of  heavy  artillery  reaction,  the  Bois  de  Beuge  and 
Nantillois  were  occupied.  On  September  30  it  was  relieved,  having  advanced  ten  kilometers. 
It  again  entered  the  battle  on  October  29,  relieving,  as  part  of  the  17th  French  Corps,  the  29th 
Division  in  the  Grande  Montagne  Sector  to  the  east  of  the  Meuse  River.  From  that  time 
until  the  armistice  went  into  effect  it  was  almost  constantly  in  action.  On  November  9, 
Crepion,  Wavrille  and  Gibercy  were  taken,  and  in  conjunction  with  elements  on  the  right  and 
left  Etraye  and  Moirey  were  invested.  On  November  10,  Chaumont-devant-Damvilliers  was 
occupied,  and  on  November  11,  Ville-devant-Chaumont  was  taken — a  total  of  9  kilometers. 

"This  is  a  fine  record  for  any  division,  and  I  want  the  officers  and  men  to  know  this  and  to 
realize  how  much  they  have  contributed  to  the  success  of  our  arms.  They  may  return  home 
justly  proud  of  themselves  and  of  the  part  they  have  played  in  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces." 

The  corrected  figures  of  the  Divisional  activities  in  France  are  as  follows: 

Total  advance:  Montfaucon  sector,  10  kilometers;  La  Grande  Montagne  sector,  9J^  kilo- 
meters; total  193^  kilometers. 

Prisoners  taken:  Montfaucon  sector,  905;  Troyon  sector,  23;  La  Grande  Montagne  sector, 
192;  total  1,120. 

Casualties:  Deaths,  officers,  66;  men,  2,059.  Wounded,  officers,  179;  men,  5,152.  Prisoners, 
officers,  2;  men,  78.     Total,  officers,  247;  men,  7,289. 

The  revised  table  of  battle  participations  of  the  79th  Division  is  taken  from  a 
compilation  completed  May  15,  1920,  by  the  War  Department,  and  is  as  follows: 

157th  Infantry  Brigade  (complete),  158th  Infantry  Brigade  (complete),  304th  Field  Signal 
Battalion  and  310th  Machine  Gun  Battalion: 

1.  Meuse-Argonne  Offensive,  France,  September  26  to  30. 

2.  Meuse-Argonne  Offensive,  France,  October  8  to  25. 

3.  Meuse-Argonne  Offensive,  France,  October  29  to  November  11. 

151 


304th  Engineers,  same  as  above  with  exception  that  No.  1  reads:  Meuse-Argonne  Offensive, 
France,  September  26  to  October  8. 

The  movement  of  the  79th  Division  to  the  embarkation  area  began  on  April 
19th,  the  artillery  going  to  St.  Nazaire  and  the  infantry  to  the  vicinity  of  Nantes 
and  Cholet.  On  May  13th  the  314th  Infantry,  the  304th  Field  Signal  Battalion 
and  the  154th  Artillery  Brigade  Headquarters,  the  first  units  to  start  for  home, 
sailed  from  France  on  the  Princess  Matoika,  and  from  then  on  until  the  end  of  the 
month  the  various  units  cleared  either  Nantes  or  St.  Nazaire.  The  Princess  Matoi- 
ka arrived  at  Hoboken  on  May  26th  at  the  same  time  the  transport  Tiger  brought 
the  310th  Field  Artillery  into  New  York  and  the  transport  Virginian  landed  the 
312th  Field  Artillery  and  311th  Machine  Gun  Battalion  at  Newport  News,  Va. 
On  May  28th,  transport  Edward  Luckenbach  arrived  at  Brooklyn  with  the  311th 
Field  Artillery  and  312th  Machine  Gun  Battalion.  On  May  29th  the  transport 
Kroonland  docked  at  New  York  with  Division  Headquarters,  304  th  Engineers, 
Headquarters  Troop,  Train  Headquarters,  and  a  part  of  the  3d  Battalion 
316th  Infantry.  The  same  day  the  transport  Texan  sailed  up  the  Delaware 
to  Philadelphia  with  the  balance  of  the  316th  Infantry.  The  next  day,  May  30th, 
the  transport  Santa  Rosa  brought  all  but  two  companies  of  "Philadelphia's  Own," 
315th  Infantry,  into  their  home  port,  and  on  May  31st  the  transport  Dakolan  also 
arrived  at  Philadelphia  with  the  304th  Supply  Train,  79th  Military  Police,  a  de- 
tachment of  the  310th  Field  Artillery  and  Companies  L  and  M,  315th  Infantry. 
In  the  meanwhile  the  transport  Pastores  had  taken  the  313th  Infantry  to  Newport 
News,  so  that  on  June  1st  the  final  units  of  the  Division  reached  America,  they  being 
the  Horse  Battalion  of  the  304th  Ammunition  Train  and  the  304th  Sanitary  Train 
complete. 

The  men  who  arrived  at  Hoboken  and  Philadelphia  were  sent  to  Camp  Dix, 
New  Jersey,  for  demobilization,  and  those  who  arrived  at  Newport  News  were 
demobilized  at  Camp  Meade  and,  before  the  middle  of  June,  1919,  the  79th  Div- 
ision had  ceased  to  exist  save  in  history. 


Courtesy  of  the  Public  Ledwer  Co. 


Home  Again. 
152 


153 


OTHER  PHILADELPHIA  UNITS 

^^Z|HILADELPHIA  men  served  in  practically  every  American 
Division  and  in  all  branches  of  the  service,  at  home  and 
overseas.  It  is,  at  this  time,  impossible  to  review  the 
work  of  each  unit  in  which  Philadelphians  served,  but  in 
the  following  brief  reviews  some  idea  is  given  of  the  way 
in  which  the  men  of  the  city  answered  every  call  of 
duty. 

Nor  should  the  work  of  the  women  of  Philadelphia 
go  unchronicled.  They  too,  responded  as  they  were  able. 
Therefore,  as  opportunity  offered,  the  records  of  those 
units,  distinctly  Philadelphia  in  personnel,  or  commanded  by  Philadelphia 
officers,  were  summarized. 


AMERICAN  FIELD  SERVICE 
James  A.  Develin,  Jr. 

The  American  Field  Service  owes  its  origin  to  a  small  group  of  Americans  in 
France,  who,  at  the  very  outset  of  the  war,  finding  a  strict  neutrality  impossible 
for  themselves,  offered  their  services  to  France  for  the  transportation  of  wounded 
at  the  fighting  front.  A  gift  of  ten  Ford  cars  was  the  nucleus  from  which  the 
service  grew  to  comprise  thirty-five  sections  of  ambulances  and,  in  1917,  fourteen 
"camion"  sections,  used  in  transportation  of  ammunition  and  supplies  for  the  armies 
at  the  front. 

This  little  group  of  American  volunteers  at  no  time  amounted  to  more  than 
2,000  men,  but,  at  the  time  of  France's  greatest  need,  they  were  a  tangible  expres- 
sion of  American  sympathy.  From  the  English  Channel  to  the  Vosges  Mountains, 
French  "poilus"  saw  American  volunteers  working  in  mud  and  rain,  and  under 
shell  fire,  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  French  wounded,  and  they  knew  that  these 
men  represented  a  friendly  spirit  in  the  American  people.  The  American  Field 
Service  was  composed  largely  of  college  men  who,  coming  from  every  part  of  the 
country,  were  the  means  of  influencing  a  great  number  of  Americans  in  the 
Allied  cause. 

Theodore  Roosevelt  said  of  those  men  in  1916: 

"There  is  not  an  American  worth  calling  such  who  is  not  under  a  heavy  debt  of  obligation 
to  these  boys  for  what  they  have  done.  We  are  under  an  even  greater  debt  to  them  than  the 
French  and  Belgians  are  ....  The  most  important  thing  that  a  nation  can  possibly  save 
is  its  soul,  and  these  young  men  have  been  helping  this  nation  to  save  its  soul." 

Early  in  1915,  the  French  officials  recognized  the  value  of  the  work  accom- 
plished by  the  few  American  cars  attached  to  their  own  Sanitary  sections  and 
larger  sections  of  Americans  were  formed  and  made  independent,  each  one  serving 
an  army  division.  The  light  Fords  were  found  to  possess  splendid  qualities  for 
this  work.  They  could  dodge  through  the  traffic-jammed  roads,  pull  themselves 
out  of  mire  and  shell  holes,  or  could  be  pulled  out  by  a  few  willing  "poilus."    Where 

154 


roads  were  blocked,  they  took  gayly  to  the  fields  in  mockery  of  the  heavy  French 
trucks.  The  work  was  largely  done  from  "postes  de  secours"  and  communication 
trenches  to  "triage"  (sorting)  hospitals  and  field  hospitals.  A  large  part  of  the 
driving  was  done  at  night  and  without  lights,  over  shell-torn  roads  full  of  trucks, 
field  guns  and  ammunition  caissons,  for  it  was  only  under  cover  of  darkness  that 
some  of  the  advanced  posts  could  be  served.  Soon  it  became  the  custom  to 
send  the  most  serious  cases  with  the  American  drivers.  Thus  the  Field  Service 
acquired  an  enviable  reputation  for  the  manner  in  which  it  hurried  the  wounded  to 
the  hospitals. 

Among  the  first  of  the  seventy  or  more  Philadelphians  who  joined  the  service 
were  John  H.  McFadden,  Jr.,  and  Benjamin  R.  Woodworth.  Woodworth,  who 
became  a  Section  leader  and  was  awarded  the  Croix  de  Guerre,  went  to  the  front 
with  Section  1  in  June,  1915,  and  served  with  it  in  Belgium  and  Flanders.  He 
died  in  the  service  on  June  15,  1917.  Paul  B.  Kurtz,  later  leader  of  Section  18, 
also  joined  the  service  at  this  time.  Kurtz  was  also  awarded  the  Croix  de 
Guerre.    He  was  killed  while  in  the  U.  S.  Aviation  Service. 

The  number  of  Philadelphians  was  increased  during  the  fall  of  1915  and  the 
spring  of  1916  by  the  enlistment  of  L.  Brooke  Edwards,  Julian  L.  Lathrop,  Samuel 
H.  Paul,  W.  Yorke  Stevenson  and  S.  M.  Stephen  Tyson.  Stevenson  and  Edwards 
were  both  cited  for  the  Croix  de  Guerre.  Tyson  was  killed  on  July  19,  1918,  while 
in  the  French  Aviation  Service.  The  Section  served  in  the  Amiens  sector,  in  the 
Champagne  sector  near  Soissons,  and  at  Verdun  in  that  year.  This  was  the  time 
of  the  great  German  drive  on  Verdun,  and  the  men  of  the  Section  were  put  to  a 
severe  test  of  courage  and  endurance,  serving  the  postes  at  Marre  and  Esnes  on 
roads  almost  continually  under  shell  fire. 

In  1915,  Section  2  had  but  one  Philadelphian,  John  R.  Graham,  who  was 
later  killed  while  serving  with  the  United  States  Infantry.  During  1915-17, 
Section  2  was  stationed  in  Lorraine,  in  the  vicinity  of  Pont-a-Mousson. 

Section  3,  also  formed  in  1915,  did  difficult  duty  in  the  Vosges  Mountains, 
serving  the  postes  which  had  hitherto  been  reached  only  by  mules  over  the  narrow, 
rough  mountain  roads.  The  work  of  Section  3  was  so  dependable  that  in  September 
of  1916  this  Section  was  dispatched  to  the  Balkans  at  the  request  of  the  French 
Army,  and  served  under  difficult  conditions  at  Salonica  and  later  in  Serbia, 
near  Monastir,  where  its  training  in  Vosges  mountain-climbing  stood  it  in  good 
stead.  Benjamin  F.  Dawson,  Powel  Fenton,  Henry  K.  Moore  and  Albert  Nalle 
joined  this  Section  in  1915.  Dawson  was  cited  once  and  Fenton  twice  for  the 
Croix  de  Guerre. 

Section  4  was  joined  by  George  A.  McCall  in  1915,  and  by  Edward  Joseph 
Kelley  in  1916.  Kelley,  who  was  awarded  the  Croix  de  Guerre,  was  killed  on 
September  23,  1916,  a  few  days  after  he  had  reached  the  front.  He  was  going  to 
a  poste  near  Marre,  in  the  Verdun  sector,  when  a  shell  exploded  directly  in  front 
of  the  ambulance  and  killed  him  instantly. 

The  advent  of  the  year  1917  found  the  American  Field  Service  rapidly  increas- 
ing in  numbers  and  gaining  in  the  amount  of  contributions  to  its  funds.  Individuals, 
clubs  and  business  organizations  donated  many  cars,  and  college  students  and 
older  business  men  flocked  to  do  their  bit  for  France.  The  German  threat  that  all 
vessels  in  certain  prescribed  zones  would  be  "spiirlos  versenkt"  did  not  deter  a 
large  number  of  volunteers  from  going  over  to  form  new  Ambulance  Sections. 

155 


Section  9  was  formed  in  the  latter  part  of  1916  to  replace  Section  3  in  the 
Vosges.  With  it  were  Walter  Chrystie,  Jr.,  Arthur  Emlen  Hutchinson  and  F.  N. 
Solis-Cohen.  Sections  10,  12  and  13  were  rapidly  formed  in  the  early  months  of 
1917.  No.  10  contained  no  Philadelphians.  No.  12  had  Wharton  Allen,  H.  W. 
Crowhurst  and  Henry  H.  Houston,  2d.  Houston,  who  was  killed  by  a  shell  splinter 
on  August  27,  1918,  while  serving  in  the  U.  S.  Army  on  General  Price's  staff, 
received  the  Croix  de  Guerre  for  bravery  under  fire  in  the  Argonne,  at  Verdun 
and  in  the  Champaigne  in  1917. 

Section  13  had  among  its  members  Thomas  H.  Dougherty,  for  a  while  its 
sous-chef  (and  later  chef  of  a  T.  M.  U.  Section),  Earnest  S.  Clark,  James  A.  Develin, 
Jr.,  and  H.  H.  Houston  Woodward.  Woodward  later  joined  the  Lafayette  Flying 
Corps  and  was  attached  to  Escadrille  94.    He  was  killed  in  an  aerial  combat  on 


Ready  to  Answer  Any  Call. 

April  1,  1918.  Section  13  did^its  first  work  in  the  Champaigne  district  in  the 
vicinity  of  Mont  Corneillet,  where  it  was  cited  in  the  orders  of  the  Army,  and 
received  the  Croix  de  Guerre  with  palm,  the  first  case  of  such  a  distinction  being 
conferred  upon  an  Ambulance  Section. 

After  the  entry  of  America  into  the  war  Americans  came  over  so  fast  that 
there  were  no  places  for  them  in  sections  at  the  front  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  new 
sections  were  being  formed  every  day.  Of  these  men,  John  V.  Newlin,  S.  S.  U.  19, 
has  the  distinction  of  being  the  only  Philadelphian  to  receive  the  Medaille  Militaire, 
the  highest  reward  of  bravery.  He  was  among  five  Field  Service  men  to  get  this 
citation,  and  he  received  the  Croix  de  Guerre  at  the  same  time.  On  August  3, 
1917,  he  was  severely  wounded  in  the  back  by  the  explosion  of  a  shell  at  Montzeville 
in  the  Verdun  sector.  He  was  taken  to  Paris  and  operated  upon,  but  died  on 
August  5th. 

At  the  request  of  the  French  Army,  the  Field  Service  undertook  to  supply 
volunteers  for  "Camion  Sections"  to  serve  as  transports  for  the  French  Army. 

156 


These  T.  M.  U.  groups  did  very  effective  work  in  augmenting  and  improving  the 
important  motor  transport  service. 

In  October,  1917,  the  Field  Service  completed  its  official  career  with  the 
enrolment  of  all  of  its  members — a  trained  and  efficient  force— in  the  American 
Army. 

In  a  sense,  the  members  of  the  American  Field  Service  really  comprised  the 
first  "American  Expeditionary  Force." 

414TH  TELEGRAPH  BATTALION   SIGNAL  CORPS 
"The  Galloping  Four  Fourteen" 

A  signal  battalion,  composed  of  men  of  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading  and  Erie 
Railroads,  was  organized  in  November,  1917. 

Captain  H.  C.  Evans  of  this  city  commanded  Company  D,  which  had  in  it  a 
number  of  men  from  Philadelphia,  including; 

Sergeants,  First  Ctass. — Stephen  C.  Gilliard,  Hugh  J.  Cavanaugh,  Joseph  T.  Larkin,  Louis 
Neigut.  Sergeants. — Samuel  Garrison.  Corporals. — Edward  O.  Becker,  Elmer  Reddy,  George 
C.  Reed,  Isaac  Van  Horn.     Privates,  First  Class. — Harry  J.  Bowden,  Edmund  D.  Partenheimer. 

The  organization  sailed  on  the  White  Star  liner  Adriatic  January  31,  1918, 
and  landed  in  Liverpool  on  February  16th. 

Of  the  voyage  over,  Sergeant  Fisher  says: 

"We  stealthily  crept  on  the  enemy  via  the  23d  Street  pier  on  the  East  River, 
where  we  were  loaded  on  a  steam  scow  and  taken  around  the  island  to  the 
White  Star  line  docks  at  West  23d  Street,  and  there  gleaned  the  information  that 
we  were  to  sail  on  the  Adriatic  for  Liverpool,  and  after  being  lined  up  on  the  pier 
and  given  another  talk  on  habits,  drinking,  etc.,  the  Major  announced  that 
we  would  be  searched  and  any  man  found  with  liquor  would  suffer  court  martial, 
and  that  if  we  possessed  anything  strong  to  turn  it  in.  Results  were  not  very 
good,  and  the  talk  only  netted  one  'petite'  vial,  which  the  C.  0.  handed  to  Colonel 
Erricson  of  the  107th  Ammunition  Train,  who  sailed  with  us,  and  the  Colonel 
said:  'Thank  you;  it  is  just  what  I  have  been  looking  for.'" 

Sergeant  Fisher  further  states:  "The  food  was  horrible,  and  since  finding  out 
recently  that  America  paid  England  $81.75  per  man  for  transporting  us,  I  have 
decided  to  ask  for  an  $80.00  rebate. " 

The  battalion  celebrated  Washington's  birthday  by  landing  at  Le  Havre. 

Company  D  proceeded  to  Chinon  (Indre  et  Loire),  and  established  head- 
quarters. 

Some  idea  of  the  work  done  by  the  battalion  is  given  by  Sergeant  Fisher's 
pamphlet,  in  which  he  states  that  about  300  miles  of  wire  were  strung;  20,000 
post-holes  dug  and  posts  set.  Members  of  the  battalion  served  as  dispatchers, 
chefs  de  gare,  operators,  linemen  and  maintainers  at  about  eighty  stations  covering 
300  miles  of  railroad, 

After  nineteen  months  of  service,  the  battalion  sailed  from  St.  Nazaire 
on  June  17,  1919,  on  the  Julia  Luckenbach  and  arrived  in  Rrooklyn,  June 
23,  1919. 

157 


19TH  ENGINEERS  (RAILWAY) 
Ry  Lieutenant  W.  Frederic  Todd,  Regimental  Historian 

The  history  of  the  19th  Engineers  properly  dates  from  June,  1916,  when 
the  possibility  of  operations  in  Mexico  made  necessary  a  definite  plan  for  operation 
of  the  railroads,  both  as  to  material  and  personnel.  At  this  time  Samuel  M. 
Felton,  President  of  the  Chicago  and  Great  Western  Railway,  was  appointed 
consulting  engineer  and  adviser  to  the  chief  of  engineers,  U.  S.  Army,  on  railway 
matters,  and  it  was  he  who  conceived  the  idea  of  recruiting  men  for  railway  regi- 
ments direct  from  railway  service. 

When  the  United  States  entered  the  European  War  and  the  question  of  rail- 
way operation  and  maintenance  in  France  became  of  paramount  importance, 
Mr.  Felton  was  officially  placed  in  charge  of  all  preparations  for  the  organization 
and  movement  abroad  of  railway  engineers.     The  pressing  need  for  railroad  men 
at  that  time  is  shown  in  a  letter  written  by  Mr.  Felton:  "The  French  railways  are 
badly  run  down  and  in  more  or  less  need  of  complete  rehabilitation;  they  have 
no  men  who  can  be  spared  to  do  this  work;  they  want  all  their  men  on  the  firing 
line;  before  we  can  train  men  to  go  into  the  trenches  we  can  supply  them  as  to 
railroads,  and  this  immediately.     General  Joffre  says  any  men  we  send  over  must 
be  soldiers,  so  the  railroad  forces  .    .    .  must  be  enlisted  men.   .    .    .  They  are 

short  of  men  in  their  shops  to  repair  locomotives  and  it  is  proposed  to  organize 
a  shop  regiment  ......"     The  shop  regiment  referred  to  in  Mr.  Felton's  letter, 

when  organized,  became  the  19th  Engineers  (Railway). 


Interior  of  Commercial  Museum,  used  as  Barracks  by  the  19lh  (Railway)  Engineers. 

158 


Recruiting  was  begun  in  the  offices  of  the  District  Engineer,  Witherspoon 
Building,  Philadelphia,  with  Captains  Charles  P.  0'  Conner  and  Joseph  Caccavajo 
as  Recruiting  Officers.  The  first  enlistment  was  made  on  April  20,  1917,  but  it 
was  not  until  the  beginning  of  May  that  an  active  campaign  for  recruits  was  begun. 

On  May  9,  1917,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Herbert  Deakyne,  Corps  of  Engineers, 
arrived  in  Philadelphia  to  take  command  of  the  regiment,  accompanied  by  First 
Lieutenant  William  F.  Tompkins,  Corps  of  Engineers,  his  Adjutant. 

Colonel  Deakyne  had  served  as  District  Engineer  in  Philadelphia  from  1908 
to  1912,  conducting  important  river  and  harbor  work,  and  his  knowledge  of  the 
city  was  of  immense  assistance  to  him  in  the  work  of  organization.  Colonel 
Deakyne  was  transferred  to  the  command  of  the  11th  Engineers  six  months 
after  his  arrival  in  France.  In  May,  1918,  he  was  appointed  Director  of  Light 
Railways  and  Roads  and  in  September,  1918,  became  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Second 
Army,  with  the  rank  of  Brigadier  General. 

Since  the  regiment  was  to  depend  to  a  great  extent  upon  the  railroads  for 
personnel,  the  need  for  the  utmost  cooperation  was  manifest.  W.  W.  Atter- 
bury,  Vice-President  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  not  only  gave  official  assistance 
to  Colonel  Deakyne  but  also  took  an  intense  personal  interest  in  the  regiment. 
By  his  instructions,  James  Milliken,  Special  Agent  of  the  railroad,  devoted  his 
entire  time  to  work  among  the  railroad  men  in  encouraging  enlistments,  though 
little  encouragement  was  needed.  The  "business"  quickly  grew  to  such  pro- 
portions that  the  offices  in  the  Witherspoon  Building  became  inadequate  and  the 
first  two  floors  of  the  Hale  Building,  Juniper  and  Sansom  streets,  were  taken 
over. 

Invaluable  aid  in  recruiting  was  rendered  by  the  Home  Defense  Committee 
of  the  Master  Builders  Exchange,  under  the  Chairmanship  of  W.  Nelson 
Mayhew.  This  committee,  two  members  of  which  were  on  duty  at  all  times, 
was  directly  responsible  for  a  very  large  percentage  of  the  enlistments,  for  approxi- 
mately 600  men  were  enlisted  from  railroads,  the  balance  coming  from  various 
other  lines  of  business.  Of  the  men  recruited  from  railroads,  357  were  from 
the  Pennsylvania,  41  from  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading  and  40  from  the  Baltimore 
&  Ohio  Railroads.  The  remainder  came  in  smaller  numbers  from  twenty-six 
other  railroad  companies. 

The  first  men  were  called  into  active  service  on  June  2,  1917,  the  barracks 
being  the  Exhibition  Hall  of  the  Philadelphia  Museums,  34th  and  Spruce  streets. 

The  men  were  called  out  in  groups  of  from  one  to  two  hundred  and  assigned 
to  companies  according  to  trades,  each  company  containing,  so  far  as  practicable, 
all  men  of  the  same  trade.  Military  training  was  begun  at  once  under  experienced 
instructors  furnished  by  the  Pennsylvania  National  Guard  and  continued  to  the 
date  of  sailing,  August  9th. 

It  was  understood  that  the  regiment  was  to  move  into  fully  equipped  shops 
and  was  not  to  take  any  tools  abroad.  A  small  number  of  hand  tools,  ordered 
as  a  matter  of  precaution,  were  not  received  until  some  time  after  the  arrival  of 
the  regiment  in  France.  Less  than  three  weeks  prior  to  the  date  of  sailing,  the 
Commanding  Officer  was  advised  that  instead  of  going  into  equipped  shops,  it 
would  go  into  the  new  Nevers  shops  of  the  Paris,  Lyon  et  Mediterranee  Railway, 
which  were  then  under  process  of  construction.  As  there  was  absolutely  nothing 
in  the  shops,  it  was  therefore  necessary  to  equip  them  completely  with  all  necessary 

159 


machine  tools,  travelling  cranes,  air  and  hand  tools,  steam,  water  and  air  piping, 
power  and  lighting  lines  and  fixtures,  install  a  power  plant  and  furnish  steam  and 
install  lines  for  electric  current  (which  was  to  be  furnished  by  the  Continental 
Edison  Company  from  their  new  plant  at  Garchizy,  about  seven  kilometers 
from  the  shops),  and  provide  a  complete  supply  of  all  materials  necessary  for  the 
operation  of  the  shops  for  a  period  of  six  months.  The  Wilmington  and  Trenton 
shops  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  were  selected  as  being  of  about  the  same 
capacity  as  the  Nevers  shops,  and  brief  studies  of  the  equipment  and  supplies, 
were  made,  resulting  in  the  formation  of  a  complete  list  of  tools,  machinery, 
storehouse,  drafting  room  and  office  equipment;  in  short,  everything  necessary  for 
placing  the  shops  in  operation  and  running  them  for  a  period  of  six  months.  The 
order  for  all  tools  and  material  was  placed  by  th  j  Director  General  of  Railways, 
Mr.  Felton,  within  two  weeks  of  the  time  that  information  was  received  as  to 
supposed  conditions  in  the  Nevers  shops.  It  was  not  until  after  the  arrival  of 
the  organization  in  France  that  the  actual  situation  was  ascertained. 

In  accordance  with  orders  from  the  port  of  embarkation,  much  important 
equipment  was  shipped  from  Philadelphia  to  New  York  five  days  in  advance  of 
the  regiment,  in  order  to  insure  its  transportation  on  the  same  ship.  Practically 
none  of  this  equipment,  consisting  of  clothing,  cooking  facilities,  automobiles, 
motorcycles,  tools,  etc.,  was  loaded  on  the  boat,  with  the  result  that  the  regiment 
arrived  in  France  with  no  automobiles,  motorcycles  or  field  ranges,  and  very  little 
in  the  way  of  supplies  of  tools  and  clothing.  Three  days'  reserve  rations,  supposed 
to  be  issued  at  New  York,  were  not  to  be  found,  until,  upon  disembarking  at 
Liverpool,  they  were  discovered  buried  under  hundreds  of  tons  of  other  freight. 

Arriving  at  Liverpool  on  August  23d,  the  regiment  disembarked  the  following 
day  and  immediately  entrained  for  Borden,  about  seven  miles  from  Aldershot, 
where  it  remained  in  Oxney  Camp  until  August  28th,  when  it  moved  to  South- 
ampton for  embarkation  for  France.  Owing  to  bad  weather  the  crossing  was 
delayed  until  the  following  day  and  the  regiment  landed  in  Le  Havre  on  the  morn- 
ing of  August  30,  1917. 

The  Regiment  Reaches  France 

At  Le  Havre  it  was  learned  that  the  shops  at  Nevers  were  not  ready  for  occu- 
pancy and  each  company  was  sent  to  a  separate  station  for  work  in  French  loco- 
motive repair  shops.  The  distribution  of  the  companies  was  as  follows:  Company 
A,  Regimental  Headquarters  and  First  Battalion  Headquarters  to  St.  Nazaire; 
Company  B  to  Bordeaux;  Company  C  to  Rennes;  Company  D  to  Sotteville-les- 
Rouen;  Company  E  and  Second  Battalion  Headquarters  to  St.  Pierre-des-Corps 
(near  Tours),  and  Company  F  to  Oullins,  near  Lyon.  With  the  exception  of  Com- 
pany A,  whose  work  was  locomotive  erection,  all  the  companies  were  engaged 
on  locomotive  repairs  in  the  French  shops. 

With  the  exception  of  the  detachments  at  St.  Nazaire  and  Nevers,  it  is  a 
difficult  matter  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  the  work  done  by  the  companies  in 
the  French  railway  shops.  None  of  the  companies  had  tools,  working  clothing, 
motor  transportation  or  cooking  equipment.  In  one  or  two  instances  it  was  possible 
to  purchase  a  few  American-made  tools,  but  for  the  most  part  the  men  had  to  make 
out  as  best  they  could  with  antiquated  French  equipment  or  to  laboriously  make 
for  themselves  such  tools  as  were  absolutely  necessary. 

160 


Every  company,  upon  arrival  at  its  destination,  met  with  an  enthusiastic 
reception,  at  the  hands  of  the  French  authorities — and  were  looked  upon  with 
disapproval  by  the  French  workmen  with  whom  they  were  to  be  associated.  In 
some  instances  this  disapproval  was  the  result  of  the  French  workmen  receiving  the 
not  unnatural  impression  that  "les  Americains"  were  getting  easy  berths  back  of 
the  lines  while  the  French  workmen  would  be  released  for  service  at  the  front.  In 
other  cases  the  French  workmen  complained  that  the  Americans  set  a  higher  stand- 
ard of  production  than  they  could  meet  and  they,  therefore,  would  either  have  to 
work  longer  hours  or  take  less  pay.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Americans  in  the  shops 
did  more  work  in  an  eight-hour  day  than  the  French  workmen  did  in  a  ten  or  twelve- 
hour  day,  though  the  hours  of  the  Americans  were  made  to  coincide  with  the  French 
as  far  as  possible  in  order  to  prevent  any  complaints  on  that  score.  As  an  instance 
of  fast  production  by  the  American  railroad  men,  a  case  at  St.  Nazaire  was  inter- 
esting. The  locomotives  erected  by  the  French  were  usually  completed  in  about 
three  weeks.  The  first  locomotive  received  by  the  Americans  was  erected  in  three 
days,  with  only  the  tools  found  on  the  locomotives  themselves.  The  French  shop 
men  declared  that  it  would  not  run,  and  great  was  their  astonishment  when  they 
saw  that  it  would. 

Antagonism  on  the  part  of  the  French  workmen  was  brief.  They  met  the 
Americans  outside  of  the  shops,  in  the  cafes  and  in  their  own  homes,  and  when  the 
companies  were  withdrawn,  there  was  not  an  instance  in  which  the  French,  the 
workmen  as  well  as  the  authorities,  did  not  protest  against  taking  them  away. 

At  St.  Nazaire,  the  only  preparation  that  had  been  made  for  the  men  was  the 
erection  of  wooden  barracks  and  the  placing  of  wooden  bunks.  There  were  no 
kitchens,  wash  houses  or  other  necessary  facilities.  Work  was  immediately  begun 
on  erecting  such  additional  buildings  as  were  needed. 

The  instructions  with  regard  to  the  erecting  shops  were  for  the  Americans  to 
get  out  six  locomotives  a  day.  There  were  no  tools  whatever,  and,  what  proved  to 
be  the  greatest  difficulty  of  all,  there  was  no  provision  of  any  kind  for  handling 
material.  It  was  manifestly  impossible  to  take  the  locomotive  parts  as  they  were 
unloaded  from  the  boats  and  put  them  into  the  shops.  It  was  discovered  almost 
immediately  that  when  a  ship  arrived  with  a  consignment  of  locomotives  it  might 
be  necessary  to  have  it  completely  unloaded  before  there  would  be  enough  parts 
available  to  start  work  on  a  single  locomotive.  This  meant  that  it  was  necessary  to 
build  storage  yards.  The  French  gave  the  Americans  the  use  of  a  plot  of  ground  for 
this  purpose,  but  it  was  swampy  in  character  and  until  the  roadbed  had  been  put  in 
shape  by  throwing  in  ballast  until  it  found  a  bottom,  the  locomotive  cranes  were  off 
the  tracks  on  an  average  of  three  or  four  times  a  day. 

There  were  few  tracks  running  from  the  docks  to  the  locomotive  shops  and 
these  were  constantly  being  used  by  the  French  to  transport  their  own  locomotives 
and  material.  As  a  result,  locomotive  chassis  and  boilers  had  to  be  left  on  the  docks 
until  it  was  possible  to  get  other  space  to  store  them,  lay  tracks  to  the  storage  yard, 
get  cars  to  haul  them  in,  and  finally,  secure  cranes  to  load  the  parts  on  the  cars. 
The  history  of  the  19th  Engineers  at  St.  Nazaire,  like  Nevers,  is  a  story  of 
difficulty  after  difficulty  overcome,  of  work  done  in  spite  of  apparently  insurmount- 
able obstacles.  The  situation  at  the  docks  was  of  the  greatest  seriousness.  The 
only  cranes  there  were  being  used  night  and  day  by  the  French  for  unloading  of 
ships,  all  material  being  left  on  the  docks,  rather  than  use  the  cranes  for  loading 

161 


cars.  On  the  occasions  when  the  French  cranes  were  available  for  use  by  the 
Americans,  there  was  difficulty  in  getting  operators  to  handle  them.  Finally  two 
thirty-five-ton  cranes  were  assigned  permanently  to  the  work;  later  four  more  were 
secured,  two  of  which  were  used  for  loading  and  two  for  unloading  in  the  yards. 
Additional  storage  yard  space  was  secured  from  the  French,  more  tracks  laid  down, 
and  on  January  1,  1919,  there  was  a  total  storage  space  for  about  one  hundred 
locomotives  at  one  time. 

In  the  shops  themselves  there  was  space  for  about  six  or  eight  locomotives,  the 
tracks  being  placed  so  close  together  that  it  was  almost  impossible  for  a  man  to 
work  on  an  engine  when  there  was  another  one  on  the  adjoining  track,  in  addition  to 
which  there  was  so  little  room  for  handling  material  that  it  was  impossible  to 
maintain  any  great  degree  of  order.  There  were  two  large  overhead  cranes  in  this 
shop,  the  Americans  having  practically  the  exclusive  use  of  one  of  them  and  the  use 
of  the  other  for  lifts  that  required  two  cranes.  The  greater  part  of  the  crane  work 
had  to  be  done  at  night,  when  the  French  were  not  working  in  the  shops. 

The  difficulty  in  getting  material  to  replace  parts  that  were  missing  from  the 
packing  boxes  upon  arrival  made  it  necessary  to  send  men  to  Nantes,  Angers  and 
surrounding  country  in  an  endeavor  to  secure  the  material  to  make  such  parts. 
Buying  from  the  French  was  necessitated  by  the  fact  that  placing  requisitions 
through  regular  channels  did  not  bring  satisfactory  results.    ■ 

Eventually  the  American  forces  were  given  the  use  of  another  shop,  which  had 
been  used  by  the  French  for  the  manufacture  of  railway  guns  (which  same  guns 
were  on  one  occasion  pointed  out  to  a  party  of  visitors  as  being  part  of  the  work  of 
the  regiment),  and  there  was  a  corresponding  increase  in  production. 

During  the  period  from  September  30,  1917,  to  December  30,  1918,  the  men  of 
the  19th  Engineers  at  St.  Nazaire  erected  a  total  of  1,124  locomotives,  in  addition 
to  building  storage  yards,  laying  tracks,  and  building  from  locomotive  packing 
boxes  practically  an  entire  new  camp,  capable  of  accommodating  over  a  thousand 
men,  truly  a  notable  achievement. 

Another  phase  of  the  work  done  by  the  St.  Nazaire  Contingent  was  the  repair 
of  steamship  boilers  by  a  detachment  under  Captain  T.  L.  Mallam,  the  work  being 
done  in  such  a  manner  as  to  merit  the  highest  commendation  of  the  naval  author- 
ities, and  which  resulted  in  a  citation  for  Captain  Mallam. 

Time  Records  Established 

It  has  been  said  that  the  time  consumed  by  the  French  in  the  erection  of 
locomotives  was  three  weeks,  and  that  the  first  locomotive  erected  by  the  Amer- 
icans was  completed  in  three  days.  On  December  30,  1918,  the  average  time  in 
which  a  locomotive  was  erected  in  the  American  shops  was  twenty-six  hours,  and 
the  fastest  time  in  which  any  one  locomotive  was  built  was  eleven  hours  and  ten 
minutes. 

The  situation  at  Nevers,  where  the  first  men  of  the  19th  arrived  on  December 
23,  1917,  compared  favorably  with  that  at  St.  Nazaire,  in  so  far  as  lack  of  material 
and  all  working  and  living  facilities  were  concerned.  Vastly  larger  in  scope  than  the 
operation  at  St.  Nazaire,  with  each  individual  department  presenting  a  multiplicity 
of  problems,  the  results  were  more  than  could  have  been  expected  of  any  organi- 
zation. 

The  shops,  far  from  being  completed  and  lacking  only  tools  and  equipment, 

162 


had  progressed  no  further  than  the  laying  of  the  foundations  of  the  main  building. 
No  machinery  of  any  kind  had  been  installed  and  the  power  plant  at  Garchizy, 
instead  of  being  in  operation,  had  progressed  only  to  the  point  of  partial  erection  of 
the  building,  no  machinery  having  been  installed.  In  addition,  no  arrangements 
whatever  had  been  made  for  taking  care  of  the  troops,  though  it  had  been  under- 
stood that  this  matter  was  to  have  been  taken  care  of  by  the  French. 

Cars  of  railway  material  began  to  arrive  in  November,  and  an  organization 
was  established  to  handle  the  unloading  and  storing  of  it.  During  November  and 
December,  270  carloads  of  material  came  in,  much  of  this  being  heavy  machinery 
for  installation  in  the  shops.  There  were  no  cranes  available  and  all  the  unloading 
of  this  machinery  and  material  had  to  be  done  by  hand.  Company  E  was  ordered 
to  Nevers,  and  upon  arrival  there  was  drawn  upon  for  personnel  for  the  stores 
department,  and  a  gang  of  mechanics  was  organized  and  assigned  to  the  erection 
of  locomotive  cranes.  By  the  first  of  February  two  cranes  had  been  erected  and 
greatly  facilitated  the  unloading  of  material,  845  cars  of  which  arrived  during 
January  and  February.  The  development  of  the  storehouse  work  and  organi- 
zation, like  that  of  every  other  operation  at  Nevers,  was  a  matter  of  gradual 
growth  and  increased  efficiency  as  new  men  were  trained  to  the  work. 

It  is  impossible,  in  a  brief  space,  to  give  even  a  fair  idea  of  what  was  accom- 
plished. For  example,  the  power  plant  at  Garchizy,  which  was  supposed  to  be 
ready  to  supply  power,  was  finally  taken  over,  the  building  construction  completed, 
machinery  installed  and  the  plant  operated  by  Americans.  In  the  meantime,  a 
complete  electrical  plant  had  been  installed  in  the  shops  by  the  electrical  depart- 
ment, furnishing  light  and  power  to  both  the  shops  and  the  camp. 

The  growth  of  the  various  departments  is  well  illustrated  by  the  development 
of  the  blacksmith  shop.  This  shop  when  started  in  the  early  part  of  1918,  con- 
sisted of  two  blacksmiths  and  two  helpers,  working  in  a  small  shed.  In  August, 
1918,  the  blacksmith  shop  occupied  over  half  an  acre  of  ground  and  employed 
nearly  a  hundred  men. 

In  addition  to  the  work  done  in  the  Nevers  shops  proper,  car  shops  were  erected 
for  the  repair  of  freight  cars,  and  a  track  system  laid  down  with  a  capacity  of  750 
cars.  From  September  to  December,  1918,  inclusive,  the  car  shops  turned  out, 
repaired,  a  total  of  1,863  cars. 

Under  the  supervision  of  the  electrical  department  was  the  maintenance  of 
American  ambulance  trains.  The  first  order  consisted  of  fifteen  trains,  with  two 
more  procured  from  the  French,  but  finding  that  the  number  would  be  inadequate, 
an  order  was  placed  with  the  English  to  furnish  thirty-three  additional  trains. 
Only  four  of  the  additional  thirty-three  trains  had  been  delivered  when  the  armis- 
tice was  signed,  and  the  order  for  the  balance  of  twenty-nine  was  canceled.  One  of 
the  greatest  difficulties  in  handling  the  trains  was  the  variation  in  equipment  and 
parts.  There  were,  in  the  first  fifteen  trains  received,  seven  different  types,  none 
of  the  parts  of  which  were  interchangeable,  necessitating  considerable  additional 
work  on  the  part  of  the  supply  department,  to  say  nothing  of  the  delay  in  getting 
additional  parts  when  needed. 

Naturally,  with  the  growth  of  the  shops  themselves,  there  was  need  for  in- 
creased personnel,  which,  in  turn,  required  additional  camp  space.  Such  of  the 
companies  still  on  duty  in  outlying  French  shops  as  could  be  released  from  this 
work  were  brought  to  Nevers,  where  a  camp  was  built  capable  of  housing  4,000 

163 


men,  and  additional  men,  most  of  them  with  no  railroad  experience,  secured  from 
replacement  camps.  Camp  Stephenson,  as  it  was  named,  was  undoubtedly  one 
of  the  best  in  France,  with  its  complete  sanitary  system,  company  shower  baths, 
a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building  capable  of  seating  1,400  men,  and  its  well-stocked  library. 
Classes  in  mechanical  subjects  were  being  conducted  at  Camp  Stephenson  some 
time  before  the  organization  of  the  regular  A.  E.  F.  schools. 

An  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  Nevers  operation  may  be  gained  from  the 
fact  that  the  camp  itself  occupied  about  twenty-five  acres  of  land,  the  car  shops 
about  twenty  acres  and  the  locomotive  shops  forty-five  acres. 

In  February,  1919,  the  first  detachment  left  Camp  Stephenson  en  route  for 
the  United  States.  The  remaining  personnel  was  returned  in  detachments  of  about 
500  men,  the  last  to  leave  being  a  small  detachment  from  the  supply  depot 
who  remained  behind  on  special  duty  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  in  turning  over 
the  shops,  supplies  and  equipment  to  the  French. 

The  work  accomplished  by  the  19th  Regiment  of  Engineers  is  something  that 
cannot  be  appreciated  except  by  those  fully  acquainted  with  the  difficulties  that 
were  continually  encountered  and  overcome,  both  at  home  and  abroad.  With 
few  exceptions,  officers  and  men  had  had  no  previous  military  experience,  their 
training  consisting,  on  the  part  of  most  of  them,  of  that  obtained  during  the  few 
weeks  spent  in  barracks  in  Philadelphia,  but  they  developed  a  military  organi- 
zation and  left  behind  a  record  of  achievement,  individually  and  as  an  organi- 
zation, of  which  any  regiment  may  well  be  proud. 

AIRMEN  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

In  the  brief  period  that  has  elapsed  since  the  ending  of  the  World  War,  it 
has  not  been  possible  to  secure  complete  and  accurate  records  of  either  the  airmen 
of  Philadelphia  or  their  wonderful  feats,  performed  on  both  the  training  camps 
and  fighting  fields. 

Many  a  brave  pilot  gave  up  his  life  in  the  training  of  the  material  that  was 
later  to  be  flying  fighters  over  the  battle  lines  of  France.  Heroes  all :  no  matter 
the  part  they  took,  or  whether  at  the  present  writing  a  record  of  their  brave  deeds 
be  not  obtainable. 

Philadelphia,  standing  for  years,  as  one  of  the  great  cities  foremost  in  aviation, 
from  the  birth  of  that  art,  it  was  but  natural  that  hundreds  of  its  bravest  young 
citizens  should  enter  the  air  service.  In  this  brief  sketch  are  included  as  Phila- 
delphians  many  familiar  names  of  airmen  who  actually  reside  in  towns  adjoin- 
ing, but  who  are  known  as  Philadelphians  on  account  of  their  close  association 
with  the  city  in  business  and  social  life. 

A  greater  part  of  this  history  has  been  from  necessity  drawn  from  cable  and 
telegraphic  messages  and  some  inaccuracies  are  bound  to  occur,  as  official  records 
are  not  as  yet  accessible. 

Much  credit  is  due  the  press  of  Philadelphia  for  the  vast  amount  of  material 
furnished  regarding  Philadelphians  in  the  air  service,  their  deeds  and  exploits. 
The  files  of  all  Philadelphia  papers  have  been  carefully  searched  for  a  part  of  the 
records  following. 

The  Air  Service  Journal  of  September,  1917,  states  that  "the  complete  roster 
of  the  Americans  who  volunteered  and  were  accepted  for  active  duty  with  the 

164 


French  Aviation  Service  has  never  been  published. "  In  the  list  of  names  that  is 
given  by  the  Journal,  we  find  the  following  Philadelphians,  some  of  whom  were 
still  in  training  at  the  French  aviation  schools  at  Avord  and  Etampes. 

Charles  J.  Biddle,  Avord  School;  Julian  C.  Biddle,  killed  in  action;  Leo  J. 
Brennan,  accepted,  but  not  assigned;  Lewis  Leslie  Byers,  accepted,  not  assigned; 
James  A.  Connelly,  Jr.,  Avord  School;  John  Armstrong  Drexel,  Lafayette  Esca- 
drille;  Joseph  Flynn,  Avord  School;  Charles  Kerwood,  Avord  School;  Upton  S. 
Sullivan,  awaiting  acceptance;  Stephen  Tyson,  Avord  School. 

On  May  5,  1917,  Robert  Glendinning,  prominent  banker  and  aviator,  received 
from  Secretary  of  War  Baker,  his  commission  as  a  Major  in  the  Aviation  Section 
of  the  Officers'  Reserve  Corps  of  the  United  States  Army.  Major  Glendinning 
had  long  been  one  of  the  leading  promoters  of  better  aviation  service  for 
the  Army. 

In  the  autumn  of  1916  the  Major  made  a  tour  of  the  Army  aviation  schools 
of  France  and  shortly  after  his  return,  gave  a  practical  demonstration  how  Phila- 
delphia might  be  bombarded  from  the  air,  by  flying  over  the  City  Hall  and  dropping 
imitation  bombs  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  It  was  through  the  efforts  of  Major 
Glendinning  that  the  Philadelphia  School  of  Aviation  at  Essington  was  taken  over 
by  the  government  as  a  training  school  for  Army  aviators. 

Major  Glendinning  is  a  native  of  Philadelphia  and  was  graduated  from  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  class  of  1888.  He  is  head  of  the  firm  of  Robert  Glen- 
dinning &  Co.,  bankers  and  brokers.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Aero  Club  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  a  Spanish-American  War  veteran.  For  his  illustrious  services  in 
France  and  Italy  he  was  later  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel.  He 
was  decorated  by  the  King  of  Italy  and  served  in  the  balloon  section  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  war. 

The  body  of  Julian  C.  Biddle  of  the  Lafayette  Escadrille  who  had  been  re- 
ported missing  and  probably  killed  in  action  on  August  18,  1917,  was  washed 
ashore  by  the  tide  at  Egmond-Aan-Zee,  on  the  north  coast  of  Holland  on  Septem- 
ber 2d.  The  manner  in  which  Biddle  met  his  death  has  never  been  cleared  up. 
All  that  is  known  is  that  the  aviator  ascended  at  St.  Pol,  France,  to  carry  dispatches 
to  Dunkirk,  and  disappeared,  nothing  definite  being  known  as  to  his  fate  until  his 
body  was  washed  in  by  the  sea.  How  he  got  over  the  sea  is  not  understood,  as 
his  route  was  entirely  over  land.  The  most  probable  solution  seems  to  be  that 
the  Philadelphia  airman  became  involved  with  hostile  flying  forces  and  that  the 
struggle  carried  him  seaward.  The  burial  of  his  body  in  the  little  coast  village  was 
made  with  due  honor. 

Prominent  among  the  American  aces  of  the  Great  War  stands  the  name  of 
Major  Charles  J.  Biddle,  Pennsylvania's  first  "ace."  Major  Biddle's  record  as  an 
airman  is  an  enviable  one.  He  was  first  a  member  of  the  Escadrille  73  of  the 
French  Aviation  Service;  then  of  the  famous  Lafayette  Squadron,  and  later  was 
Commanding  Officer  of  the  13th  American  Pursuit  Squadron.  Still  later  he  was 
made  Commanding  Officer  of  the  4th  American  Pursuit  group,  composed  of  four 
squadrons.  It  was  on  the  second  day  of  the  advance  on  the  Western  Front,  late 
in  the  summer  of  1918,  that  Major  Biddle  carried  out  one  of  his  bravest  deeds.  At 
an  altitude  of  18,000  feet  Major  Biddle  lay  in  wait  for  a  German  two-seater,  which 
at  once  accepted  his  challenge.  After  a  considerable  expenditure  of  ammunition 
on  both  sides,  the  observer  of  the  German  machine  was  shot  through  the  head. 

165 


The  German  pilot,  however,  continued  to  fight  until  the  synchronizing  gear  of  his 
machine  gun  was  disabled.    He  then  attempted  to  escape  but  was  wounded. 

Major  Biddle  preferred  to  capture  the  German  and  gradually  drove  him 
towards  the  American  fines  and  they  both  made  a  perfect  landing  just  north  of 
Nancy,  in  the  Vosges. 

Major  Biddle  was  cited  several  times  for  his  bravery.  He  was  severely  wounded 
in  May,  1918,  during  one  of  his  many  air  battles.  Major  Biddle  has  eight  official 
victories  to  his  credit  and  many  decorations. 

High  honors  were  given  Captain  J.  D.  Este  who  served  with  the  aviation 
section  of  the  Signal  Corps  in  France.  He  was  cited  for  extraordinary  bravery 
while  leading  his  patrol  in  an  offensive  over  the  enemy's  lines. 

The  official  citation  states  that  on  September  13,  1918,  while  leading  his  patrol 
in  an  offensive  at  Chambley,  his  five  machines  were  attacked  from  above  and 
behind  by  an  enemy  formation  of  seven  single  seaters.  It  adds:  "Although  out- 
numbered and  in  a  very  disadvantageous  position,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  lead  his 
patrol  to  the  attack."  The  citation  further  states  that  "through  the  combat  that 
followed  Lieutenant  Este  fought  with  the  greatest  bravery,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  he  himself  was  attacked  by  two  enemy  planes,  which  fired  at  him  from  point 
blank  range  from  the  rear  and  above.  By  his  skill  and  courage  he  was  able  to 
keep  his  formation  together,  and  they  succeeded  in  shooting  down  three  of  the 
enemy  planes  of  which  Lieutenant  Este  himself  destroyed  one  and  drove  another 
out  of  control." 

Captain  Este  had  the  honor  of  flying  the  first  American-made  aeroplane  with 
a  Liberty  motor.  He  enlisted  after  war  was  declared  and  trained  at  Essington  and 
Kelly  Field,  Texas,  afterward  being  sent  to  France.  While  there  he  was  assigned 
to  training  and  organization  work.  Press  reports  credit  Captain  Este  with  five 
official  victories  over  Hun  planes  and  fully  twice  that  number  unofficially. 

Lieutenant  J.  Sydney  Owen  was  another  Philadelphian  who  served  in 
France.     Lieutenant  Owen  received  citations  in  recognition  of  his  work. 

One  of  the  saddest  incidents  at  the  close  of  the  war  was  the  tragic  death  of 
Captain  Hobart  Hare  Baker,  familiarly  known  throughout  the  country  as  "Hobey 
Baker."  Captain  Baker  was  killed  on  his  last  aeroplane  flight,  shortly  after  making 
his  plans  to  return  to  his  home.  This  was  in  a  practice  flight  from  the  aerodrome 
at  Toul,  France,  December,  1918.  Captain  Baker  was  one  of  the  best  known 
college  athletes  of  recent  years.  He  became  interested  in  aviation  and  started 
flying  long  before  the  United  States  entered  the  war.  Later  he  enlisted  and  was 
sent  to  Essington  as  an  Instructor  in  Aviation.  After  a  few  months  he  went  over- 
seas and  became  a  member  of  the  Lafayette  Escadrille,  and  later  with  the  forma- 
tion of  the  American  flying  units  in  France,  he  was  transferred  to  one  of  these. 
Glowing  tribute  was  paid  Captain  Baker  by  Major  Charles  J.  Biddle,  who  was  in 
command  of  the  group  in  which  Baker  served. 

Major  Biddle  said  that  Captain  Baker  during  his  services  at  the  front  brought 
down  three  German  machines  in  the  last  ten  days  of  the  war.  The  last  machine 
attacked  by  Baker  was  20,000  feet  in  the  air  and  was  carrying  propaganda  leaflets 
to  be  dropped  among  American  infantry.  "There  was  no  finer  man  or  a  better 
pilot"  said  Major  Biddle.  "He  was  very  skilful  and  particularly  fearless.  He 
would  have  had  an  even  greater  record  than  he  did  if  it  had  been  possible  for  him 
to  have  been  at  the  front  more  than  he  was." 

166 


One  of  the  bright  spots  of  war's  gloom  are  the  letters  which  came  to  the  mother 
of  Lieutenant  Charles  Wallace  Drew  who  was  connected  with  the  Thirteenth  Aero 
Squadron  while  fighting  in  France.  In  September,  1918,  he  cabled  his  mother  the 
message:  "Well  and  happy.  Have  downed  my  first  Boche  and  am  on  a  three 
days'  permission."  Later  in  his  letters  he  writes:  "I  am  absolutely  jolly,  well 
satisfied  with  my  plane,  my  guns,  my  squadron,  our  quarters,  life,  and  best  of  all 
our  captain,  who  is  no  other  than  Captain  Charles  Biddle  of  the  old  Lafayette — 
a  splendid  fighter  and  a  thorough  gentleman." 

The  official  confirmation  of  Drew  downing  his  Hun  says  he  was  attacked  by 
four  Fokkers.  He  attacked  the  first,  a  plane  which  was  firing  on  Lieutenant  Free- 
man. He  then  later  attacked  a  Fokker  which  was  climbing  to  get  on  the  tail  of 
his  machine.  He  observed  a  number  of  his  shots  made  direct  hits  on  the  motor 
and  wings  of  his  enemy's  plane  and  he  followed  same  down  to  an  altitude  of  600 
meters  and  when  last  seen  the  enemy  was  going  down  in  smoke. 

Soon  after  this  exploit  Captain  Drew  was  shot  down  by  German  planes  and 
he  was  captured.  An  explosive  shell  had  torn  his  right  arm  and  he  was  taken  to  a 
German  hospital  where  the  arm  was  amputated  in  order  to  save  his  life.  For  his 
bravery  Lieutenant  Drew  was  officially  cited  and  awarded  the  Distinguished  Cross. 

"I  am  not  a  hero  and  I  am  not  an  ace,"  Captain  Drew  protests  when  his 
fellow  citizens  make  a  " fuss"  over  him.    " I  just  did  the  task  assigned  to  me." 

Late  in  February,  1918,  General  Pershing  sent  word  to  Washington  of  the 
death  in  France  of  Arthur  H.  Wilson,  a  cadet  in  the  American  Aviation  Service. 

As  no  details  were  given  it  is  believed  his  death  was  accidental,  as  letters  re- 
ceived from  him  a  short  period  before  indicate  that  he  had  just  finished  his  test 
and  had  not  begun  combats  with  the  enemy. 

Wilson,  although  a  Philadelphian,  was  studying  and  teaching  in  New 
York  when  war  broke  out  between  the  United  States  and  Germany — that  very 
day  he  enlisted  and  was  transferred  to  the  aviation  service. 

He  finished  his  examination  and  was  sent  to  Cornell  where  he  did  his  ground 
work.  From  there  he  was  sent  to  France  as  one  of  the  "honor  men,"  the  best  in 
his  class.  He  was  a  graduate  of  the  Arts  Department  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania in  the  class  of  1912. 

In  this  short  chapter  it  is  not  possible  to  give  a  record  of  the  brave  deeds  or 
even  names  of  all  the  Philadelphians  in  the  flying  service.  At  a  later  date  no  doubt 
a  more  voluminous  history  will  be  compiled  wherein  a  complete  record  of  all  who 
took  part  in  the  Great  War  will  be  given  credit  for  the  work  they  did. 

The  deeds  recited  above  are  exploits  of  some  of  Philadelphia's  most  prominent 
and  well-known  aviators,  but  deeds  just  as  brilliant  and  daring  were  undoubtedly 
performed  by  the  other  flying  fighters  as  the  following  press  account  will  show. 

Twenty  Philadelphia  aviators  fell  to  their  deaths  abroad  during  the  vast 
operations  which  marked  the  domination  of  the  air  by  the  Allies.  Nine  more  were 
brought  down  by  the  Huns  and  placed  in  German  prison  camps  until  after  the 
armistice.  These  figures  show  that  in  the  fighting  in  the  air  this  city  contributed 
in  the  same  unsparing  manner  that  marked  the  sacrifice  of  Philadelphia  lads  in  the 
battles  on  the  soil  of  France.  To  offset  these  sad  fatalities  Philadelphia  can  lay 
claim  to  many  signal  honors  bestowed  as  the  results  of  the  bravery  of  her  sons  in 
aerial  conflict.  The  Distinguished  Service  Cross  of  the  American  Army  has 
been  won  by  three  local  aviators,  one  of  whom  paid  the  supreme  price  in  the  deed 

167 


which  won  for  him  the  coveted  honor.  France  has  pinned  the  Croix  de  Guerre  on 
the  breasts  of  three  other  Philadelphia  aviators  and  one  of  that  trio  also  has  made 
his  last  great  flight.  Four  other  Philadelphia  flyers  engaged  with  the  Italian  armies 
during  the  disastrous  campaign  along  the  Piave  and  later  in  the  splendid  victory 
which  thrust  Austria  from  the  war  have  won  the  Italian  Service  Ribbon  for 
conspicuous  bravery. 

Those  who  died  abroad  in  combat  or  accident  are  as  follows :  Captain  Hobart 
Amory  Hare  Baker,  Lieutenant  Horace  Baker,  Lieutenant  Julian  C.  Biddle, 
Lieutenant  David  Bispham,  Jr.,  Lieutenant  Mortimer  P.  Crane,  Lieutenant 
Richard  Foulke  Day,  Lieutenant  William  L.  Deetjen,  Lieutenant  Norton  Downs, 
Lieutenant  Charles  T.  Evans,  Jr.,  Lieutenant  William  F.  Gallagher,  Lieutenant 
Norman  Hughes,  Lieutenant  Warren  T.  Kent,  Lieutenant  Paul  B.  Kurtz,  Lieu- 
tenant Harold  B.  Merz,  Lieutenant  Wistar  Morris,  Lieutenant  Hilary  B.  Rex, 
Lieutenant  Philip  N.  Rhinelander,  Lieutenant  Walter  M.  Smyth,  Lieutenant 
H.  Pennington  Way,  Corporal  H.  H.  Houston  Woodward.  Of  the  above,  Lieutenant 
H.  Pennington  Way  was  awarded  the  Distinguished  Cross  (posthumously),  while  Cor- 
poral H.  H.  Houston  Woodward  was  awarded  the  Croix  de  Guerre  after  his  death. 

The  nine  who  were  brought  down  behind  the  German  lines  and  placed  in  prison 
camps  were:  Lieutenant  Earl  Adams,  Corporal  Lewis  L.  Byers,  Lieutenant  Charles 
W.  Drew,  Lieutenant  Brooke  Edwards,  Sergeant  Charles  Wayne  Kerwood,  Lieu- 
tenant Henry  Carvill  Lewis,  Lieutenant  Stewart  A.  McDowell,  Lieutenant  John 
Joseph  Meredith,  Lieutenant  Frederick  Westing. 

The  following  shows  the  Distinguished  Service  Cross,  Croix  de  Guerre  and 
Italian  Ribbon  awards  for  Philadelphia.  This  is  the  official  list  as  announced  by 
the  government: 

Awarded  Distinguished  Service  Cross :  Major  Charles  J .  Biddle ,  Lieutenant  Chas. 
W.  Drew,  Captain  J.  Dickinson  Este,  Lieutenant  H.  Pennington  Way  (deceased). 

Awarded  Croix  de  Guerre:  Major  Charles  J.  Biddle  (with  palm),  Sergeant 
Charles  Wayne  Kerwood,  Corporal  H.  H.  Houston  Woodward  (deceased). 

Awarded  Italian  Service  Ribbons:  Lieutenant  Horace  Drever,  Lieutenant 
George  N.  Hyland,  Lieutenant  Earl  D.  Ranck,  Lieutenant  Richard  Goodman. 

Major  Biddle  also  received  the  Cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor  (French)  and 
the  Order  of  Leopold  (Belgian) . 

THE  LAST  FLIGHT 

0  God  of  France,  we  pilots  pray 
For  France's  safety,  and  obey 

Thy  pointed  finger  in  the  gale. 

Hail  to  Thee,  Master  of  Storms,  All  Hail ! 
Keep  me  this  day  from  sudden  sorrow, 
Spare  me  today  for  I'm  home  tomorrow. 
Guard  me  this  day  'gainst  the  weakened  wire, 
The  tiny  bullet  of  flying  fire, 

The  treacherous  wings  that  would  buckle  or  break, 

To  drag  me  down  in  its  whistling  wake, 
The  morrow  brings  respite  from  fighting  and  flying — 
And  a  breath  of  the  Seine  ere  day  is  dying. 

(Dabney  Horton,  Sergeant,  French  Aviation  Service.) 
168 


THE  AMERICAN  FOREIGN  LEGION* 

Very  few  civilians  realize  how  varied  were  the  efforts  to  make  the  American 
Army  the  most  efficient  fighting  force  ever  produced  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

One  of  the  problems  confronting  those  in  charge  of  the  development  of  the 
Army  was  caused  by  the  number  of  men,  particularly  among  the  draftees,  who 
spoke  little  or  no  English,  and  whose  conception  of  the  reasons  for  America's  entry 
into  the  war  were  vague  or  even  worse.  For  example  a  National  Army  soldier  con- 
fidentially told  a  Philadelphian  in  the  Army  "Y"  that  "The  Kaiser,  he  treat  his 
people  so  bad  we  go  over  to  help  them." 

Therefore,  an  experiment  was  made  at  Camp  Meade  which  resulted  in  the 
formation  of  what  was  popularly  known  as  the  "American  Foreign  Legion."  In 
September,  1918,  the  Fifth  Development  Battalion  of  the  154th  Depot  Brigade 
was  formed  and  was  composed  entirely  of  foreign-born  and  foreign-speaking  men. 
This  unit  was  organized  largely  through  the  efforts  of  Brigadier  General  E.  E. 
Hatch,  who  felt  that  there  was  merit  in  so  uniting  tongues  and  races  that  a  real 
esprit  de  corps  would  be  engendered. 

About  50  per  cent  of  the  men  in  this  battalion  were  Philadelphians  and  three 
of  the  original  officers  were  from  this  city :  Captain  Sigmund  J.  Laschenski,  Captain 
Eugene  Prostrednik  and  First  Lieutenant  Henry  F.  Vache. 

Each  company  had  interpreters,  and  companies  and  platoons  were  composed 
exclusively  of  Italians,  Poles  and  men  of  other  nationalities.  The  companies 
were  officered  by  those  who  not  only  spoke  English  but  also  the  native  language 
of  their  men  and  the  various  commands  when  given  in  English  were  repeated  in  a 
foreign  tongue.  In  this  way  the  men  learned  how  the  various  commands  sounded 
when  given  in  English  and  they  were  taught  how  to  execute  the  commands  by  di- 
rections in  their  own  language. 

Real  Americanization  work  was  undertaken.  The  men  were  taught  to  read 
and  write  English,  and  American  sports  were  explained  and  played.  Great  rivalry 
sprang  up  between  all  nationalities  which  led  to  great  efficiency  in  many  ways. 

The  attention  of  the  General  Staff  at  Washington  was  drawn  to  the  way  in 
which  this  scheme  worked  out  and  although  at  first  it  was  believed  that  as  a  result 
of  this  classification  a  better  organized  labor  battalion  only  would  result,  in  October, 
1918,  the  battalion  was  fully  equipped  for  overseas  duty  and  was  reviewed  as  an 
infantry  unit  at  Camp  Meade  by  officers  from  the  General  Staff  at  Washington. 

The  result  of  this  review  was  that  a  number  of  the  officers  were  detached  from 
the  battalion  and  sent  to  camps  elsewhere  to  aid  in  the  organization  of  similar  units. 

In  November  the  battalion  made  final  preparations  for  overseas  duty,  but  the 
signing  of  the  armistice  prevented  and  soon  after  November  11th  the  battalion 
was  demobilized  and  was  the  first  to  leave  Camp  Meade. 

THE   16TH   INFANTRY— 1ST  DIVISION 
By  Thomas  S.  Cline,  Former  Chaplain 

The  story  of  the  16th  Infantry  in  France  is  an  epitome  of  America's  achieve- 
ment in  the  World  War.  It  tells  how  a  regiment,  originally  composed  of  regulars, 
was  reorganized  for  overseas  service,  whisked  from  the  Mexican  border  3,000 

*By  the  Secretary  of  the  Philadelphia  War  History  Committee.  Information  supplied 
by  Lieutenant  Vache. 

169 


miles  across  the  country,  spirited  for  another  3,000  miles  over  the  sea,  trained  in 
the  art  of  trench  warfare  by  the  Chasseurs,  France's  best,  sent  into  the  trenches 
for  its  baptism  of  fire,  and  then  after  a  month's  rest  plunged  into  the  supreme 
test  of  war's  crucible.  It  tells  also  how  the  16th  gained  all  the  objectives  assigned 
to  it,  in  each  of  the  great  battles  that  followed — Cantigny,  Soissons,  St.  Mihiel, 
the  Argonne  and  Sedan.  The  regiment  was  refilled  three  times  over.  The  origi- 
nals were  half  regulars,  half  volunteers;  the  replacements  were  National  Army 
men.     But  from  first  to  last  the  morale  of  the  16th  remained  constant  and  unbroken. 

A  number  of  Philadelphians  served  as  officers  and  enlisted  men  in  the  16th. 

The  regiment  sailed  from  Hoboken  for  France  on  June  14,  1917,  and  reached 
St.  Nazaire  on  June  26th.  The  four  regiments  which  landed  that  day  were  the 
first  American  regiments  to  land  in  a  European  country. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1917,  a  battalion  of  the  16th  was  reviewed  by  Marshal 
Joffre  and  President  Poincare  in  Paris.  When  the  parade  visited  the  tomb  of 
Lafayette,  General  Pershing  uttered  the  famous  words  "Lafayette,  we  are  here." 

For  intensive  training  the  regiment  located  in  the  Gondrecourt  area,  not  far 
behind  the  sector  which  was  eventually  to  become  the  American  front.  During 
the  first  month  the  battalions  were  instructed  separately.  Then  followed  a  month 
of  actual  occupation  of  the  trenches  with  veteran  troops  in  a  quiet  sector.  The 
third  month  was  devoted  to  training  as  a  complete  division,  under  the  direction 
of  their  own  officers.  For  teachers  they  had  the  Alpine  Chasseurs.  The  splendid 
effect  of  the  training  of  these  brave  and  snappy  Alpinists  was  evident  in  the  dash 
and  finish  of  the  work  not  only  of  the  16th  Infantry  but  of  the  whole  of  the  1st 
Division  to  which  they  belong. 

The  16th  Infantrymen  were  among  the  first  Americans  to  enter  the  trenches. 
They  were  the  first  to  shed  blood.  This  occurred  in  the  Bathlemont  raid  which 
took  place  November  3,  1917.  The  16th  had  relieved  the  French  in  what  had 
been  a  quiet  sector  near  the  city  of  Nancy.  The  Germans,  who  had  been  informed 
of  the  arrival  of  the  Americans  by  traitorous  signals  from  Bathlemont  put  over 
a  box  barrage.  They  captured  several  prisoners  and  killed  three  men  of  the  16th, 
Gresham,  Enright  and  Hay.  A  noble  monument,  erected  by  the  French  Govern- 
ment, now  marks  the  place  where  they  fell. 

The  16th  did  valiant  service  in  defending  the  Toul  sector  and  more  particularly 
the  Montdidier  sector;  but  the  first  great  offensive  battle  in  which  they  partici- 
pated was  that  of  Soissons. 

The  force  of  the  German  Chateau-Thierry  offensive  had  established  a  deep 
Marne  salient  which  tempted  General  Pershing  to  make  a  counter-offensive.  In 
the  great  surprise  attack  which  he  launched  on  July  18th,  the  1st  Division  was 
in  the  forefront.  For  five  days  the  16th  Infantry  fought  a  terrible  but  glorious 
battle.  Whole  companies  were  wiped  out  in  a  short  time.  When  officers  were 
shot  down  non-commissioned  officers  took  command  of  battalions.  The  cas- 
ualty list  tells  the  story  of  hard  fighting.  Killed,  204;  wounded,  940;  missing,  590; 
total,  1,734. 

Never  before  nor  after  did  the  16th  suffer  such  heavy  losses  in  the  same  length 
of  time.  They  had  their  objectives  to  take  and  they  did  not  count  the  cost.  It 
was  something  to  recover  seven  or  eight  miles  of  the  sacred  soil  of  France,  but  that 
was  incidental.  They  were  helping  to  win  the  crucial  battle  which  was  destined 
to  turn  the  whole  tide  of  the  war. 

170 


When  the  Marne  salient  had  been  flattened  out  and  General  Pershing  was 
free  to  carry  out  an  all-American  offensive  on  a  large  scale  at  St.  Mihiel,  again 
the  1st  Division  played  a  prominent  part.  Here  the  16th  showed  signal  aggres- 
siveness and  efficiency  in  advancing  against  an  entrenched  enemy,  through  for- 
midable wire  entanglements,  over  a  broken  terrain  made  more  difficult  by  rain, 
and  capturing  promptly  all  objectives  assigned  to  it. 

The  16th  went  over  the  top  in  the  Meuse-Argonne  battle  on  October  4th,  and 
the  ten  days  that  followed  were  terrible  days  in  the  story  of  the  regiment.  On 
the  day  of  the  attack  they  pressed  forward  over  five  miles  against  the  stiffest  op- 
position of  Germany's  best  warriors  and  took  their  objective,  the  town  of  Fleville. 
The  3d  Battalion  which  led  that  day  started  out  in  the  morning  with  twenty  officers 
and  800  men.  When  they  dug  in  at  dusk  they  had  but  two  officers  and  240  men. 
Their  heroic  work  had  enabled  the  regiment  to  carry  out  its  orders.  The  fact 
should  be  recorded  that  the  16th  Infantry  was  the  only  unit  not  only  of  the  Division 
but  also  of  the  Army  that  was  able  to  take  all  of  its  objectives  that  first  terrible  day 
in  the  Argonne. 

When  the  1st  Division  was  finally  relieved  by  the  Rainbow  Division,  and  op- 
portunity came  for  the  calling  of  the  roll  it  was  found  that  of  the  sixty-two  officers 
and  approximately  2,600  men,  which  the  16th  sent  into  action,  seven  officers  and 
129  men  were  killed,  twenty-three  officers  and  812  men  were  wounded,  four 
officers  and  298  men  were  gassed,  one  officer  and  361  men  were  missing. 

This  casualty  list  of  thirty-five  officers  and  1,600  men  is  more  eloquent  than 
anything  we  can  say  regarding  the  heroic  battle  fought  by  the  boys  of  the  16th  on 
the  edge  of  the  Argonne  forest. 

In  the  citation  which  General  Pershing  gave  the  1st  Division  after  the  battle 
of  the  Argonne,  he  said,  "The  Commander-in-Chief  has  noted  in  this  Division  a 
special  pride  of  service  and  a  high  state  of  morale,  never  broken  by  hardship  or 
battle. "     Those  words  applied  to  no  unit  more  truly  than  to  the  16th. 

The  16th  Infantry  was  the  only  unit  of  the  1st  Division  seriously  engaged  in 
the  Sedan  drive.  By  a  maneuver,  daring  in  its  conception  and  brilliant  in  its 
execution,  the  regiment  reached  Hill  202  overlooking  Sedan  before  the  battle  was 
called  off.  In  speaking  of  this  point  General  Pershing  said,  "The  strategical  goal 
which  was  our  highest  point  was  gained.  We  had  cut  the  enemy's  main  line  of 
communication,  and  nothing  but  surrender  or  armistice  could  save  his  armies 
from  complete  disaster." 

On  December  1,  1918,  for  the  first  time  in  history,  American  troops  marched 
on  German  soil.  The  16th  Infantry  led  the  way  along  the  west  bank  of  the  River 
Moselle.  The  regiment  finally  took  station  in  the  region  of  Dernbach,  near  the  cir- 
cumference of  the  Coblenz  Bridgehead,  which  had  been  assigned  to  the  3d  Army. 
Here  they  remained  on  outpost  duty  for  many  months  until  the  glad  news  came 
that  they  were  to  have  the  honor  of  returning  to  the  United  States  with  General 
Pershing.  They  had  been  the  first  to  go  to  France  and  they  had  stayed  to  the 
finish. 

The  men  of  the  16th  take  just  pride  in.  their  regiment.  They  rejoice  in  the  fact 
that  it  was  ready  for  immediate  service  when  America  entered  the  war;  because 
it  served  in  the  1st  Division;  because  it  had  the  privilege  of  training  with  the 
Chasseurs;  because  it  was  the  first  to  shed  its  blood  in  contact  with  the  Germans; 
because  it  never  failed  to  take  all  objectives  assigned  to  it;  because  it  never  yielded 

171 


a  foot  of  ground  to  the  enemy ;  because  it  was  among  the  first  American  troops  to 
march  on  German  soil;  because  it  is  entitled  to  wear  the  French  fourragere;  and 
because  the  Commander-in-Chief  honored  the  regiment  and  the  Division  by 
parading  with  them  in  New  York  and  Washington  upon  their  return  from 
France. 

The  following  tribute  was  paid  to  the  16th  Infantry  by  Brigadier  General 
Frank  Parker,  U.  S.  A.: 

To  the  16th  Infantry  of  the  1st  Brigade  of  the  1st  Division  American  Expeditionary  Forces: 

To  those  officers  and  men  who  have  held,  faithfully,  in  this  war,  the  posts  of  highest  honor, 
those  nearest  the  enemy; 

Who  with  their  sweat  and  blood  have  taken  the  ground  that  meant  victory; 

Who  have  impressed  upon  Europe,  in  the  supreme  test  of  battle,  the  quahty  of  American 
manhood; 

Surely  all  honor  is  due. 

Just  so  surely  is  this  honor  the  greatest  where  duty  was  most  difficult,  and  where  it  was  best 
done,  whether  by  colonel  or  private,  matters  not. 

Each  one  in  his  appointed  place,  each  one  to  his  own  work,  and  each  man's  duty  of  equal 
importance  in  the  face  of  death. 

There  is  to  my  thinking,  nothing  finer  in  this  world  than  the  self-effacing  role  of  the  true 
private  soldier  of  infantry,  and  nowhere  in  this  war  has  this  private  soldier  of  infantry  been  truer 
to  his  country's  expectations  of  him  than  in  the  16th  Infantry. 

All  honor  then  to  these  men,  and  to  those  gallant  officers  and  non-commissioned  officers, 
who  taught,  inspired  and  led  these  private  Great-Hearts  in  the  van  of  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces. 

PHILADELPHIA  WOMEN  IN  THE  SERVICE* 

In  the  World  War  the  records  established  by  American  women  proved  that 
they  were  worthy  to  share  with  the  men  in  the  defense  of  the  nation,  for  they 
occupied  posts  of  danger  and  positions  of  grave  responsibility. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  first  woman  to  enlist  in  the  United  States 
Navy  was  a  Philadelphian — Miss  Loretta  Walsh — who  was  sworn  in  by  Lieu- 
tenant Commander  F.  W.  Payne,  U.  S.  N.,  at  the  United  States  Naval  Home  on 
Grays  Ferry  Road,  March  23,  1917.  From  that  date  it  is  estimated  by  Miss 
Margaret  Thomas,  Commander  of  American  Legion  Post  50,  yeomen  (f),  that  over 
2,000  Philadelphia  women  enlisted  in  the  Army,  Navy  and  Marine  Corps.  The 
majority  of  these  were  listed  as  yeomen  (f),  and  they  served  at  the  Navy  Yard,  at 
the  Commandant's  Headquarters,  12th  and  Chestnut  streets,  at  the  Naval  Home, 
in  the  disbursing  offices,  at  the  piers,  and  at  the  storehouses,  recruiting  stations 
and  shipyards.    In  fact,  at  any  plant  or  station  under  government  control. 

A  large  number  of  Philadelphia  women  served  in  Washington  and  in  other 
parts  of  the  country,  as  they  were  all  subject  to  transfer  from  point  to  point. 
The  greatest  number  served  in  various  clerical  capacities,  as  stenographers,  tele- 
phone operators,  etc.,  and  in  the  Camouflage  Department. 

Among  those  who  acted  as  stenographers  were  some  specially  trained  women 
who,  during  the  submarine  excitement  in  1917,  served  in  the  Communication 
Office  at  League  Island  and  elsewhere.  Time  and  again  these  women  were  on  duty 
for  twenty-four  hours  at  a  stretch,  and  a  great  deal  of  their  normal  work  was  done 
at  night.  The  only  yeomen  (f)  enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Naval  District  to  go  over- 
seas went  with  Naval  Base  No.  5. 


*Summarized  by  the  Secretary    of  the    Philadelphia  War  History  Committee. 

172 


Courtesy  of  F 


lhler,  the  Stanley  Co.  of  America. 


Miss  Lorella  Walsh  of  Philadelphia.     First 
Yeoman  (/).    Sworn  in  March  23,  1917. 


There  were  twelve  "mafinettes" 
stationed  in  Philadelphia,  of  which 
nine  were  residents  of  this  city.  Their 
work  was  at  the  Marine  Recruiting 
Station,  at  the  Quartermaster  Corps' 
Depot  and  at  the  Advanced  Base 
Headquarters,  U.  S.  M.  C. 

Miss  Margaret  Thomas,  whose 
length  of  service  extended  from  April 
14,  1917,  until  January  1,  1920,  was  a 
Chief  Yeoman,  and  rendered  such  dis- 
tinguished service  under  Lieutenant 
Commander  Payne  as  to  receive  a 
special  letter  of  commendation  from 
him. 

At  least  one  thousand  Philadelphia 
women  served  as  nurses  in  the  Army. 
The  Nurses'  American  Legion  Post 
No.  412  is  being  rapidly  developed. 
Miss  Caroline  Waltemate,  who  was 
with  Base  Hospital  No.  10,  is  Secre- 
tary of  the  post.  This  post  is  known  as 
the  Fairchild  Post,  in  honor  of  Miss 

Helen  Fairchild,  who  also  was  with  Base  Hospital  No.  10  and  who  died  in  service 
overseas. 

Among  the  Philadelphia  nurses  who  were  decorated  for  bravery  were  two  who 
were  with  an  American  Base  Hospital  attached  to  the  British  Army.  These  women 
were  decorated  by  the  Prince  of  Wales  during  his  visit  to  America,  one  in  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  the  other  in  New  York  City. 

PHILADELPHIANS  IN  THE  TANK  CORPS 

The  original  plans  for  the  United  States  Tank  Corps  called  for  ten  heavy  and 
fifty  light  tank  corps  battalions.  However,  only  a  few  were  organized  and  a  still 
smaller  number  went  overseas  and  got  into  action.  In  the  light  tank  corps 
battalions  a  number  of  Philadelphia  men  served,  particularly  in  the  339th,  344th 
and  345th. 

The  recruiting  which  was  done  in  Philadelphia  during  the  summer  of  1918 
was  largely  for  the  light  tanks.  Those  men  who  did  serve  in  these  battalions  used 
French  tanks  with  double  Mercedes  engines. 

The  men  recruited  in  Philadelphia  and  elsewhere  during  the  special  efforts 
made  to  increase  the  personnel  of  the  "Treat  'em  Rough"  Corps  were  sent 
both  to  Tobyhanna  and  Gettysburg  in  Pennsylvania,  and  also  to  Camp  Polk,  at 
Raleigh,  N.  C,  and  to  Camp  Greene,  at  Charlotte,  N.  C. 

Of  the  heavy  tanks  corps  battalions,  the  301st  was  the  only  one  to  get  into 
major  actions.  It  operated  with  the  British  Army  in  support  of  the  27th  and  30th 
United  States  Divisions  in  the  second  Somme  offensive,  and  also  with  the  3d  and 
5th  Australian  Divisions.     These  heavy  tank  corps  battalions  operated  forty-eight 


173 


tanks  of  British  make,  driven  by  a  specially  designed  Recardo  engine,  which  re- 
placed the  Daimler  tractor  engine  in  the  original  British  tank.  The  301st  Battalion, 
United  States  Tank  Corps,  was  largely  recruited  at  Camp  Meade,  and  Company 
A  was  mostly  Philadelphian  in  personnel.  From  Camp  Meade  the  battalion  went 
to  Camp  Merritt  and  sailed  in  March,  1918,  for  France. 

It  saw  service  in  four  major  actions:  first,  at  the  Hindenburg  Line,  in  the 
Bellicourt-Naury  sector,  September  29,  1918;  next,  in  the  second  battle  of  Cambrai, 
in  the  Brancourt  sector,  October  8,  1918,  and  in  two  major  actions  in  the  LaSelle 
River,  October  17  and  23,  1918.  After  this  date  it  was  held  in  reserve  at  the 
second  battle  of  Mons,  and  remained  with  the  British  forces  until  the  signing  of 
the  armistice. 

FIRST  (later  406th)  TELEGRAPH  RATTALION,  S.  R.  C. 

By  P.  L.  Schauble 

When  by  Congressional  action,  just  before  our  country  declared  war,  a  Signal 
Reserve  was  created,  Philadelphia  took  the  lead,  and  as  a  result  the  plans  for 
organizing  the  First  Telegraph  Battalion  S.  R.  C.  were  made  in  this  city.  Although 
the  name  was  changed  later  to  the  406th  Telegraph  Battalion,  S.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  its 
original  name  was  far  more  appropriate.  There  are  many  reasons.  It  was  the 
first  reserve  telegraph  battalion  to  be  organized;  it  was  the  first  reserve  unit 
to  be  ordered  overseas;  it  was  the  first  complete  signal  unit  to  arrive  in  France; 
it  was  the  first  technical  unit  to  be  attached  to  General  Headquarters,  A.  E.  F.; 
when  the  First  Army  Corps  was  formed,  it  was  the  first  technical  unit  designated 
as  a  part  of  the  corps. 

Congress  created  the  Signal  Reserve.  The  War  Department  organized  it.  It 
was  but  natural  for  the  Bell  System,  as  the  largest  communication  business  in  the 
world,  to  be  called  on  to  assist  in  the  work.  Plans  were  made  through  the  co- 
operation of  the  \mericaii  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company,  the  parent  organi- 


Bailalion  at  Independence  Hall,  June  18,  1917. 
174 


zation  of  the  Bell  System,  for  the  recruiting  of  several  battalions  from  the  asso- 
ciated Bell  Companies.  It  was  due  to  the  enthusiasm  of  its  Vice-President  and 
General  Manager,  Leonard  H.  Kinnard,  who  later  became  its  President,  that  the 
Bell  Telephone  Company  of  Pennsylvania,  with  its  two  associated  companies,  which 
operate  Delaware  and  southern  New  Jersey,  were  the  first  actively  to  start  the  work. 
Out  of  6,000  male  employees,  1,400  volunteered.  As  a  result,  a  battalion  was 
organized,  one  company  from  Philadelphia  and  the  eastern  territory  and  the  other 
from  western  Pennsylvania.  Practically  the  entire  roster  of  this  organization, 
comprising  215  men  and  ten  officers,  was  drawn  from  the  employe  body. 

The  battalion  was  sworn  in  during  the  latter  part  of  April,  1917.  By  the 
middle  of  June  they  were  in  camp  at  Monmouth  Park,  New  Jersey,  later  known 
as  Camp  Alfred  Vail,  and  on  August  7th  were  on  shipboard,  arriving  at  St.  Nazaire 
on  the  21st.  In  less  than  four  months  these  raw  recruits  with  no  previous  military 
experience  had  been  whipped  into  shape  as  splendid  soldiers  and  landed  in  France 
ready  for  any  emergency. 

Just  a  word  as  to  the  quality  of  the  personnel  of  the  organization.  Is  it  not 
significant  that  three  men  from  this  organization  were  picked  to  accompany 
General  Pershing  when  he  left  the  United  States  to  take  up  his  duties  as  Com- 
mander of  the  as  yet  embryonic  A.  E.  F.?  Is  it  not  worthy  of  note  that  from  the 
handful  of  men  in  the  battalion,  there  developed  prior  to  the  end  of  the  war,  two 
lieutenant  colonels,  five  majors,  three  captains,  eight  first  lieutenants,  nine  second 
lieutenants  and  more  than  a  score  of  non-commissioned  officers? 

After  a  few  days  at  Base  Camp  No.  1,  in  St.  Nazaire,  the  battalion  was  assigned 
to  Chaumont  to  equip  with  telephone  service  the  buildings  which  in  a  very  few 
days  were  to  be  used  for  General  Pershing's  headquarters.  While  part  of  the  organi- 
zation was  rushing  this  work,  the  remainder  began  the  construction  of  a  line  from 
Chaumont  to  Neufchateau.  This  was  a  long  and  tedious  task.  American  tools 
and  materials  were  not  yet  available,  as  the  battalion  had  come  to  France  with 
one  of  the  earliest  convoys,  and  before  any  amount  of  equipment  had  begun  to 
arrive.    However,  the  line  was  completed  on  September  27th. 

While  Company  E  of  the  battalion  extended  the  line  south  toward  Langres 
from  Chaumont,  Company  D  wired  various  training  areas  preparatory  to  the 
arrival  of  American  divisions  who  were  to  be  trained  in  this  section.  The  entire 
winter  was  spent  in  this  preliminary  construction  work.  The  area  in  the  vicinity 
of  Vaucouleurs  was  completely  equipped  and  a  line  run  from  Vaucouleurs  back  to 
Chaumont. 

It  was  similar  to  work  back  home,  and  yet  it  was  different.  The  boom  of 
guns  could  be  heard  in  the  distance.  Not  far  away  men  were  falling,  wounded  or 
dead  in  the  very  cause  which  had  brought  these  men  with  their  "spurs"  and 
pliers  to  France.  There  was  no  need  to  urge  the  men  on.  They  were  called  the 
"battalion  of  hand  picked  men"  and  they  knew  why  they  were  there.  Telephone 
lines  went  up  as  by  magic,  switchboards  and  telegraph  equipment  were  installed 
in  jig- time.    They  were  there  for  business. 

There  was  some  diversion  during  that  first  winter  on  foreign  soil.  There  were 
parties  at  Hallowe'en,  at  Thanksgiving  and  at  Christmas.  These  parties  were 
very  much  helped  by  the  use  of  a  mess  fund  which  had  been  contributed  by  the 
employes  of  the  telephone  organization  and  which  had  been  turned  over  to  the 
battalion  before  it  went  to  Monmouth  Park. 

175 


It  was  during  this  winter  that  the  battalion  lost  the  name  in  which  it  took  so 
much  pride.  But  pride  could  not  be  considered  in  the  waging  of  war  and  the 
First  Telegraph  Battalion  became  the  406th  under  which  name  it  operated  until  it 
was  demobilized. 

In  January  the  406th  which  had  become  scattered  over  the  Chaumont  area 
on  various  construction  jobs,  was  mobilized  at  Neuf chateau  preparatory  to 
forward  work.  In  February,  it  was  assigned  to  the  First  Army  Corps  as  the  Head- 
quarters Telegraph  Battalion.  The  next  couple  of  months  were  spent  in  divisional 
work,  Company  D  building  lines  to  the  front  and  Company  E  doing  construction 
work  in  the  rear  areas. 

From  March  until  June,  details  from  the  battalion  were  assigned  to  listening 
post  work  for  the  radio  intelligence  service  in  the  vicinity  of  Xivray  and  Seicheprey. 
This  involved  the  stringing  of  lines  over  No  Man's  Land  and  maintaining  them, 
constantly  under  fire.  Several  times  during  this  period  the  enemy  raiding  patrols 
advanced  past  the  dugouts  in  which  the  signal  men  were  intercepting  hostile  radio 
and  wire  messages,  but  were  driven  back  by  the  counter-attacks  of  the  allied  forces. 

In  June,  the  First  Army  Corps  was  transferred  to  the  Marne  salient,  there  to 
prepare  to  meet  the  next  German  drive  on  Paris.  This  marks  the  beginning  of 
the  concentration  of  American  troops  for  active  service  under  American  command. 
Many  American  divisions  had  seen  service  with  various  French  and  English 
units  but  now  an  American  Army  Corps,  under  American  command,  was  to  take 
the  field. 

The  battalion  spent  the  next  month  in  preparing  the  lines  of  communication 
for  the  coming  battle.  Headquarters  was  at  La  Ferte-sous-Jouarre.  The  battalion 
took  over  the  operation  of  all  the  telephone  exchanges  in  this  area  and  kept  the 
lines  in  repair.  In  addition  to  the  telephone  operation,  repair  work,  and  construc- 
tion work,  the  battalion  motor  sections  were  called  on  to  assist  in  the  transporta- 
tion of  troops  and  ammunition  to  the  front. 

The  battle  is  a  matter  of  history.  The  Germans  made  an  attack  on  July 
15th.  The  Americans  with  their  Allies  could  not  be  budged,  and  on  the  18th, 
the  great  counter  offensive  began  which  drove  the  Hun  back  and  removed  the 
menace  to  Paris. 

As  the  battle  progressed  and  the  Germans  retreated  Corps  Headquarters 
was  advanced  from  place  to  place,  first  to  Montreuil,  then  to  Buire  and  later  to 
Chateau  Moucheton.  The  battalion  installation  men  rushed  the  switchboards 
and  wires  ahead  sometimes  arriving  at  the  place  designated  for  the  "P.  C."  (Post 
of  Command)  before  the  Germans  were  driven  out  of  the  vicinity. 

The  advance  continued  to  the  Vesle,  headquarters  being  established  at 
Fere-en-Tardenois.  There  is  little  opportunity  in  a  brief  account  of  this  nature 
to  tell  of  the  strenuous  days  and  nights,  always  under  fire,  which  the  signal  men 
spent.  They  carried  no  arms  except  pistols.  They  had  no  opportunity  to  get 
the  thrill  which  comes  from  actual  fighting.  They  were  forced  to  content  them- 
selves with  the  thought  that  without  the  lines  of  communication  which  they  were 
carrying  forward,  the  battle  could  not  proceed  successfully. 

The  Marne  salient  was  wiped  out.  When  the  Vesle  was  reached  and  the 
battle  line  became  stationary,  the  First  Army  Corps  hurried  to  new  fields.  It 
was  next  to  take  part  in  the  great  attack  which  was  to  drive  the  Germans  out  of 
the  St.  Mihiel  sector.     Corps  Headquarters  was  established  at  Saizerais  about  the 

176 


middle  of  August,  and  until  early  in  September  preparations  were  made  for  the 
attack.  All  of  the  forward  exchanges  were  taken  over  by  the  battalion  men  and 
on  September  12th,  the  battle  began.  The  orders  provided  that  after  three  days 
the  First  Corps  was  to  be  withdrawn  and  transferred  to  the  Argonne  sector  to 
assist  in  driving  the  Germans  back  in  that  region.  The  St.  Mihiel  offensive  pro- 
gressed so  rapidly  that  the  Hun  was  completely  on  the  run  by  the  time  the  First 
Corps  left  the  battle  line. 

After  a  very  brief  period  spent  in  equipping  the  new  headquarters  at  Rare- 
court  in  the  Argonne  sector,  and  in  taking  over  all  of  the  advance  telephone  and 
telegraph  offices,  the  attack  began  which  was  to  continue  almost  without  interrup- 
tion until  the  enemies  threw  up  their  hands  on  November  1 1th.  As  the  forces  became 
engaged  with  the  Germans  in  the  Argonne,  the  construction  of  a  telephone  line  was 
started,  following  on  the  very  heels  of  the  advancing  troops,  to  maintain  commu- 
nication to  the  rear.  This  line  was  built  from  salvaged  poles  from  Boche  camouflage 
screens  and  in  places  from  lines  abandoned  by  the  enemy.  The  advance  was  so 
rapid  that  at  times  it  was  impossible  for  the  signal  men  to  keep  up  with  it.  At 
such  times  they  jumped  ahead  and  resumed  work  again  just  in  the  rear  of  the 
fighting  forces.     This  line  followed  the  entire  advance  through  the  Argonne. 

An  advance  "P.  C,"  the  code  name  of  which  was  "Bonehead,"  was  estab- 
lished in  a  huge  dugout  at  Cotes-de-Forimont.  This  was  an  important  office  and 
a  large  part  of  the  battalion  force  was  stationed  here  to  operate  the  telephone 
and  telegraph  equipment  and  maintain  the  lines.  As  the  Argonne  was  cleared 
of  the  enemy,  lines  were  built  in  what  were  now  the  rear  areas  for  the  handling 
of  trains  on  the  rebuilt  railroads. 

A  lull  in  the  advance  was  followed  by  a  renewal  of  the  offensive  on  November 
2d.  Grandpre,  after  a  terrific  struggle  fell  to  the  Americans,  and  the  telephone 
line  was  rushed  on  toward  St.  Juvin.  Corps  Headquarters  was  established  at 
Harricourt  to  which  place  the  battalion  moved.  The  enemy  was  now  on  the  run 
and  the  American  forces  rushed  after  them  toward  Sedan.  Just  two  days  before 
the  armistice  was  signed,  the  First  Corps,  including  the  406th  Telegraph  Battalion, 
was  relieved. 

The  battalion  had  seen  practically  continuous  service  since  the  first  American 
offensive  began  in  July.  During  that  period  of  nearly  four  months  on  active 
fronts,  the  men  had  engaged  in  nearly  every  kind  of  work.  They  had  constructed 
communication  lines  to  prepare  for  the  various  attacks.  And  when  the  actual 
battles  started  they  were  occupying  the  front  line  telephone  exchanges.  This 
sounds  like  rather  prosaic  work.  Let  one  of  the  men  dispel  any  such  illusion.  The 
Marne  offensive  was  just  starting.  The  406th  had  installed  a  switchboard  in  a 
dugout  at  Montreuil.  It  was  being  operated  and  the  lines  in  the  vicinity  kept  in 
repair  by  the  same  organization  as  the  attack  began.    It  was  the  night  of  July  17th. 

"About  11.30  all  our  lines  to  the  Yankee  Division  went  out  of  service.  Two 
of  the  men  left  the  dugout  to  find  the  break.  Shells  were  dropping  by  the  ton. 
Down  the  hill  in  the  pitchy  darkness  the  men  stumbled.  They  fell  into  a  huge 
cavity.  It  was  a  shell  hole.  The  shell  had  fallen  on  the  telephone  line.  Nearly  a 
hundred  feet  of  the  wires  had  been  shot  away.  A  quick  repair  was  made.  No 
sooner  had  they  returned  than  all  lines  to  the  rear  went  out.  This  cut  us  off 
from  headquarters.  A  detail  started  out  and  found  the  line  almost  completely 
broken  down  by  shell  fire.     Repair  after  repair  was  made.     Many  times,  the  same 

177 


job  had  to  be  repeated  as  shells 
tore  down  the  newly  repaired 
wires.  It  was  not  until  the 
next  evening  that  these  men 
returned  to  the  dugout. 

"While  they  were  gone, 
the  operators  at  the  switch- 
board were  having  a  'hot' 
time.  Officers  at  the  rear  were 
demanding  connections  to  the 
front.  Officers  at  the  front 
were  asking  for  connections  to 
the  rear.  Next  was  an  order 
changing  the  direction  of 
attack.  And  every  call  was 
an  emergency  call." 

Such  was  life  at  the  ad- 
vance exchanges.  In  the  rear 
the  motor  sections  with  some 
sixty  to  eighty  vehicles  of 
various  vintages  in  their  care 
had  no  light  task.  Hauling 
signal  corps  material  by  day, 
snatching  an  hour  now  and 
again  for  repairs,  and  spending 
the  night  hauling  troops  and 
ammunition  to  the  front,  these  chauffeurs  and  repairmen  had  a  strenuous  time. 

The  Telegraph  Battalion  had  been  in  France  a  year  and  a  half.  It  had  made 
such  a  reputation  for  itself  that  when  Colonel  Voris,  Signal  Officer  of  the  First 
Army  Corps  was  preparing  to  enter  the  Occupation  Zone  in  Germany,  he  pleaded 
to  be  allowed  to  take  this  "Battalion  of  Experts"  as  he  called  it.  He  agreed  to 
dispense  with  the  additional  signal  unit  which  was  allowed  to  an  Army  Corps,  if 
he  could  have  these  Pennsylvania  Bell  men.  The  Chief  Signal  Officer  ruled  that 
these  men  had  already  done  their  share  in  the  war  and  were  not  to  join  the  Army 
of  Occupation.     So  winter  quarters  were  taken  up  at  Tonnerre. 

The  question  uppermost  in  the  minds  of  every  man  in  France  now  was,  "  When 
do  we  go  home?"  During  this  winter  the  men  of  the  battalion  had  their  first 
"vacations"  since  they  had  arrived  in  France.  During  this  period,  too,  a  Horse 
and  Motor  Show  was  held  in  the  First  Army  Corps  and  four  motor  vehicles  were 
entered  by  the  battalion.  Each  of  the  four  was  awarded  the  Blue  Ribbon  in  its 
respective  class.     One  of  the  four  received  the  Grand  Prize  for  all  classes. 

On  April  8th,  the  battalion  boarded  the  Seattle  at  Brest.  Easter  Sunday 
found  the  ship  in  New  York  harbor,  and  at  midnight  the  battalion  arrived  at 
Camp  Upton.  Three  days  later  it  was  transferred  to  Camp  Dix  for  demobiliza- 
tion.    On  April  26th  the  signal  men  were  finally  mustered  out  of  service. 

The  406th,  which  many  of  its  friends  and  members  still  called  the  First  Tele- 
graph Battalion,  ceased  to  exist  as  an  active  military  unit,  having  completed  just 
two  years  of  service  —  twenty  months  of  which  had  been  spent  overseas.     These 

178 


Photo  by  D.    Sargent  Bell. 

Final  Bevieiv  of  the  UOQlh  Telegraph  Battalion. 


men  had  laid  down  their  telephone  tools  to  serve  their  country.  After  two  years 
of  absence  they  again  took  up  their  work,  richer  by  their  experience  in  having 
shared  in  the  fight  to  preserve  democracy. 


THE  STATE  FENCIBLES  IN  THE  WORLD  WAR* 

The  State  Fencibles,  having  responded  to  every  call  for  duty  since  its  organiza- 
tion in  1813,  and  seeing  the  part  the  United  States  were  destined  to  play  in  the  World 
War,  passed  a  resolution  on  March  28,  1917,  requesting  authority  from  the  Mayor 
of  the  City  of  Philadelphia  to  increase  the  command  from  a  battalion  of  four  com- 
panies to  a  full  regiment.  This  permission  was  granted  on  April  2,  1917,  and 
recruiting  was  at  once  begun. 

By  April  14,  1917,  the  regiment  had  been  fully  organized,  recruited  and  partly 
equipped,  and  on  that  day,  1,200  men  were  paraded  and  reviewed  by  the  Mayor 
of  the  City  of  Philadelphia  and  by  members  of  Councils  and  citizens  generally,  from 
the  West  Plaza  of  City  Hall.  The  services  of  this  regiment  were  immediately 
tendered  to  the  Governor  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  to  form  part  of  its  quota, 
and  to  the  President  of  the  United  States;  also  to  Colonel  Theodore  Roosevelt, 
who  was  at  this  time  attempting  to  form  a  division,  to  be  known  as  the  Roosevelt 
Expeditionary  Forces,  for  immediate  service  in  France. 

At  the  opening  of  the  war  the  authorities  at  Washington  found  themselves 
divided  into  two  groups,  one  favoring  the  volunteer  system,  and  the  other,  the 
selective  draft.  The  final  decision  of  Congress,  in  favor  of  the  selective  draft,  made 
it  impossible  for  the  State  Fencibles'  Regiment  to  enter  the  service  as  a  unit. 
The  regiment  up  to  this  time  had  been  recruited  to  1,960  officers  and  men.  "I 
regret,"  said  Colonel  Theodore  Roosevelt  in  a  letter  addressed  to  the  State 
Fencibles,  "from  the  standpoint  of  the  country  that  your  services  were  not  utilized. 
But  the  country  has  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  the  zeal,  patriotism  and  business- 
like efficiency  with  which  you  came  forward." 

The  Fencibles  later  deemed  it  advisable  to  permit  the  various  members  to 
select  other  branches  of  the  service  so  that  the  organization  would  be  properly 
represented  in  this  conflict. 

The  members  of  the  Fencibles  later  entering  the  service  were  mustered  at  Fort 
Allen,  Camp  Brown,  Columbus  Barracks,  Camp  Dix,  Frankford  Arsenal,  Camp 
Green,  Camp  Hill,  Camp  Hancock,  Camp  Humphreys,  Camp  Jackson,  Camp 
Johnston,  Fort  Jay,  Camp  Lee,  Camp  Meade,  Camp  Merritt,  Philadelphia  Navy 
Yard,  Camp  Slocum,  Camp  Upton,  Camp  Vail  and  Wissahickon  Barracks. 

Its  members  were  represented  in  the  United  States  Regular  Army,  National 
Guard,  National  Army,  United  States  Navy,  Marine  Corps  and  Naval  Reserve, 
serving  in  England,  Italy,  France,  Germany  and  United  States. 

Of  the  number  originally  recruited,  it  has  been  found  impossible  to  trace  all, 
but  from  the  records  now  available,  960  entered  the  service  during  the  war.  Of 
this  number  thirty-seven  were  killed  or  died  of  disease  and  186  were  wounded. 

To  the  members  of  the  Fencibles  there  were  awarded  the  Distinguished 
Service  Cross,  British  War  Cross,  Italian  War  Cross  and  Croix  de  Guerre. 

*Summarized  from  "Spectemur  Agendo"  by  Colonel  Thomas  S.  Lanard. 

179 


After  the  close  of  the  war  twenty-eight  men  remained  in  the  service  and 
were  transferred  to  the  regular  Army  and  Navy. 

PIONEER  INFANTRY  REGIMENTS 
By  Major  Louis  L.  Tafel 

Among  the  Combatant  Troops  bearing  an  important  part  in  the  great  American 
drives  which  helped  to  end  the  war  were  numerous  regiments  of  Pioneer  Infantry 
— a  combination  of  infantry  and  engineers — among  whom  were  many  officers  and 
men  from  Philadelphia  and  its  vicinity. 

Major  C.  W.  Davis,  in  his  "Story  of  the  1st  Pioneer  Infantry,  U.  S.  A.,"  has 
given  the  following  concise  and  excellent  description  of  this  new  branch  of  the  ser- 
vice: 

"Pioneer  troops,  as  the  term  was  used  in  our  Army,  may  be  described  as  regi- 
ments trained  and  equipped  as  infantry  to  be  used  as  troops  of  emergency,  either 
for  combat  or  simple  engineering  construction.  The  American  General  Staff, 
late  in  1917,  decided  to  form  a  number  of  infantry  regiments  to  be  attached  to  the 
headquarters  of  the  Armies  and  Army  Corps  then  in  process  of  formation,  and  to  call 
these  Corps  and  Army  Troops  'Pioneer  Infantry.'  Infantry  regiments  had  always 
been  attached  to  Corps  and  Army  headquarters  and,  as  has  been  shown,  it  was  a 
logical  step  to  call  them  Pioneers.  The  regiments  could  be  used  for  such  special 
work  as  the  Army  or  Corps  Commander  might  direct,  trained  and  armed  for  con- 
struction or  combat,  and  instantly  available  in  any  emergency  without  destroying 
the  tactical  solidarity  of  the  divisions."  He  adds:  "The  general  idea  of  the 
European  armies  was  to  use  as  pioneers  those  troops  who  would  be  more  skilled 
in  the  requirements  of  simple  field  construction  than  infantry  and  not  so  technical 
as  the  engineers;  the  heavy  losses  in  purely  technical  troops  having  seriously 
inconvenienced  their  operations." 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1918,  under  an  order  of  General  Guy  Carleton,  com- 
manding the  Provisional  Depot  for  Corps  and  Army  troops,  at  Spartanburg,  S.  C, 
there  was  organized  the  1st  Pioneer  Infantry  from  what  remained  of  the  old  1st  New 
York,  under  command  of  Colonel  Jas.  S.  Boyer.  The  2d,  3d,  4th  and  5th  Pioneer 
Infantry  were  formed  from  National  Guard  regiments  which  had  been  skeletonized 
in  the  creation  of  the  new  war  strength  regiments  in  the  various  divisions.  All 
these  Pioneer  regiments  were  then  completed  by  the  transfer  of  officers  and  men 
from  the  Reserve  Corps  and  National  Army,  and  these  regiments  were  designated 
as  "Corps  Troops,"  to  be  attached  to  the  several  Army  Corps.  There  were  or- 
ganized, in  a  similar  manner,  from  these  former  National  Guard  regiments,  other 
regiments,  to  be  attached  to  the  several  Field  Armies,  called  "Army  Troops," 
numbered  respectively  from  51  to  65.  Among  the  Philadelphians  in  the  1st  Pioneer 
Infantry  were  Majors  George  Blair  and  Louis  L.  Tafel;  Captain  Lelan  M.  Haller 
and  Lieutenants  Charles  P.  Delp,  Thomas  A.  Logue,  William  May,  James  S.  Smith, 
Jr.,  and  Francis  J.  Harrity.  In  the  other  Pioneer  regiments,  Philadelphia  was 
likewise  well  represented.  Nearly  all  of  these  regiments  saw  service 
overseas.  Later,  there  were  certain  other  regiments  of  Pioneers  for  con- 
struction work,  bearing  numbers  over  800,  which  also  rendered  good 
service. 

180 


Overseas  the  Pioneers  sometimes  operated  with  the  infantry,  or  as  part  of  the 
reserve,  but  usually  they  worked  with  the  engineers  in  building  and  repairing 
bridges,  roads,  camouflage  screens  and  trenches,  cutting  wire  entanglements  and 
keeping  open  the  communications  over  the  spongy,  shell-torn  roads  for  the  troops, 
artillery,  ambulances,  ammunition  and  supplies,  often  under  the  fire  of  artillery, 
machine  guns  and  airplanes,  and  bearing  their  inevitable  share  of  the  casualties. 

The  1st  Pioneer  Infantry  served  with  the  1st  and  3d  Army  Corps  during  the 
Oise-Aisne,  Aisne-Marne  and  Meuse-Argonne  offensives;  and  during  the  St.  Mihiel 
and  Meuse-Argonne  drives,  a  number  of  these  Pioneer  regiments  rendered  valiant 
service,  advancing  with  the  infantry  and  later  making  and  maintaining  roads 
and  bridges  over  No  Man's  Land  for  the  miles  and  miles  of  troops,  artillery, 
ambulances,  wagons  and  ammunition  trucks  pressing  to  and  from  the  advancing 
lines.  The  importance  of  this  work  is  evidenced  by  the  words  of  General  Drum 
in  his  talk  on  "The  Great  American  Offensive,"  when  he  states,  in  connection 
with  the  work  near  Montfaucon,  on  September  26,  1918,  "Pioneers  were  collect- 
ing stone  with  their  bare  hands  and  throwing  it  on  the  road,  and  every  handful  of 
stone  they  put  in  was  worth  a  hundred  bullets."  Working  furiously,  day  and 
night,  with  little  rest  or  food,  during  those  first  momentous  days  of  that  great 
attack,  the  Engineers  and  Pioneers  opened  and  maintained  the  great  Victory  Road 
over  No  Man's  Land,  so  that  our  Army  could  continue  its  advance,  day  after  day, 
until  the  armistice  found  it  well  across  the  Meuse. 

It  was,  therefore,  eminently  fitting  that  several  regiments  of  Pioneer  Infantry 
should  be  chosen  as  part  of  that  veteran  Army  of  Occupation  which  made  the 
memorable  march  to  the  Rhine  and  occupied  the  American  sector  in  Germany, 
holding  the  bridgehead  at  Coblenz.  It  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  1st  Pioneers  to  cross 
the  Rhine  with  the  3d  Corps  and  to  be  the  first  American  troops  to  occupy  the 
great  German  fortress  of  Ehrenbreitstein,  often  called  "The  Gibraltar  of  the 
Rhine." 

As  these  Pioneer  "  Corps  and  Army  Troops"  were  not  an  integral  or  permanent 
part  of  any  particular  division,  the  record  of  their  achievements  has  often  been  over- 
looked. Nevertheless,  no  troops  had  a  better  record  for  duty  earnestly  and  bravely 
performed  in  the  face  of  hardships  and  danger  than  these  same  sturdy  Pioneers,  as 
they  manfully  struggled,  day  after  day  to  carry  out  the  part  assigned  to  them  in 
the  "Great  Adventure,"  which  has  added  such  a  glorious  chapter  to  our 
American  history. 

54TH  PIONEER  INFANTRY 
By  Major  David  B.  Simpson 

January  5,  1918,  marked  the  demise  of  the  old  71st  Infantry,  New  York  Na- 
tional Guard,  and  the  inception  of  the  54th  Pioneer  Infantry  to  Camp  Wadsworth, 
South  Carolina,  the  1st  Battalion  of  which  was  almost  exclusively  Philadelphian 
in  personnel.  The  3d  Battalion  was  commanded  by  a  Philadelphia  officer, 
Major  David  B.  Simpson. 

Its  Commander,  Colonel  William  G.  Bates,  a  veteran  of  long  service  in  the 
Army  and  National  Guard,  held  fast  to  his  regimental  band  and  the  very  best  of 
his  non-commissioned  officer  personnel,  which  gave  him  a  skeletonized  regiment 
around  which  could  be  built  an  exceptionally  fine  organization. 

181 


On  January  6,  1918,  when  it  was  assigned  to  Corps  and  Army  troops,  majors 
and  captains  from  National  Guard  camps  all  over  the  country  arrived  and  were 
assigned.  They  were  followed  by  a  quota  of  first  and  second  lieutenants  from 
the  Reserve  Officers'  Training  Camps  and  others  who  had  been  commissioned  from 
the  ranks  in  the  Regular  Army. 

Until  June,  the  officers  and  specially  selected  non-commissioned  officers  at- 
tended engineering  schools  to  fit  them  for  the  work  they  were  to  do  later  in  a  practi- 
cal way  overseas. 

In  July  it  received  3,300  selective  service  men,  chiefly  from  Minnesota  and 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  training  immediately  began. 

The  regiment  left  Camp  Wadsworth  on  August  20th,  arriving  at  Newport 
News  the  following  day.  It  embarked  for  France  on  the  transports  Duca  d'Aosta 
and  the  Caserta — the  troops  being  commanded  by  Colonel  Rates  and  Major  Simp- 
son, respectively — on  August  29th,  and  arrived  at  Rrest,  September  12th,  where 
it  remained  in  the  rest  camp  area  until  September  17,  when  it  entrained  for  the 
the  Is-sur-Tille  area. 

After  a  three-day  train  ride,  further  movement  was  stopped  when  the  regi- 
ment arrived  at  Port  d'Atelier,  and  at  this  point  a  shelter  tent  camp  was  pitched 
to  await  further  orders.  This  happened  on  September  20th,  and  the  following 
day  "tin  hats"  and  gas  masks  were  issued.  This  meant  no  training.  On  Septem- 
ber 22d  the  regiment,  after  spending  one  day  in  gas-mask  drill,  again  entrained 
for  the  front. 

September  23d  found  it  at  Fleury-sur-Aire,  where  it  detrained  at  3  p.m.,  and 
immediately  took  cover  in  an  adjacent  woods  because  the  Roche  planes  were 
reconnoitering  overhead.  Spending  that  night  and  all  of  the  following  day  in  the 
same  woods,  without  fires  for  cooking  or  any  other  lights,  it  finally  received  orders 
at  7  p.m.  to  pack  up  and  move  for  the  advanced  zone  of  operations. 

At  precisely  9:30  p.m.  a  march  of  15  kilometers  began,  with  the  Clermont 
woods  in  the  Argonne  forest  as  the  objective.  The  "hike"  was  made  in  six  and  a 
half  hours,  along  with  other  units  in  the  one  general  direction  in  which  all  traffic 
was  moving. 

On  September  25th,  while  bivouacked  in  the  Clermont  woods,  the  regiment 
not  only  received  its  official  assignment  as  1st  Army  Troops  for  engineering  work, 
but  also  its  baptism  of  fire.  Its  initial  battle  orders  called  for  it  to  follow  the  28th 
Division  when  it  made  its  "jump  off"  on  the  morning  of  September  26th.  Subse- 
quent orders  assigned  individual  companies  to  special  lines  of  engineering  work. 

Companies  D  and  M  were  sent  to  Aubrey ville  to  assist  the  14th  and  21st 
Engineers  in  the  construction  of  narrow-gauge  railways,  and  push  forward  as  the 
advance  zone  moved  northward.  The  rest  of  the  regiment  was  assigned  for  duty 
with  the  23d  (road)  Engineers. 

From  the  opening  to  the  close  of  the  Meuse- Argonne  offensive,  September  26th 
to  November  11,  the  regiment  remained  in  the  Argonne,  constantly  subjected  to 
shell  fire  and  nightly  air  raids.  It  operated  as  companies  always  within  range 
of  the  Roche  artillery,  especially  in  and  around  Varennes,  Apremont,  Montblain- 
ville,  Raulny,  Charpentry,  Very,  Malancourt,  Cunel  and  other  strategic  points 
in  that  sector. 

Its  designation  as  Army  Troops  subjected  it  to  being  ordered  for  road  work 
with  most  of  the  divisions  in  the  west  sector  of  the  Meuse-Argonne  offensive. 

182 


It  operated  with  the  28th,  35th,  79th,  77th,  78th,  42d,  and  2d  and  with  the  1st 
Division  in  its  six  weeks  in  the  Argonne. 

On  November  1st,  when  the  big  drive  was  started  in  the  Argonne,  the  regiment 
followed  up  the  fast  moving  infantry,  and  repaired  roads  that  had  been 
badly  damaged  by  the  American  "million  dollar"  barrage  which  drove  the 
Boche  back  towards  the  Rhine  and  brought  about  the  signing  of  the  armistice  on 
November  11th. 

As  fast  as  the  infantry  moved  up,  the  various  companies  took  stations  in 
Landres-et-St.  Georges;  Verpel;  Champignelles;  Immicourt,  Buzancy  and  Beau- 
mont in  the  western  sector,  and  the  2d  Battalion  was  sent  to  Vauchreville  on  the 
Verdun  front.  At  these  points  the  several  units  operated  until  November,  15th 
when  orders  were  received  to  concentrate  at  Dun-sur-Meuse. 

Assigned  to  Army  of  Occupation 

All  through  the  night  of  November  15th  and  the  early  part  of  November  16th 
the  various  companies  began  to  arrive  at  Dun-sur-Meuse,  and  the  same  day  it  was 
assigned  to  the  Army  of  Occupation.  The  various  divisions  of  the  Army  of  Occu- 
pation were  marching  towards  the  Rhine,  and  the  following  day  the  regiment  took 
its  position  in  the  column  as  the  last  element. 

As  a  part  of  the  column  it  did  not  last  very  long,  because  orders  were  received 
by  the  Commanding  Officer  to  detach  his  battalions  for  various  duties  while  en 
route,  either  to  do  some  road  work  or  concentrate  and  guard  war  munitions  and 
villages  but  recently  vacated  by  the  Germany  Army. 

The  regiment  was  first  assigned  to  the  7th  Corps,  and  its  several  battalion 
Commanders  received  orders  as  follows:  1st  Battalion  to  Virton,  Belgium;  2d  to 
Briey ;  and  the  3d  to  Longwy,  and  await  further  orders. 

The  1st  Battalion  concentrated,  guarded  and  took  inventory  of  all  German 
property  in  its  area ;  the  second  battalion  did  likewise,  and  also  guarded  the  iron 
mines  in  its  vicinity ;  the  third  battalion  had  the  task  of  the  regiment.  It  entered 
Longwy  and  took  over  from  the  11th  Infantry,  the  1st  Engineers  and  the  13th 
Machine  Gun  Battalion  all  of  the  work  these  organizations  had  been  performing, 
which  included  the  following :  Guarding  forty  miles  of  railroad ;  establishing  a  civilian 
prison  for  the  French  who  had  been  friendly  to  the  Boche  during  their  fifty-two 
months'  stay  in  Longwy;  guarding  and  taking  inventory  of  the  largest  German 
ration  dump  and  warehouse  in  France;  an  aviation  field  with  all' equipment;  a 
manufacturing  plant  for  gas  shells;  a  mine-throwers'  school,  and  the  big  "clearing 
house"  for  repatriated  prisoners  of  war.  These  prisoners  were  mostly  Russians, 
who  had  been  confined  in  Boche  prison  camps  since  1914,  and  they  had  to  be  bathed, 
deloused  and  fed.  Every  five  days  a  train  load  of  2,500  was  sent  with  an 
American  Army  guard  and  with  American  rations  to  the  Allied  Commission  at 
Verdun. 

Remaining  at  these  three  points,  until  December  16th,  the  Relief  orders  called 
for  another  regimental  concentration  at  Longwy,  when  it  was  relieved  by  the  34th 
Infantry  at  Longwy  and  110th  Infantry  at  Briey. 

Still  under  orders  from  7th  Corps  Headquarters,  it  proceeded  to  the  vicinity 
of  Wittlich,  Germany.  It  arrived  at  Salmrohr,  Germany,  on  December  22d,  where 
it  was  billeted  in  fifteen  small  villages  awaiting  instructions.  On  December  29th, 
in  pursuant  to  orders  by  courier,  the  regiment  was  detached  from  the  7th  Corps, 

183 


and  assigned  to  the  3d  Army  Headquarters,  with  instructions  to  finish  the  rest 
of  the  trip  to  the  Rhine  by  rail. 

It  entrained  in  three  sections  between  3  p.m.  and  9  p.m.  December  29th,  and 
arrived  at  Coblenz  on  December  30th  at  3  p.m.,  making  a  fifty-seven  mile  trip 
by  rail  in  twenty-four  hours. 

Arriving  at  Coblenz  the  regiment  was  again  shattered.  Regimental  Head- 
quarters, Supply  Company,  Medical  Detachment  and  Companies  A,  R,  and  C 
with  1st  Rattalion  Headquarters  were  stationed  at  Coblenz-Neundorf.  Company 
D  went  to  Wallersheim,  2d  Rattalion  Headquarters ;  and  Company  E  to  Kessel- 
heim,  Company  F  to  St.  Sebastian,  Company  G  to  Urmitz;  Companies  H 
and  K  to  Mulheim;  Companies  I,  L  and  M  and  3d  Rattalion  Headquarters 
to  Rubenach. 

Spending  all  of  the  winter  of  1918-19  in  the  Rhineland  at  drill,  or  furnishing 
details  for  the  several  quartermaster  depots,  and  squads  for  demolition  of  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  German  hand  grenades,  the  officers  and  men  of  the  regiment  soon 
recuperated  from  the  hardships  endured  in  the  gruelling  days  of  the  Argonne  drive, 
with  its  long  marches,  constant  subjection  to  shell  fire,  bombing  and  machine  gun 
fire  from  the  air,  and  soon  became  a  smart,  snappy  well  drilled,  equipped  and  dis- 
ciplined body  of  men. 

After  "sitting  on  the  World,"  as  the  men  termed  it,  for  seven  months,  orders 
were  received  to  detrain  for  the  LeMans  Embarkation  Center  on  May  23,  1919, 
and  the  regiment  concentrated  and  entrained  at  Coblenz-Lutzel  on  May  24th 
en  route  for  home. 

It  arrived  at  LeMans  May  28th,  had  its  Memorial  Day  exercises  at  Regimental 
Headquarters  at  Avoise  on  May  30th,  and  pulled  out  for  St.  Nazaire  on  June  1st. 
Arriving  at  St.  Nazaire  two  days  later,  it  partook  of  all  the  essential  inspections, 
and  worked  night  and  day  preparing  for  its  homeward  trip.  For  some  reason 
this  movement  was  delayed  until  June  16th,  when  the  entire  regiment  saw  the 
best  sight  in  Europe,  i.e.: — the  U.  S.  S.  Artemis — which  was  the  ship  that  brought 
the  men  home. 

The  regiment  arrived  at  Camp  Stuart,  Newport  News,  Va.,  on  the  morning 
of  June  29th,  and  after  another  day  of  inspections  and  farewells  among  the  officers, 
who  came  from  forty-two  states  of  the  Union  and  the  men  who  hailed  from  forty 
states  of  this  country  and  eight  European  countries,  it  was  broken  up.  Irre- 
spective of  previous  company  designation,  it  was  divided  into  three  groups;  the 
New  York  men  and  New  Englanders  going  to  Camp  Upton,  New  York;  the 
Pennsylvanians  and  New  Jersey  men  going  to  Camp  Dix,  New  Jersey;  and  all 
others,  including  Regimental  Headquarters,  going  to  Camp  Grant,  Illinois,  for 
final  muster  out. 

The  Philadelphia  contingent,  numbering  582  officers  and  men,  were  brought 
to  Camp  Dix  by  Major  David  R.  Simpson,  of  Philadelphia,  who  commanded  the 
3d  Rattalion,  but  whose  command  was  entirely  from  Minnesota.  The  Philadel- 
phians  served  in  the  1st  Rattalion. 

All  were  demobilized  on  July  1st,  but  awaited  the  last  man's  discharge  so  that 
they  could  come  home  in  a  body.  This  they  did.  They  were  met  at  Market 
Street  Ferry  by  the  Philadelphia  Police  Rand  and  escorted  to  the  1st  Regiment 
Armory,  where  they  were  dismissed. 

During  the  service  of  the  regiment  it  lost  many  men  by  death,  either  killed 

184 


or  from  disease,  to  say  nothing  of  the  men  wounded, 
killed  or  died  of  disease  are  the  following: 


In  the  list  of  Philadelphians 


Company  B:     Corporal  James  M.  Smith,  124  W.  Wyoming  Avenue. 

Private  Pasqualle  Balassone,  2340  Meredith  Street. 

Private  William  B.  Pfrommer,  1224  S.  57th  Street. 

Private  William  J.  Perkins,  5249  Knox  Street. 
Company  C:     Corporal  Joseph  J.  Maguire,  1804  E.  Adams  Street. 

Bugler  Harry  McCain,  1832  E.  Wishart  Street. 

Private  John  B.  Wilkinson,  530  Brinton  Street. 
Company  D:     Private  William  Buckius,  2528  Martin  Street. 

Private  Harvey  Fitzgerald,  5464  Marvin  Avenue. 

Private  Edward  I.  Garrity,  4089  Lancaster  Avenue. 
Company  H:     Private  Lantus  Johnson,  1525  McKean  Street,  died  aboard  U.  S.  S.  Caserla, 
en  route  to  France. 

FIRST  TROOP  PHILADELPHIA  CITY  CAVALRY   1917-1919 

The  First  Troop  Philadelphia  City  Cavalry  has  had  a  continuous  military 
existence  since  November  17,  1774,  when  it  was  organized  in  anticipation  of  the 
American  Revolution,  and  has  taken  part  as  an  organization  in  every  war  involving 
the  United  States  in  which  volunteer  troops  were  employed. 

During  the  Revolution  it  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton 
and  served  during  the  advance  to  winter  quarters  at  Morristown,  N.  J.,   acting 


The  King  of  the  Belgians  with  Mayor  Smith,  escorted  by  the  "City  Troop. 

185 


as  personal  escort  to  General  Washington ;  later  it  took  part  in  the  Battle  of  Brandy- 
wine  and  rendered  many  other  services  during  the  war.  In  the  War  of  1812,  the 
Troop,  four  days  after  news  of  the  declaration  of  war  reached  Philadelphia,  offered 
its  services  to  the  Federal  Government  and  was  accepted.  Its  principal  service 
was  in  1814,  when  it  was  on  duty  in  the  neighborhood  of  Elkton,  Md.,  and 
Chesapeake  Bay,  guarding  against  the  advance  of  the  British  troops  which  at  that 
time  held  Washington. 

In  the  Civil  War,  the  Troop  volunteered  on  April  15,  1861,  and  was  accepted 
in  May  for  three  months'  service,  it  being  the  only  volunteer  cavalry  fully  equipped 
with  horses  and  arms  ready  for  immediate  service.  Upon  the  completion  of  this 
service  practically  the  entire  personnel  received  commissions  and  served  as  officers 
of  various  ranks.  In  the  Spanish  War  in  1898  it  volunteered  and  served  as  a  unit 
throughout  the  entire  war;  it  took  part  in  the  Porto  Bican  campaign,  being  attached 
to  General  Brooke's  column. 

Just  prior  to*  the  declaration  of  war  upon  Germany  by  the  United  States 
in  1917,  the  Troop,  under  the  command  of  Captain  J.  Franklin  McFadden,  its 
nineteenth  Captain,  had  returned  from  Camp  Stewart,  El  Paso,  Texas,  after 
six  months'  active  service  on  the  Mexican  border  as  a  unit  of  the  National  Guard 
of  the  United  States,  and  was  mustered  out  of  Federal  service  into  State  service 
on  January  22,  1917.  In  March,  1917,  in  anticipation  of  the  war  against 
Germany,  practically  all  the  enlisted  members  of  the  Troop  applied  for 
examination  and  appointment  as  reserve  officers.  When  these  examinations 
were  suspended  shortly  after  the  declaration  of  war,  about  half  of  the  Troop  had 
already  taken  the  examinations  and  had  been  recommended  for  commissions. 
They  and  those  who  had  not  yet  been  examined  attended  the  First  Officers' 
Training  Camp  at  Fort  Niagara,  which  opened  May  15,  1917,  first  having  obtained 
discharges  from  the  National  Guard  for  that  purpose,  and  at  end  of  the  three 
months'  training  were  commissioned  or  recommissioned  in  various  branches  of 
the  service.  A  large  proportion  of  these  officers  were  assigned  to  the  79th  Division, 
and  served  with  it  throughout  the  war,  though  many  served  with  other  organiza- 
tions. A  considerable  number  of  other  Troopers  served  with  the  309th  Cavalry 
at  Fort  Sam  Houston,  Texas,  from  the  time  of  its  organization,  and  when  it  was 
disbanded  were  transferred  to  the  56th  and  57th  Begiments  of  Field  Artillery. 

The  Active  Boll  of  the  Troop,  as  it  was  on  the  return  from  the  Mexican  border, 
including  those  who  volunteered  for  border  service,  supplied  ninety-six  officers 
in  the  service  of  the  United  States.  Included  in  this  number  are  two  lieutenant 
colonels,  fourteen  majors,  forty-six  captains,  twenty-eight  first  lieutenants,  four 
second  lieutenants  and  two  officers  in  the  Navy.  In  addition,  the  non-active 
and  honorary  membership  of  the  Troop  furnished  thirty -five  officers  from  the  grade 
of  colonel  to  that  of  first  lieutenant.     Three  others  served  as  officers  in  the  Navy. 

Decorations  and  Citations 

For  gallantry  in  action  and  for  meritorious  service  a  number  of  decorations  and 
honors  were  awarded  to  members  of  the  Troop.  Harry  Ingersoll  and  Effingham 
B.  Morris,  Jr.,  received  the  Distinguished  Service  Cross;  Harold  M.  Willcox,  the 
Navy  Cross;  George  McFadden,  the  Distinguished  Service  Medal;  J.  Franklin 
McFadden,  John  Houston  Merrill,  Effingham  B.  Morris,  Jr.,  and  Barclay  H.  War- 
burton,  the  Cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor  (French) ;  John  C.  Groome,  the  Order 

186 


of  the  Bath  (British),  the  Distinguished  Order  of  St.  Michael  and  St.  George  (Brit- 
ish), the  Order  of  St.  Vladimir  (Russian),  the  Order  of  the  Black  Star  (French), 
the  Croix  de  la  Liberte  (Esthonian) ;  Robert  Glendinning,  the  Order  of  the  Crown 
of  Italy;  Schofield  Andrews  and  Effingham  B.  Morris,  Jr.,  the  Croix  de  Guerre 
(French);  and  Norton  Downs,  Jr.,  the  Italian  War  Cross  of  Merit.  For  faithful 
performance  of  duty,  Schofield  Andrews  was  cited  in  General  Orders  by  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief, American  Expeditionary  Forces;  for  especially  meritorious  and 
conspicuous  service,  John  Houston  Merrill  was  awarded  a  certificate  by  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief. William  W.  Bodine,  Joseph  N.  DuBarry,  Edward  Law  and 
Edward  W.  Madeira  were  mentioned  in  orders  by  their  Division  Commanders. 

Seventy-nine  members  of  the  Troop  served  overseas  and  fifty  took  part  in 
engagements.  Three  Troopers  fell  in  action  and  three  others  died  in  active 
service;  seven  were  wounded.     Those  who  lost  their  fives  in  the  war  were: 

Phinehas  P.  Chrystie,  Captain,  312th  Field  Artillery 

Norton  Downs,  Jr.,  First  Lieutenant,  Air  Service 

Thomas  Graham  Hirst,  First  Lieutenant,  151st  Field  Artillery 

Edward  Ingersoll,  Captain,  Air  Service 

Harry  Ingersoll,  Captain,  313th  Infantry 

Frank  F.  Battles,  Captain,  314tb  Infantry 

The  Volunteer  National  Guard  Troop 

In  order  to  replace  in  the  National  Guard  Troop,  the  members  of  the  Old  Troop 
who  had  been  discharged  to  accept  commissions,  the  Troop  Officers,  in  April,  May 
and  June,  1917,  enlisted  102  volunteers.  This  Volunteer  Troop,  under  the  name  of 
"First  Troop  Philadelphia  City  Cavalry"  commanded  by  Captain  George  C. 
Thayer,  the  twentieth  Captain  of  the  Old  Troop,  was  drafted  into  Federal  service  in 
August  of  1917,  as  one  of  the  component  units  of  the  First  Regiment  of  Cavalry  of 
the  Pennsylvania  National  Guard  Division,  with  which  it  went  to  Camp  Hancock, 
Georgia,  where  the  Division  was  reorganized  as  the  28th  Division.  In  November, 
1917,  the  cavalry  regiment  was  disbanded  and  the  Troop  assigned  as  Head- 
quarters Troop,  28th  Division.  It  served  in  this  capacity  for  only  a  few  weeks 
before  it  was  replaced,  and  the  personnel  of  the  Troop  transferred  to  the  103d 
Engineers.  Shortly  afterwards  the  former  officers  and  men  of  the  Troop, 
with  additional  personnel  from  other  troops  of  the  former  cavalry  regiment, 
were  assigned  to  the  103d  Trench  Mortar  Battery  of  the  53d  Field  Artillery 
Brigade  (28th  Division).  In  the  course  of  the  winter  all  of  the  Troop  Officers 
were  transferred  to  other  organizations,  and  a  considerable  number  of  the  men  at- 
tended officers'  training  schools  and  received  commissions.  Practically  all  those 
who  were  commissioned  were  assigned  to  the  28th  Division,  which  rendered  gallant 
service  in  France. 

The  Battery,  after  a  long  period  of  training  went  to  France  with  the 
28th  Division  in  May,  1918,  and  served  in  the  line  near  Fismes  on  the  Vesle  in  Au- 
gust; and  in  the  Meuse-Argonne  offensive,  just  east  of  the  Argonne  Forest,  from 
September  26th  to  October  9th.  It  was  then  sent  to  Belgium  and  served  there, 
until  the  armistice,  with  the  53d  Field  Artillery  Brigade,  which  supported  the  91st 
Division  in  the  Ypres-Lys  offensive. 

Of  those  who  volunteered  in  1917,  forty-nine  in  the  course  of  war  were  com- 
missioned officers.     Six  fell  in  action;  three  others  died  in  service. 

187 


Those  who  lost  their  lives  were: 

James  A.  Bonsack,  Second  Lieutenant,  109th  Infantry 
William  S.  Bonsai,  First  Lieutenant,  110th  Infantry 
Richard  Stockton  Bullitt,  Second  Lieutenant,  110th  Infantry 
Orville  S.  Kidwell,  Sergeant  First  Class,  Quartermaster  Corps 
Dallas  W.  Koons,  Private,  Company  A,  302d  Tank  Battalion 
Nelson  W.  Perine,  Second  Lieutenant,  110th  Infantry 
Frederic  B.  Prichett,  Second  Lieutenant,  109  th  Field  Artillery 
Carl  Daniel  Schmolze,  Bugler,  103d  Trench  Mortar  Battery 
Taylor  Everly  Walthour,  Corporal,  103d  Trench  Mortar  Battery 

The  total  contribution  of  First  Troop  Philadelphia  City  Cavalry  to  the  military 
and  naval  service  of  the  LTnited  States  in  the  World  War  was  242  men,  of  whom 
183  were  commissioned  officers. 

The  present  officers  of  the  Troop  (1921)  are:  Captain,  Clement  B.  Wood  (the 
twenty-second  Captain) ;  First  Lieutenant,  W.  West  Frazier,  3d ;  Second  Lieutenant, 
Effingham  B.  Morris,  Jr.,  and  Cornet,  John  B.  Thayer. 

THE  UNITED   STATES  ABMY  AMBULANCE  SERVICE 
By   Francis  F.   Bodine 

In  the  summer  of  1918,  during  the  height  of  America's  activities  in  the  World 
War,  an  officer  on  the  General  Staff  at  Chaumont  was  heard  to  query,  "What 
in  the  devil  is  the  United  States  Army  Ambulance  Service?"  The  annals  of  the 
part  played  by  America  in  the  World  War  would  tend  to  show  that  this  ig- 
norance of  the  identity  of  this  organization  prevailed  in  many  quarters,  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  the  United  States  Army  Ambulance  Service  was  not  the 
least  in  importance  of  the  various  units  of  the  A.  E.  F. 

The  United  States  Army  Ambulance  Service  was  an  organization  formed 
originally  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  ambulance  units  to  the  French  Army. 
After  the  sailing  of  the  third  overseas  contingent  for  France,  it  was  decided  to  send 
a  contingent  of  thirty  ambulance  sections  to  Italy.  The  French  branch  numbered 
about  eighty-one  sections;  the  Italian  branch  thirty  sections;  and  each  maintained 
its  own  headquarters  under  the  command  of  a  chief  of  service  with  the  rank  of 
colonel. 

When  the  first  French  High  Commission  arrived  in  Washington  in  May,  1917, 
General  Joffre  was  asked  by  the  then  Surgeon  General  what  the  United  States 
Army  Medical  Department  could  do  for  France;  his  reply  was  a  request  that  the 
United  States  should  undertake  the  responsibility  of  handling  the  wounded  of  the 
French  armies  at  the  front.  As  a  result  of  this  request,  the  organization  of  the 
United  States  Army  Ambulance  Corps  (later  known  as  service  instead  of  corps) 
was  effected. 

During  May,  1917,  a  recruiting  headquarters  for  the  Ambulance  Corps  was 
opened  in  Cooper  Battalion  Hall,  Philadelphia,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant 
Colonel  E.  E.  Persons,  who  chose  for  his  Aides  Dr.  Clarence  P.  Franklin  and  Dr. 
Arthur  W.  Yale.  Philadelphia  was  for  a  time  the  center  of  the  recruiting  for  the 
Corps ;  but  appeals  were  sent  out  to  men  of  the  universities  and  colleges  all  over 
the  country,  who  responded  in  large  numbers,  in  many  instances  forming  entire 
units. 

188 


The  site  chosen  for  the  training  camp  of  the  Ambulance  Corps  was  the  Fair 
Grounds  at  Allentown,  Pa.,  which  were  situated  on  the  edge  of  that  city  and 
made  an  ideal  place  for  a  camp.  The  large  exhibition  buildings,  stables,  etc., 
were  easily  transformed  into  excellent  barracks;  the  large  brick  grandstand 
had  a  great  area  beneath  the  seats  which  was  utilized  as  a  mess  hall ;  while  the  race 
track  proved  a  natural  drill  grounds. 

It  would  be  difficult  at  this  time  to  give  separately  the  part  played  by  indi- 
vidual Philadelphians  and  Philadelphia  units  in  the  Ambulance  Corps.  Suffice 
to  state  that  there  were  a  number  of  entire  units  from  Philadelphia.  At  the  open- 
ing of  the  camp  in  June,  1917,  Philadelphia  units  were  the  first  to  go  into  training. 

Upon  the  removal  of  Colonel  Persons'  headquarters  from  Philadelphia  to  Allen- 
town,  the  Corps  was  organized  on  the  basis  of  sections  of  thirty-six  men  each  com- 
manded by  a  first  lieutenant.  Several  sections  formed  a  battalion,  commanded 
by  a  captain,  one  of  which  was  commanded  by  Captain  Ward  Brinton  of  Phila- 
delphia. Later  these  sections  were  increased  from  thirty-six  to  forty-five  men. 
In  France,  the  strength  of  each  section  was  reduced  to  thirty-seven  men.  Twenty 
Ford  ambulances  comprised  an  ambulance  train.  (In  France,  these  sections  went 
under  the  French  designation  of  S.  S.  U.) 

Shortly  after  the  organization  of  the  Corps,  a  personnel  was  sent  to  France 
to  establish  a  headquarters  for  the  Corps  there.  Brigadier  General  Kean,  who 
was  later  succeeded  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  Percy  L.  Jones,  was  assigned  as  Chief 
of  Service.  An  early  task  confronting  him  after  his  arrival  there  was  the  absorp- 
tion of  the  American  Field  Service  by  the  Ambulance  Corps.  In  the  assimilation 
of  the  American  Field  Service  the  Ambulance  Corps  had  now  within  itself  several 
ambulance  sections  comprised  of  volunteers  who,  serving  without  pay,  had  carried 
more  than  500,000  French  wounded  between  the  years  1914  and  1917;  men  whose 
unselfish  devotion  to  a  then  foreign  cause,  and  whose  valor  and  heroism  had  won 
citations  from  the  French  Government  for  their  units  more  than  fifty  times;  and 
upon  more  than  250  of  the  drivers  was  conferred  the  Croix  de  Guerre,  while  five 
others  received  the  Medaille  Militaire,  the  highest  honor  for  military  valor  given 
in  France. 

In  the  meanwhile  at  Allentown  the  Corps  was  thoroughly  organized  on  a  firm 
military  basis,  equipped,  and  uniformed.  The  time  was  given  to  foot,  stretcher,  and 
ambulance  drills,  sanitary  lectures,  and  hikes.  A  military  band  was  formed  under 
the  supervision  of  Lieutenant  W.  E.  Raken,  a  Philadelphian,  to  instill  in  the  breasts 
of  the  rank  and  file  that  proper  military  enthusiasm  which  martial  music  never 
fails  to  inspire. 

The  first  contingent  of  ambulance  sections  sailed  for  France  in  August,  1917. 
The  second  was  scheduled  to  leave  a  short  time  later ;  but  after  preparations  were 
complete  the  sailing  orders  were  canceled,  the  second  contingent  broken  up,  a 
portion  of  which  sailed  in  October,  while  the  remainder,  with  other  sections,  formed 
a  third  contingent,  which  sailed  in  January,  1918,  from  New  York  on  the  Carmania, 
reaching  France  by  way  of  England. 

Of  the  activities  of  the  French  and  Italian  branches  of  the  Corps  (now  called 
Service),  lack  of  space  prevents  more  than  a  cursory  touch  being  given.  The  French 
branch  first  maintained  a  base  camp  near  Paris,  but  in  February,  1918,  the 
base  camp  was  changed  to  a  famous  old  monastery  in  the  village  of  Ferreriers,  sixty 
kilometers  from  Paris.  Headquarters  was  maintained  in  Paris,  as  was  also  the  garage. 

189 


With  the  signing  of  the  armistice  on  November  11,  1918,  the  Ambulance  Ser- 
vice in  France  had  established  an  enviable  record  for  service  on  the  front.  Am- 
bulance sections  had  served  in  practically  every  important  engagement,  and  on 
every  portion  of  the  battle  front  from  the  Dutch  border  to  the  southern  end  of 
the  line.  For  the  most  part,  these  sections  served  with  French  divisions,  but  at 
times  several  operated  with  American  divisions.  In  an  attack  ambulance  drivers 
would  be  on  the  road  day  and  night  incessantly,  operating  from  a  point  well  up  at 
the  front  to  a  base  hospital  distant  from  the  lines  anywhere  from  twelve  to 
fifty  miles.  The  roads  these  ambulances  traveled  over  were  usually  rough,  broken, 
muddy  affairs  (in  Flanders,  in  the  vicinity  of  Ypres,  the  ambulances  invariably 
wallowed  through  seas  of  mud). 

The  French  branch  of  the  Service  paid  a  heavy  toll  in  dead  and  wounded. 
The  casualty  list  was  a  long  one ;  many  sections,  too,  suffered  heavy  losses  in  am- 
bulances destroyed  by  shell  fire.  The  record  for  gallantry  in  action  was  also  a  long 
one.  Many  citations  were  made  for  entire  sections,  while  80  per  cent  of  the  per- 
sonnel of  the  entire  Service  were  cited  in  the  orders  of  the  French  Government; 
in  a  number  of  instances  awards  of  the  Distinguished  Service  Cross  by  the  American 
Government  were  received.  The  first  of  any  American  unit  abroad  to  receive 
the  famous  French  fourragere  was  an  ambulance  section,  S.  S.  U.  646,  which  won 
that  decoration  for  work  in  the  attack  at  the  Chemin  des  Dames  in  October,  1917. 
Sections  501,  502,  503,  and  504,  all  Philadelphia  sections,  received  sectional,  and 
many  individuals,  citations  for  the  Croix  de  Guerre. 

A  very  conspicuous  part  was  performed,  during  the  height  of  activities,  by  a 
Philadelphia  section,  S.  S.  U.  502.  Under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  D.  L.  Hath- 
way,  this  section  was  working  with  an  American  division  in  the  vicinity  of  Chateau- 
Thierry.  During  an  attack,  Lieutenant  Hathway  and  fifteen  men  were  overcome 
by  mustard  gas,  and  Private  Arthur  L.  Cannon  was  killed ;  but  the  remnant  of  the 
section  "carried  on"  to  such  a  degree  that  the  Division  Surgeon  wrote  a  letter  to 
the  Commanding  Officer  of  the  Division  calling  attention  to  "the  superb  work  of 
Lieutenant  Hathway  and  S.  S.  U.  502  during  the  battle  of  July  18-23,"  going  on 
to  state  that  "these  ambulances  have  been  veritable  mechanical  litter-bearers, 
traversing  zones  hitherto  considered  passable  only  by  litter-bearers  on  foot." 

It  is  regrettable  that  lack  of  time  prevents  the  historian  from  securing  more 
information  concerning  the  activities  of  other  Philadelphia  sections,  and  the  con- 
spicuous action  of  Philadelphians,  on  the  French  front.  Names  of  Philadelphian 
ambulance  drivers  appear  on  the  list  of  those  cited  for  valor;  many,  too,  appear  on 
the  list  of  those  whose  names  are  set  apart  in  immortal  distinction — the  wounded 
and  the  dead. 

Under  date  of  June  29,  1918,  the  newspapers  of  the  United  States  carried  a 
Washington  dispatch  to  the  effect  that  "an  American  Expeditionary  Force  has 
arrived  in  Italy."  This  body  of  troops  referred  to  was  the  Italian  branch  of  the 
United  States  Army  Ambulance  Service,  consisting  of  thirty  ambulance  sections 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  Persons,  who  had  organized  the  Service  in 
Allen  town. 

Upon  the  debarkation  of  the  Ambulance  Service  in  Genoa,  Italy,  a  headquar- 
ters was  established  in  one  of  the  most  famous  old  palaces  of  Italy — the  ducal 
palace  of  the  Gonzagas  in  the  city  of  Mantua.  In  Genoa,  ambulances  were  as- 
sembled by  the  Mechanics  Detachment  with  remarkable  celerity  and  assigned  to 

190 


sections  who,  within  a  short  space  of  time,  were  reporting  to  Italian  divisions  on 
the  different  portions  of  the  Italian  battle-fronts. 

There  were  no  distinct  Philadelphia  units  in  the  Italian  branch  of  the  Service, 
but  there  were  many  Philadelphians  in  the  various  units.  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Franklin  was  second  in  command  to  Colonel  Persons,  while  Captain  (later  Major) 
W.  E.  Raken,  also  from  Philadelphia,  was  in  command  of  the  Hospital  Detachment 
which  was  established  in  the  Villa  Raggio  in  Cornigliano. 

Like  the  Ambulance  Service  in  France,  the  Italian  branch  soon  established  a 
wonderful  reputation  for  itself.  Owing  to  the  nature  of  the  country  in  which  the 
fighting  was  carried  on,  it  is  not  improbable  that  the  sections  in  Italy  had  more 
difficulty  in  performing  the  evacuations  of  the  wounded  than  the  sections  in 
France,  for  the  latter  had,  in  most  instances,  smooth  or  rolling  country;  in  Italy 
there  were  the  steep  slopes  of  mountains  to  work  on.  But  in  spite  of  this 
natural  handicap,  the  sections  worked  steadily  and  faithfully  in  the  various 
campaigns  on  the  Italian  fronts.  Entire  sections  wex*e  not  only  commended 
repeatedly  by  the  Italian  division,  corps,  and  army  commanders,  but  received 
numerous  awards  of  the  Italian  War  Cross. 

Perhaps  the  best  impression  of  the  work  performed  by  the  Service  in  Italy 
can  be  given  by  a  brief  account  of  the  records  of.  a  few  of  the  sections.  On  Mount 
Grappa,  sometimes  styled  the  "Gibraltar  of  the  front, "  one  ambulance  section 
worked  for  days  and  nights  without  pausing  an  instant,  evacuating  the  wounded 
over  roads  always  under  shell  fire  and  quite  often  lined  for  long  stretches  with 
mutilated  bodies  of  mules  and  soldiers.  The  record  established  by  one  ambulance 
section  was  17,488  patients  carried,  and  54,355  miles  traveled  in  four  months.  The 
record  of  another  was  10,338  patients;  a  third,  33,034  patients  with  156,128 
kilometers  covered,  104,082  kilometers  of  which  were  traveled  at  night  time. 
Still  another  record  was  33,377  patients  and  a  total  mileage  covered  of  122,235 
between  August,  1918,  and  January,  1919. 

The  emblem  of  the  Italian  branch  of  the  Ambulance  Service  was  the  Lion  of 
St.  Mark ;  that  of  the  French  branch,  the  famous  Cock  of  Verdun.  With  the  sign- 
ing of  the  armistice,  sections  of  both  branches  continued  to  do  evacuation  work 
with  their  respective  combat  units  until  recalled  to  the  base  to  prepare  for  the  re- 
turn to  the  States.  This  was  effected  in  the  late  spring  of  1919,  and  on  reaching 
the  States  the  men,  irrespective  of  units,  were  sent  to  the  nearest  demobilization 
camp  and  from  thence  to  their  homes. 

The  Allentown  camp,  known  as  Camp  Crane  in  1918,  was  under  the  command 
of  Major  (later  Lieutenant  Colonel)  Richard  Slee,  after  the  departure  of  the 
Italian  contingent  for  Italy.  The  camp  was  turned  into  a  strictly  medical  camp, 
and  men  were  in  training  for  all  branches  of  the  service.  These  men  were  taken 
principally  from  the  medical  camps  at  Fort  Oglethorpe,  Georgia,  and  Fort  Riley, 
Kansas.  Most  of  them  were  draft  troops,  although  considerable  numbers  were  still 
enlisting  for  this  work.  They  were  trained  for  laboratory  units,  field  hospital 
units,  evacuation  hospital  units,  and  organizations  to  conduct  base  hospitals  far 
behind  the  lines. 

When  the  members  of  the  French  and  Italian  branches  of  the  Ambulance 
Service  were  looking  forward  to  the  return  to  America,  it  was  the  cherished  hope 
of  all  that  they  would  be  sent  back  to  Camp  Crane  for  demobilization;  but 
their  hopes  were  not  realized,  as  the  War  Department  at  Washington  decided  to 

191 


close  the  camp,  which  was  done  by  Colonel  Richard  Slee  on  April  10,  1919,  at  12 
o'clock  noon. 

PHILADELPHIA  BRANCH,  MILITARY  INTELLIGENCE  DIVISION, 

GENERAL  STAFF 

In  August,  1917,  John  W.  Geary  was  appointed  an  Agent  of  the  Military 
Intelligence  Service  for  Philadelphia.  In  December  of  the  same  year,  Colonel 
R.  H.  Van  Deman,  Chief  of  the  Military  Intelligence  Service,  decided  it  would 
be  advantageous  to  open  an  office  in  Philadelphia. 

Mr.  Geary  was  commissioned  a  Captain,  U.  S.  R.,  and  was  instructed  to  or- 
ganize and  take  care  of  the  Philadelphia  branch  office.  On  December  20th  George 
W.  Elkins,  Jr.,  joined  Captain  Geary,  and  headquarters  were  established  in  Room 
2032,  Commercial  Trust  Building,  on  January  1,  1918.  The  Staff  on  that  date  con- 
sisted of  Captain  Geary  and  Mr.  Elkins,  a  telephone  operator  and  a  stenographer. 
The  work  increased  with  such  rapidity  that  the  force  and  office  space  had  to  be 
continually  increased  until,  at  the  time  of  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  the  force 
numbered  approximately  one  hundred  and  the  entire  twentieth  floor  of  the 
Commercial  Trust  Building  was  required  for  office  space. 

During  the  month  of  January,  George  L.  Harrison,  Jr.,  Edgar  W.  Baird, 
Dr.  Charles  D.  Hart,  Morton  H.  Fetterolf  and  Joseph  Haines,  Jr.,  offered  their 
services,  and  were  accepted,  as  volunteers  in  the  Philadelphia  branch  of  the  Mili- 
tary Intelligence  Service. 


Officers  of  Philadelphia  Branch,  Military  Intelligence. 
192 


The  Philadelphia  office,  at  its  inception,  had  under  its  jurisdiction  the  territory 
as  far  west  as  Pittsburgh  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  all  of  the  State  of  Delaware 
and  all  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey.  Later,  the  northern  part  of  New  Jersey  was 
taken  over  by  the  Military  Intelligence  Office  in  Hoboken,  where  the  closer  proximity 
enabled  the  handling  of  work  with  greater  dispatch.  The  work  of  the  outlying 
districts  was  handled  by  volunteer  agents,  cooperating  with  the  Pennsylvania 
State  Constabulary  under  Supt.  George  B.  Lumb.  Satisfactory  cooperation  was 
also  established  with  the  branches  of  Naval  Intelligence,  Aide  for  Information, 
Department  of  Justice,  all  local  Federal  offices  and  organizations  engaged  in  war 
work. 

Acting  under  advices  from  the  Director  of  Military  Intelligence  in  Washington, 
upon  information  obtained  locally  or  from  other  parts  of  the  country,  the  work 
of  this  office  was  varied  and  manifold.  It  embraced  cases  of  those  under  suspicion 
of  being  German  or  enemy  agents,  violators  of  the  "  Trading  with  the  Enemy  Act, " 
revolutionary  propaganda,  radical  labor  cases,  conscientious  objectors  and  paci- 
fists, tampering  with  soldiers,  draft  evasions  and  deserters,  the  impersonation  of 
officers,  both  American  and  foreign,  questions  of  graft  and  fraud  in  the  Army, 
and  many  others.  In  addition  to  these  functions,  a  Counter  Espionage  Organiza- 
tion was  developed  in  the  various  military  units  in  Philadelphia — this  territory 
being,  probably,  the  greatest  industrial  center  in  the  country  and  filled  with  manu- 
facturing plants  doing  Government  work  for  all  departments  of  the  Army,  partic- 
ularly, the  Ordnance  Department  and  the  Quartermasters'  Depot.  The  employes 
in  these  plants  represented  all  the  elements  of  the  foreign  races,  including  large  num- 
bers of  Germans,  Austrians  and  Russians,  also  representatives  of  all  the  Latin 
and  Slavic  peoples.  Consequently,  during  the  war  the  field  for  sabotage,  propa- 
ganda and  enemy  activity  was  a  dangerous  and  an  important  one.  This  work, 
combined  with  the  different  service  of  the  Plant  Protection  Division,  under  Wm. 
J.  McCarron,  agent  in  charge,  proved  most  advantageous,  and  it  can  be  stated  that 
no  serious  damage  or  sabotage  was  committed  within  the  limits  of  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  Philadelphia  office. 

A  rigid  port  control  was  established  September  15,  1918,  and  it  was  the  function 
of  the  Military  Intelligence  to  act  as  advisory  to  the  Port  Control  officers,  who  were 
the  Collector  of  Customs  for  outgoing  traffic  and  the  Commissioner  of  Immigra- 
tion for  incoming  traffic.  It  was  hoped  thus  to  prevent  the  entry  and  departure 
of  persons  disclosed  in  the  files  and  investigations  of  the  Intelligence  as  "unde- 
sirable" travelers. 

The  foregoing  and  many  other  matters  were  handled  by  the  Military  Intelli- 
gence, though  many  of  its  activities  did  not  strictly  come  under  its  jurisdiction; 
but  as  there  was  no  other  Government  office  equipped  to  handle  such  cases,  they 
were  willingly  taken  on,  greatly  to  the  advantage  of  the  local  community  and 
country  at  large. 

The  work  was  largely  of  a  confidential  and  secret  nature,  and  even  today  it 
is  not  possible  to  give  to  the  public  the  details  with  their  incidents  of  humor 
and  pathos. 

The  usefulness  of  the  organization  waned  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice, 
and  the  office  of  the  Military  Intelligence  in  Philadelphia,  on  its  war  basis,  was 
ended  on  February  28,  1919. 

Its  work  had  been  well  done,  as  the  following  extract  from  a  personal  letter 

193 


written  by  Brigadier  General  Marlborough  Churchill,  Director  of  Military  Intelli- 
gence, to  Major  Geary,  dated  May  14,  1919,  will  show: 

"Only  those  of  us  who  have  been  on  the  'inside'  of  the  Intelligence  work  can 
have  any  idea  of  the  magnitude  and  importance  of  the  Intelligence  offices  in  our 
larger  cities,  and  for  this  reason  it  is  all  the  more  fitting  that  I  should  gladly  go  on 
record  as  stating  that  you  and  your  associates  rendered  the  country  and  the  Army 
distinguished  service  in  a  post  of  great  responsibility  and  successfully  contributed 
to  the  war  we  waged  on  the  'Hun  at  Home'." 

"If  the  whole  story  of  the  war  could  ever  be  written,  the  country  would  know 
something  of  which  you  and  your  officers,  non-commissioned  officers,  clerks  and 
agents  accomplished.  Such  a  story  is  impossible,  and  this  letter  seems  a  poor 
substitute  for  the  reward  to  which  you  all  are  entitled." 

OFFICE  FORCE,  NOVEMBER  11,  1918. 

Major  John  W.  Geary,  U.  S.  A., 

Commanding  Officer. 

Captain  Geo.  W.  Elkins,  Jr.,  U.  S.  A.  First  Lieutenant  Joseph  Haines,  Jr.,  U.  S.  A. 

Captain  Edgar  W.  Baird,  U.  S.  A.  Second  Lieutenant  W.  S.  Stokes,  U.  S.  A. 

Captain  Ralph  Dudley,  U.  S.  A.  Second  Lieutenant  W.  T.  Tiers,  U.  S.  A. 

First  Lieutenant  E.  Marshall  Scull,  U.  S.  A.  Second  Lieutenant  J.  Morgan  Lister,  U.  S.  A. 
First  Lieutenant  M.  H.  Fetterolf,  U.  S.  A. 

Volunteer  Aides  (Full  Time,  $1.00  a  Year):  Geo.  L.  Harrison,  Jr.,  M.  B.  Burton,  W.  R. 
Landis,  J.  L.  Langsdorf,  M.  A.  Apple,  C.  M.  Rainsford,  E.  B.  Colket,  J.  S.  Lovering,  C.  P.  B. 
Jeffreys,  M.  A.  Schoettle. 

Out  of  Town  Agents:  Grant  Weidman,  B.  Dawson  Coleman,  Lebanon,  Pa. ;  Bruce  Bedford, 
N.  Petty,  S.  Dickinson,  Trenton,  N.  J.;  J.  S.  Parsons,  H.  H.  Gilkyson,  Jr.,  J.  B.  Emack,  Phoenix- 
ville,  Pa.;  Stanley  Bright,  G.  Howard  Bright,  Reading,  Pa.;  Louis  C.  Madeira,  3d,  Wilkes-Barre, 
Pa.;  T.  I.  Snyder,  Reading,  Pa.;  Cornelius  Mundy,  W.  G.  Jones,  Jr.,  Wilmington,  Del.;  W.  S. 
Emley,  Atlantic  City,  N.  J.;  W.  V.  Barnes,  York,  Pa.;  Parke  Davis,  Easton,  Pa.;  Albert  G.  Rau, 
Bethlehem,  Pa.;  H.  R.  Gummey,  Jr.,  Downington,  Pa.;  George  Bright,  Pottsville,  Pa.;  W.  P. 
Fisher,  Hamburg,  Pa. 

Volunteer  Aides  (Special  Service):  Dr.  C.  D.  Hart,  H.  A.  Lewis,  C.  J.  Schmidt,  John  C. 
White,  J.  M.  Reynolds,  Martin  Bergen,  Everett  Brown,  Dr.  Eric  Bernhard. 

Investigators:   J.  H.  Sparks,  W.  G.  Petry,  J.  Laskey,  Thomas  A.  Grady,  Robert  A.  Fleming. 

Clerical  Force:  The  Misses  D.  Rigg,  E.  Moore,  A.  Ryan,  M.  Davidson,  L.  Neice,  P.  Sheaffer. 
A.  Kennedy,  Mrs.  A.  M.  Ely,  Private  Mohr. 

Sergeants  Intelligence  Police:  Sergeants  Gillespie,  Hill,  Hughes,  C.  Davis,  McLaughlin, 
Wills,  Burnside,  Booth,  Warren,  Adler,  Allen,  Polk,  Salvatori,  Haines,  Mathews,  MacBain, 
D.  Davis,  Downey,  Unfreed. 

THE  COLORED  MEN  OF  PHILADELPHIA  ANSWER  THE  CALL* 

The  colored  men  of  this  city  were  found  in  many  branches  of  the  service  and 
won  for  themselves  high  commendation. 

The  92d  and  93d  Divisions  were  composed  of  colored  men.  The  93d  Division 
was  originally  made  up  of  colored  National  Guardsmen  and  the  92d  Division  of 
National  Army  men. 

368th  Infantry. 

The  368th  Infantry  was  a  unit  in  the  92d  Division  and  in  it  were  many 
colored  men  from  Philadelphia. 

♦Summarized  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Philadelphia  War  History  Committee  from  data  supplied 
by  Dr.  De  Haven  Hinkson,  Captain,  M.  R.  C.  (inactive)  and  Lieutenant  Egbert  T-  Scott,  M.  C. 

194 


This  regiment  was  organized  and  trained  at  Camp  Meade,  Maryland,  its 
first  complement  being  furnished  by  the  first  draft.  After  general  routine  infantry 
training,  the  regiment  left  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  on  June  18,  1918,  on  the  George  Wash- 
ington, and  arrived  at  Brest  on  June  27,  1918.  It  remained  at  Camp  Pontanazen 
until  July  4, 1918,  and  moved  to  its  training  area  with  Regimental  Headquarters  at 
Chatillon-sur-Saone  and  Divisional  Headquarters  at  Bourbonne-les-Bains  (Haute 
Marne). 

On  July  21,  1918,  Colonel  W.  P.  Jackson,  then  Regimental  Commander,  was 
promoted  to  Brigadier  General  and  assigned  to  the  74th  Brigade,  of  the  37th  Divi- 
sion, being  succeeded  by  Colonel  Fred  R.  Brown  on  August  20,  1918. 

On  August  12,  1918,  the  regiment  moved  with  the  entire  division  to  the  St. 
Die  sector  in  the  Vosges  Mountains.  On  August  24, 1918,  a  portion  of  the  regiment 
took  up  its  first  position  in  the  lines  near  Docelles  (Vosges),  and  on  September  4, 
1918,  the  first  two  German  prisoners  were  captured  by  the  regiment. 

On  September  20,  1918,  the  entire  Division  left  the  St.  Die  sector  for  the 
Argonne.  They  were  relieved  by  the  81st  Division.  On  September  26,  1918, 
the  Argonne  Drive  began  with  the  92d  Division  in  reserve.  The  368th  Infantry 
was  ordered  into  line  and  began  its  work  by  capturing  eight  prisoners. 

On  October  4,  1918,  the  regiment  moved  back  from  the  line  and  started  for 
the  Marbache  sector  just  south  of  Metz.  At  that  time  this  was  a  defensive  sector, 
and  offensive  operations  as  planned  were  halted  by  the  signing  of  the  armistice. 

The  regiment  was  among  the  first  to  enter  Metz  after  the  armistice,  much 
to  the  admiration  of  the  citizens,  many  of  whom  had  never  seen  men  of  dusky  hue. 
Some  actually  thought  that  the  color  was  due  to  paint  placed  on  the  skin,  and  there 
were  instances  where  the  curiosity  was  so  great  that  attempts  were  made  by  the 
people  of  the  city  to  rub  the  supposed  coloring  from  the  faces  of  these  colored  Amer- 
icans. 

In  December,  1918,  the  regiment  started  back  to  Brest,  but,  owing  to  the  con- 
gestion it  was  sent  to  the  Department  of  Mayenne,  arriving  there  about 
Christmas  Day.  About  the  middle  of  January,  1919,  the  men  were  sent  to  LeMans 
for  delousing  and  then  started  for  the  port  of  embarkation.  After  about  ten  days 
at  Camp  Pontanazen,  Brest,  the  regiment  sailed  on  February  5,  1919.  Upon  its 
return  to  the  United  States,  it  was  sent  to  Camp  Meade  and  there  demobilized. 

Although  additional  citations  have  been  made  since  disbanding,  nine  Distin- 
guished Service  Crosses  and  one  Croix  de  Guerre  are  known  to  have  been 
received  by  members  of  the  regiment.  The  regiment  itself  received  the  following 
citation  from  General  Burand  (French)  for  the  capture  of  Binarville  (in  the 
Argonne) : 

"The  prize  of  the  honor  of  the  capture  of  Binarville  rightly  goes  to  the 
368th  Infantry,  U.  S.  A." 

813th   Pioneer   Infantry 

The  813th  Pioneer  Infantry  had  many  Philadelphia  colored  men  of  the  second 
Draft.  The  regiment  had  but  little  over  a  month's  training  at  Camp  Sherman, 
when  it  was  ordered  to  France.  It  left  for  Camp  Mills  on  September  8,  1918. 
On  September  14th,  it  proceeded  to  Hoboken  and  embarked  on  the  transports 
Pocahontas,  Finland  and  Martha  Washington.    These  ships  sailed  on  the  following 

195 


day,  with  four  other  ships  in  their  convoy.  Arriving  at  Brest,  France,  on  Septem- 
ber 28,  1918,  they  remained  at  Camp  Pontanazen  for  six  days,  and  then  went  by 
rail  to  the  training  area  assigned  to  them  in  the  vicinity  of  Braux. 

On  October  25,  1918,  they  proceeded  to  the  St.  Mihiel  sector  and  helped  with 
road  construction,  often  under  fire.  After  the  armistice  the  regiment  went  up  near 
Metz  to  fill  in  shell  holes  and  to  salvage  equipment,  etc.  On  February  28,  1919, 
it  was  sent  to  the  Argonne  to  help  clear  up  the  battleground  and  rebury  many  of 
the  men  whose  bodies  had  been  hurriedly  interred  at  the  time  of  their  death.  In 
May,  1919,  it  was  transferred  to  Belleau  Woods  for  the  same  purpose.  Here 
were  met  women  workers  for  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  This  was  a  happy  meeting,  for  the 
men  had  not  seen  women  of  their  own  race  since  leaving  the  United  States. 

On  June  26,  1919,  they  started  by  rail  for  the  port  of  embarkation  at  Brest 
and  on  July  2,  1919,  part  of  the  regiment  left  on  the  transport  Freedom,  arriving  at 
Newport  News,  Va.,  where  the  regiment  was  disbanded. 

325th  Field  Signal  Battalion 

This  Unit  of  the  92d  Division  had  in  it  a  number  of  Philadelphia  colored  men. 
Its  work  was  largely  of  a  technical  nature,  and  was  so  well  performed  as  to  win 
the  commendation  of  superior  officers. 

Officers'  Training  Camps 

Of  the  639  colored  officers  who  were  commissioned  at  the  Officers'  Training 
Camp  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  Philadelphia  had  a  good  representation.  Later,  train- 
ing camps  afforded  an  opportunity  to  a  number  of  other  Philadelphians  to  win 
commissions. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  about  twelve  colored  Philadelphians  still  hold 
commissions  in  the  Officers'  Reserve  Corps. 

350th  Field  Artillery 

The  Philadelphia  colored  troops  who  served  in  the  350th  (Light)  Field  Artillery, 
were  commanded  by  Colonel  Walter  Prosser.  The  men  were  mobilized  at  Camp 
Dix  and  were  sent  to  France  with  very  little  preliminary  training  in  America. 
However,  as  soon  as  they  landed  on  French  soil  they  began  intensive  training. 

The  first  guns  received  were  the  French  75's  and  a  few  heavy  howitzers,  and 
by  August  10,  1918,  when  the  brigade  left  for  the  target  range,  the  men  had  made 
substantial  progress.  Headquarters  had  set  October  1st  as  the  date  when  the 
brigade  was  to  be  called  upon  for  active  service;  but  on  September  20th  it  was 
ready,  and  four  days  later  demonstrated  its  ability  by  firing  a  rolling  barrage,  a 
defensive  barrage  at  night,  and  by  other  ways. 

Nevertheless,  a  serious  problem  confronted  these  troops — there  were  no  means 
of  transportation,  either  horses  or  motors.  The  brigade  needed  twenty-four 
tractors,  of  which  at  that  time  there  were  but  fifty  in  France.  By  strenuous  efforts 
the  required  number  was  secured.  Only  thirty-six  of  the  200  necessary  trucks  and 
231  of  the  necessary  2,300  horses  were  available. 

Under  such  conditions,  two  of  the  regiments  of  light  artillery  were  sent  to  a 
reserve  billeting  area  of  the  2d  Army  near  Toul,  about  fifteen  miles  from  the  front. 
They  were  promptly  ordered  to  move  elsewhere  to  make  room  for  other  troops. 

196 


Therefore,  they  rejoined  the  92d  Division,  borrowed  additional  trucks  and  moved 
up  to  the  front. 

Frequently  it  was  impossible  to  get  the  guns  in  position  by  means  of  motors 
and  many  of  them  were  placed  by  hand,  often  after  the  men  had  hauled  them  over 
miles  of  soft  slippery  ground. 

The  92d  Division  at  this  time  was  holding  a  sector  of  about  93^  miles  wide, 
on  the  east  bank  of  the  Moselle.  It  had  been  supported  by  the  French  Artillery 
and  by  an  American  Artillery  Brigade.  These  were  withdrawn  and  replaced  on 
October  20th  by  the  167th  Brigade.  Up  to  this  time  the  sector  had  been  known 
as  a  quiet  one,  into  which  not  more  than  500  shells  a  day  were  thrown  and  from 
which  about  the  same  number  of  shells  were  sent. 

With  the  arrival  of  the  colored  troops,  conditions  changed.  On  November  1st 
all  the  guns  were  properly  placed  and  from  2,000  to  3,000  shells  were  fired 
daily. 

In  order  to  deceive  the  enemy  as  to  the  number  and  place  of  guns,  each  battery 
was  divided  into  silent  and  active  platoons,  the  latter  of  which  did  all  the  firing 
and  was  constantly  changing  its  location. 

Enemy  raids  soon  began  and  the  artillery  had  its  first  real  opportunity  to  send 
over  a  curtain  of  fire  for  protection. 

On  November  5th  some  of  the  Infantry  of  the  Division  made  a  raid  in  force. 
The  notice  of  this  attack  was  so  short  that  it  was  necessary  to  move  a  regiment 
and  a  half  of  the  Light  Artillery  and  a  half  a  regiment  of  Heavy  Artillery  into  new 
positions,  from  which  a  rolling  barrage  was  sent  over  by  map  calculations,  a  feat 
which  called  for  the  highest  ability  in  the  use  of  artillery. 

On  November  8th,  although  the  German  Envoys  were  within  the  American 
lines,  arranging  for  the  terms  of  the  armistice,  plans  were  made  for  a  general  offen- 
sive, which  was  made  at  dawn  on  the  10th. 

After  a  heavy  preparatory  fire,  the  Infantry  of  the  Division  advanced  the 
American  front  lines  three  kilometers  and  captured  Frehaut  and  Vouvrette  Woods, 
strongly  fortified  positions,  which  had  resisted  two  previous  attacks  by  other 
divisions. 

On  November  11th  an  attack  on  the  heights,  which  were  the  main  defense  of 
Metz  on  the  south,  was  about  to  be  started  when  hostilities  ceased. 

Speaking  of  the  167th  Field  Artillery  Brigade,  Brigadier  General  John  H. 
Sherburne,  who  commanded  it,  said:  "The  brigade  never  failed  to  do  creditably 
any  task  it  was  called  upon  to  do,  and  many  appreciative  and  flattering  things  were 
said  about  it  by  the  military  authorities  who  observed  its  work.  Perhaps  the  best 
testimony  is  the  fact  that  when  the  intelligence  officer  of  the  German  Division 
opposite  came  into  our  lines  at  the  close  of  hostilities,  he  refused  to  believe  that 
the  artillery  supporting  the  colored  infantry  was  not  French  Artillery. 

"But  perhaps  beyond  and  above  the  performance  of  the  merely  technical 
duties  was  the  splendid  morale  of  the  brigade.  The  courage  of  the  men  under 
fire  was  without  criticism.  In  many  instances,  gun  crews  and  telephone  line  men 
showed  a  notable  courage  and  determination  under  fire.  At  all  times  and  under 
all  conditions,  the  men  showed  a  fine  cheerfulness  and  willingness.  Their  conduct 
was  almost  flawless,  and  they  left  each  billet  with  the  good  will  and  affection  of  the 
French  civilians. " 

197 


349th  Light  Field  Artillery 

Philadelphians  in  this  regiment  were  trained  at  Camp  Dix  and  were  com- 
manded by  Colonel  O'Neil. 

35  1st  Heavy  Field  Artillery 

The  men  in  this  regiment  were  trained  at  Camp  Meade  and  commanded  by 
Colonel  Carpenter. 

THE  BALDWIN  LOCOMOTIVE  WORKS'  CONTINGENT  TO  SIBERIA 

That  Philadelphians  served  in  practically  every  United  States  military  and 
naval  unit,  at  home  or  abroad,  is  common  knowledge.  However,  it  may  not  be 
known  that  at  the  time  when  the  first  divisions  of  American  troops  were  sailing 
eastward,  and  before  the  great  convoys  were  rushing  men  and  supplies  to  the 
eastern  front,  a  picked  group  of  technically  trained  Philadelphians  was  proceeding 
westward  for  service  in  Siberia. 

The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  Contingent  of  the  Russian  Railway  Service 
Corps,  a  branch  of  the  United  States  Engineer  Corps,  comprised  of  seventy-five 
mechanical  and  constructing  engineers,  all  skilled  in  their  respective  work  and  care- 
fully selected  from  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  was  formed  October  17,  1917, 
and  each  man  commissioned  an  officer  in  the  Engineer  Corps,  United  States  Army, 
November  1,  1917,  commissions  ranking  from  second  lieutenant  to  lieutenant 
colonel. 

This  contingent  was  to  supervise  the  re-erection  of  locomotives  and  to  assist 
in  any  manner  possible  to  relieve  the  chaotic  conditions  in  Siberia,  and  was  formed 
on  the  recommendation  of  Samuel  M.  Vauclain,  Chairman  of  the  Committee  of 
National  Defense,  now  President  of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  and  S.  M. 
Felton,  Director  General  of  Military  Railroads. 

This  force  left  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  November  9,  1917,  accompanied  by  thirty- 
three  Russian  interpreters,  arrived  in  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  November  14,  1917, 
and  was  joined  at  that  point  by  a  contingent  of  215  officers,  railway  experts  from 
various  railroads  in  the  United  States,  commanded  by  Colonel  G.  M.  Emerson, 
General  Manager,  Great  Northern  Railway.  The  unit  sailed  from  San  Francisco, 
Cal.,  November  19,  1917,  on  the  United  States  Army  transport  Thomas,  destina- 
tion Vladivostok,  Siberia,  stopping  at  Honolulu,  T.  H.,  November  26,  1917,  leaving 
November  30,  1917,  and  taking  a  direct  route  to  Vladivostok,  via  Pacific  Ocean, 
Tsugaru  Straits,  Japan  Sea  and  Bay  of  Peter  the  Great,  arriving  December  14, 
1917.  The  American  Consul,  with  several  Russian  officials,  came  aboard  and 
advised  that  the  Bolshevik  party  was  in  complete  control  of  that  city  and  condi- 
tions were  critical,  as  there  was  constant  danger  of  serious  outbreaks.  Vladivostok 
at  this  time  was  in  a  very  congested  condition;  freight,  such  as  locomotives, 
machinery,  tractors,  munitions  and  equipment,  wire,  etc.,  was  piled  in  the  town 
and  on  the  hillsides. 

The  Bolshevik  controlled  the  railroads;  and  being  very  unfavorable  to  any 
attempt  to  enter  Siberia,  it  was  decided  to  proceed  to  some  port  in  Japan  to  acquire 
additional  supplies  and  await  developments.  Leaving  Vladivostok,  December  17, 
1917,  the  contingent  arrived  at  Nagasaki,  Japan,  December  19,  1917. 

198 


The  Baldwin  Contingent. 


As  time  progressed,  conditions  in  Siberia  remained  unchanged,  and  instruc- 
tions were  received  to  quarter  in  Japan  until  further  orders  and  to  allow  the  trans- 
port to  return  to  the  United  States.  The  Baldwin  contingent  was  quartered  in 
Obama,  Japan,  thirty-five  miles  from  Nagasaki,  until  April  15, 1918,  when  arrange- 
ments were  made  to  return  to  the  United  States,  as  it  was  unlikely  that  they  could 
fulfill  their  mission  for  several  years,  owing  to  the  disastrous  conditions  existing 
in  Siberia.  During  the  stay  in  Japan,  the  commanding  officers  of  the  Baldwin 
contingent  proceeded  to  Harbin,  Manchuria,  to  go  over  the  Siberian  situation 
with  Colonel  Emerson  and  John  Stevens,  of  the  Railroad  Commission,  but 
were  unable  to  make  any  arrangements  for  the  contingent  to  commence  their 
duties. 

The  Baldwin  contingent  sailed  from  Nagasaki,  Japan,  April  16,  1918,  stopping 
at  Yokohama  and  Honolulu,  arriving  at  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  May  6,  1918,  and 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  May  10,  1918.  Some  members  of  this  contingent  were  trans- 
ferred to  various  branches  of  the  Army  and  the  naval  gun  batteries,  others  were 
held  in  reserve. 

The  following  men  of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  were  commissioned: 

Lieutenant  Colonels:     F.  Jaspersen,  Chas.  W.  Werst. 

Majors:     B.  F.  Paist,  J.  A.  Trainor. 

Captains:  J.  C.  Brooke,  J.  A.  Clarke,  B.  Douglas,  W.  C.  Kipe,  Wm.  L.  Lloyd,  W.  Byrd 
Page,  J.  D.  Rogers,  R.  Sommerville,  G.  A.  Supplee,  M.  F.  Welsh. 

First  Lieutenants:  W.  L.  Fagan,  C.  Grow,  J.  W.  Hutchinson,  P.  T.  Jones,  A.  W.  Macbunas, 
G.  Pflueger,  G.  F.  Prendergast,  A.  Russell,  H.  B.  Snyder. 

Second  Lieutenants:     J.  Ashenfelder,  F.  Atlee,  F.  Bailiff,  J.  A.  Barrett,  J.  J.  Brown,  R. 

199 


Butler,  H.  Carter,  C.  Chapman,  Raymond  Colesworthy,  W.  H.  Cox,  C.  Crouse,  H.  Crouse, 

D.  Dougherty,  Geo.  J.  Dougherty,  G.  Eberhardt,  G.  L.  Eby,  H.  Funk,  R.  Gray,  F.  Haney, 
G.  Haney,  W.  W.  Harrison,  Richard  James,  Robert  James,  Robert  Johnson,  A.  W.  Kelly,  Earl 
McComsey,  F.  McGeehan,  L.  T.  Martin,  A.  B.  Mahan,  R.  Patton,  E.  J.  Powers,  J.  Purcell,  H.  L. 
Raffetto,  R.  D.  Reese,  L.  A.  Rehfuss,  W.  C.  Rehfuss,  M.  Replogle,  P.  B.  Shelmerdine,  W.  Shrack, 

E.  Scheetz,  W.  A.  Snyder,  J.  W.  Stapleton,  R.  Stoyer,  J.  F.  Stowe,  E.  J.  Tierney,  H.  Veitz, 
Albert  Wagner,  E.  B.  Wagner,  E.  A.  Welsh,  R.  P.  Winn,  Walter  Wilson,  J.  A.  Youngblood. 

In  October,  1918,  Samuel  M.  Vauclain  was  commissioned  by  Secretary  of  War 
Baker  to  organize  a  contingent  to  be  commissioned  into  service  in  the  Ordnance 
Department,  United  States  Army,  to  build  and  place  into  service  1500  30-ton 
MARK  VIII  armored  tanks.  This  contingent  was  organized  and  the  following 
men  of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  were  commissioned: 

Lieutenant  Colonel  C.  H.  Crawford 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Chas.  W.  Werst 
Major  John  L.  Tate 
First  Lieutenant  John  V.  Applin 

Mr.  Vauclain,  then  Chairman  of  the  Federal  Board  of  Industries,  commanded 
this  contingent,  and  it  was  his  desire  to  command  as  a  civilian,  although  a  commis- 
sion had  been  offered  him  by  President  Wilson. 

The  contingent  was  to  be  composed  of  several  thousand  workmen  and  to  be 
located  at  Chateauroux,  France.  All  preliminary  work  was  completed,  but 
further  work  was  discontinued  on  account  of  the  armistice. 


200 


PHILADELPHIA  HOSPITAL  UNITS 

OUR  important  Base  Hospitals  were  organized  in  Phila- 
delphia, the  personnel  of  which  was  exclusively  or  in  large 
measure  drawn  from  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital,  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  Hospital,  the  Episcopal  Hos- 
pital and  Jefferson  Hospital.  A  Naval  Base  Hospital, 
No.  5,  was  organized  at  the  Methodist  Hospital,  and 
Hospital  Unit  A,  formed  at  the  Presbyterian  Hospital, 
was  the  first  of  its  type  in  the  Medical  Corps  of  the 
Army. 

BASE  HOSPITAL  No.   10,   U.   S.   A. 
By  E.  M.  Jefferys,  Chaplain 

The  inception  of  Base  Hospital  No.  10  was  in  1916,  and  was  largely  the  result 
of  the  practical  patriotism  of  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital  of  Philadelphia,  the 
Pennsylvania  Committee  for  National  Preparedness,  and  of  Dr.  Richard  H. 
Harte,  the  Unit's  Director.  The  Pennsylvania  Hospital  supplied  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  original  personnel.     The  Committee  for  National  Preparedness 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.    of   America. 

Col.  Richard  H.  Harte  and  Col.  Matthew  A.  Delaney. 
201 


largely  furnished  the  materiel.  Dr.  Harte  was  the  foreseeing  leader  and  organizer. 
Early  in  May,  1917,  Major  Matthew  A.  Delaney,  of  the  Regular  Army,  was  placed 
in  command.  Miss  Margaret  A.  Dunlop  was  appointed  Chief  Nurse.  Some  of 
the  most  distinguished  members  of  the  medical  profession  in  Philadelphia  were 
commissioned,  and  assigned  to  duty  with  this  hospital  unit.  Dr.  Jefferys,  the 
rector  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  Philadelphia,  was  appointed  its  Chaplain  by  the 
President  on  May  3d.  A  few  days,  therefore,  after  war  was  declared  Base  Hos- 
pital No.  10  was  ready  to  move  at  a  moment's  notice. 

On  Wednesday,  May  16th,  orders  were  received  for  the  Unit  to  leave  Phila- 
delphia on  the  18th.  This  day  of  departure  proved  to  be  bright  and  clear.  The 
Unit  left  Philadelphia  from  the  West  Philadelphia  station  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  at  10  a.m.  Many  friends  were  there  to  see  the  first  organization  from 
Philadelphia  leave  for  the  front.  There  were  no  stragglers,  every  officer,  every 
nurse  and  every  enlisted  man  being  on  hand.  The  Unit  detrained  in  Jersey  City, 
and  after  lunch  crossed  to  New  York  by  ferry-boat  to  the  dock  where  the  St.  Paul 
was  lying,  the  ship  which  was  to  take  them  across  the  Atlantic.  Discipline  in  the 
Unit  was  good  from  the  beginning,  and  although  shore-leave  was  granted  to  many, 
no  one  failed  to  respond  to  roll-call  at  6  a.m.  on  the  19th. 

On  the  St.  Paul,  besides  Base  Hospital  No.  10,  there  was  the  Hospital  Unit 
No.  21,  from  St.  Louis,  and  an  Orthopedic  Unit.  Some  civilians  were  also  on 
board.  The  St.  Paul  mounted  several  six-pounders  and  four  four-pounders  for 
defense  against  submarines.  These  guns  were  in  charge  of  a  lieutenant  and  a 
detachment  of  blue-jackets  from  the  Navy. 

The  Unit  sailed  from  New  York  on  Saturday,  May  19,  1917,  at  noon.  The 
trip  was  uneventful.  The  time  was  occupied  with  some  setting-up  exercises,  efforts 
at  drilling  and  the  inoculation  of  the  members  with  various  sera.  The  Chaplains 
of  Base  Hospitals  10  and  21  held  religious  services  every  evening  in  the  dining- 
saloon,  which  were  largely  attended.  Early  Sunday  morning  many  attended  a 
celebration  of  the  Holy  Communion  in  the  ship's  library,  and  a  crowded  general 
service  was  held  afterwards  in  the  dining-room. 

On  Saturday,  May  26th,  at  about  9  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Destroyer  No.  59, 
of  the  American  Navy,  was  sighted,  and  was  greeted  with  cheers.  Later  in  the  day 
another  American  destroyer  joined  the  first.  After  a  few  hours  these  destroyers 
departed,  and  British  destroyers  took  their  place.  The  St.  Paul,  in  approaching 
the  Irish  coast,  was  so  well  guarded  that  no  trouble  was  experienced  from  the  sub- 
marines which  infested  those  waters. 

On  Sunday,  May  27th,  the  ship  entered  the  Mersey,  and  at  6.15  p.m.  docked 
at  Liverpool,  too  late  for  Base  Hospital  No.  10  to  disembark.  On  the  following 
morning,  May  28th,  the  Unit  left  the  ship  at  7.30.  The  enlisted  personnel  and  a 
few  officers  were  sent  to  Blackpool.  The  officers  and  nurses  were  provided  with 
accommodations  at  the  Northwestern  and  Adelphi  hotels,  respectively.  Colonels 
Begbie  and  Johnson  of  the  British  Army  were  in  charge  of  the  reception  and 
accommodations,  and  everything  was  done  promptly  and  efficiently  for  the  Unit's 
comfort.  The  English  people  gave  the  Unit  a  cordial  welcome  wherever  it  ap- 
pealed. They  openly  showed  their  pleasure  at  the  sight  of  American  uniforms, 
the  Unit  being  one  of  the  first  American  outfits  to  go  overseas  in  the  Great  War. 
At  Blackpool  the  enlisted  men  received  instruction  in  the  use  of  gas  masks  and 
were  put  through  the  litter  drill.     Amusements  and  entertainments  were  pro- 

202 


vided  for  them.  It  was  said  that  they  made  a  most  favorable  impression  on  the 
British  officers  and  men  stationed  there.  The  detachment  remained  in  Blackpool 
twelve  days.  It  was  then  sent  on  by  train  to  Southampton.  At  Oxford  twenty 
minutes  were  given  for  refreshments.  The  detachment  was  embarked  on  the 
Northwestern  Miller  (a  ship  which  in  peace  times  had  plied  between  Philadelphia 
and  London),  her  cargo  consisting  of  1,800  men,  750  horses  and  mules,  and  her 
hold  filled  with  high  explosives.  The  Northwestern  Miller  reached  Le  Havre  on 
June  11th. 

The  officers  and  nurses  left  at  Liverpool  had  a  few  days  there,  and  were  then 
sent  by  train  to  London,  where  they  became  the  guests  of  the  British  Government, 
and  were  royally  welcomed  and  entertained.  Advantage  was  taken  of  the  time 
in  London  by  medical  officers,  the  chaplain  and  the  nurses  to  visit  some  of  the  great 
military  hospitals,  in  which  much  information  was  to  be  had.  On  June  10th  the 
Unit  left  London,  reaching  Southampton  the  same  day,  and  embarked  on  a 
hospital  ship,  formerly  one  of  the  Castle  line.  German  submarines  were  evidently 
anxious  to  give  the  first  American  troops  to  go  overseas  a  warm  reception,  for  a 
British  destroyer  sunk  one  of  these  pestiferous  craft,  just  outside  of  Southampton, 
and  a  French  transport  was  torpedoed  by  one  of  them  just  astern  as  they  were 
going  into  Le  Havre.  The  hospital  ship  on  which  the  Unit  was  transported  was 
fortunately  well  guarded  by  British  destroyers.  The  Unit  reached  Le  Havre  on 
June  11th,  being  the  third  American  Unit  to  reach  France,  two  other  hospital 
units  having  preceded  them  by  a  few  days. 

In  London,  Base  Hospital  No.  10  had  been  turned  over  to  the  British  Govern- 
ment, the  British  Army  being  then  very  short  of  doctors  and  nurses,  the  casualties 
in  the  medical  corps  having  been  greater  in  proportion  to  its  size  than  in  almost 
any  other  branch  of  the  service.  When,  therefore,  the  Unit  arrived  in  France  it 
practically  became  a  part  of  the  British  Army.  "Nurses"  became  "sisters." 
The  chaplain  became  a  "padre",  and  a  good  deal  of  other  nomenclature  had  to 
be  changed.  For  a  while  a  British  colonel  presided  at  mess.  Colonel  Thurston, 
of  the  British  Army,  their  commanding  officer  for  some  weeks,  endeared  himself 
to  every  member  of  the  Unit. 

From  Le  Havre  to  Le  Treport 

Base  Hospital  No.  10  was  sent  from  Le  Havre  through  Amiens  and  Beauvais 
to  Le  Treport,  a  long  tiresome  journey.  Le  Treport  is  in  the  Seine  Inferieure, 
not  far  from  Dieppe,  Abbeville  and  Eu.  Above  the  town  on  the  cliffs  there  was  a 
Hospital  Group,  Canadian  No.  2,  British  Bed  Cross  No.  10,  British  General  Nos. 
3,  47  and  16,  and  the  Isolation  Division  for  Contagious  Diseases,  and  a  large 
Convalescent  Camp.  The  American  Unit  was  placed  in  charge  of  British  General 
Hospital  No.  16,  a  well-equipped  hospital  with  over  2,000  beds,  and  of  the  Isolation 
Division  for  Contagious  Diseases.  The  Unit  had  expected  to  take  over  about 
500  beds.  Nothing  but  its  fine  personnel  and  splendid  organization  saved  it  from 
failure.  These  two  and  other  qualifications,  however,  saw  it  through,  and  enabled 
it  to  leave  a  great  reputation  for  efficiency  in  the  British  Army  at  the  end  of  the 
war.  Beinforcements  were  at  once  asked  for  on  reaching  Le  Treport.  Accord- 
ingly eight  officers  and  forty-seven  enlisted  men  from  Philadelphia,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Dr.  H.  B.  Wilmer,  sailed  on  the  Aurania  on  August  18,  1917,  and  thirty 

203 


nurses,  under  the  command  of  Dr.  J.  Paul  Austin,  sailed  soon  after  on  the 
Baltic,  the  one  group  arriving  in  Le  Treport  on  September  7th  and  the  other  on 
September  21st. 

Base  Hospital  No.  10  remained  at  Le  Treport  throughout  the  war  and  for 
several  months  after  the  armistice.  From  time  to  time  its  officers,  nurses  and 
enlisted  men  were  detached  temporarily  for  special  service.  Occasionally  members 
were  detached  permanently  from  the  Unit.  Five  of  the  enlisted  men  received  com- 
missions. A  Mobile  Unit  was  organized  under  Dr.  Hodge  to  move  along  the  front. 
Dr.  Arthur  H.  Gerhard  was  attached  to  the  British  Tank  Corps.  Dr.  Taylor 
served  for  a  time  with  the  military  hospitals  in  London. 

A  number  of  the  officers,  nurses  and  enlisted  men  served  at  Casualty  Clearing 
Stations  along  the  front.  Dr.  Dillard  and  others  served  with  British  fighting 
units.  Dr.  Drayton  was  one  of  the  nerve  specialists  in  the  Maghull  Hospital 
in  England,  and  also  served  at  the  front.  Drs.  Norris,  Gibbon,  Cadwalader,  Pack- 
ard, Knowles,  Earnshaw  and  Cruice  were  all  transferred  to  highly  important  posi- 
tions in  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces.  Dr.  Sweet  was  assigned  to  advanced 
research  work.  The  Chaplain  served  from  time  to  time  as  Chaplain  of  British  and 
Canadian  hospitals,  British  labor  battalions,  Australian  Infantry,  British  Tanks, 
American  hospitals  and  the  Headquarters  Troops  of  the  3d  Army.  Nearly  every 
officer  in  the  Unit  and  some  of  the  nurses  and  enlisted  men  were  at  times  detached 
for  special  service  at  the  front  or  elsewhere.  Dr.  Harte,  the  Directoi  of  the  Unit, 
and  later  its  commanding  officer,  and  Dr.  Mitchel,  for  some  months  its  commanding 
officer,  took  their  turn  at  the  front.  Dr.  Vaux,  Dr.  Wilmer,  Dr.  Outerbridge,  Dr. 
Nolan,  Dr.  Austin,  Dr.  Flick,  and  nearly  all  the  other  surgeons  and  doctors  did 
the  same.     All  who  were  given  the  opportunity  to  serve  at  the  front  did  so  eagerly. 

General  Hospital  No.  16,  of  which  Base  Hospital  No.  10  had  charge,  was  in 
the  form  of  half  a  wheel,  with  the  operating  room  at  the  hub  and  the  wards  or  huts 
radiating  like  spokes  from  this  center.  The  most  serious  surgical  cases  were  in 
the  huts  nearest  the  operating  room.  The  medical  huts  were  at  the  periphery. 
The  Isolation  Division  for  Contagious  Diseases  was  remote  from  the  rest  of  the 
hospital.  Le  Treport  was  situated  on  the  Channel,  and  during  the  winter  the 
climate  was  severe,  with  high  winds  and  cold  rains.  The  sick  and  wounded  were 
brought  as  far  as  Le  Treport  by  hospital  trains,  and  from  the  town  to  the  hospital 
by  ambulances  driven  by  English  ladies  attached  to  the  Women's  Motor  Convoy 
Service.  The  hospital  was  evacuated  by  train  and  ambulance  through  the  Chan- 
nel ports  to  England.  When  the  Germans  reached  Amiens,  the  entire  hospital 
area  had  to  be  evacuated  in  a  few  hours,  so  far  as  the  patients  were  concerned. 
This  was  done  only  with  great  suffering  to  the  patients  and  at  the  cost  of  many 
lives.     There  was  no  help  for  it,  however. 

From  June  13,  1917,  to  December  31,  1918,  there  were  admitted  to  General 
Hospital  No.  16,  47,811  patients,  of  whom  22,431  were  wounded,  and  24,222  were 
sick.  Of  these  398  of  the  wounded  and  140  of  the  sick  died,  making  a  total  of 
538  deaths.  Such  a  great  number  of  patients  with  so  few  deaths  gave  the  Unit 
one  of  the  lowest  death  averages  of  any  hospital  in  France. 

The  patients  were  chiefly  from  the  British  Expeditionary  Forces,  English, 
Scotch,  Irish,  Australian,  South  African,  Canadian,  New  Zealand,  and  West  In- 
dian. Three  thousand  and  twelve  American  soldiers  were  admitted,  of  whom 
forty-four  died. 

204 


The  Dental  Department  of  the  Hospital,  under  Dr.  Jack  and  Dr.  Edwin  Shoe- 
maker, was  very  active.  It  elicited  the  admiration  of  the  British  Medical  Corps. 
There  were  15,926  patients  who  received  treatment  in  this  department. 

The  X-ray  Department  was  extremely  important  too.  Under  Dr.  Knowles 
and  Dr.  William  T.  Shoemaker  and  Sergeant  Cressy  5,852  patients  were  X-rayed. 

The  Pathological  Laboratory,  under  Dr.  Krumbhaar  and  Dr.  Cloud,  assisted 
by  Mrs.  Krumbhaar  and  Privates  Le  Boutillier,  Stevens  and  Smith,  medical 
students,  was  responsible  for  18,878  pathological  and  bacteriological  examinations, 
including  318  autopsies. 

The  nursing  of  the  patients  was  under  Miss  Margaret  A.  Dunlop  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Hospital,  Philadelphia,  and  her  able  assistants.  No  praise  could  be  too 
high  for  the  work  of  these  women.  There  was  no  more  efficient  or  able  hospital 
matron  in  France  than  Miss  Dunlop,  and  she  was  supported  by  a  magnificent 
corps  of  nurses.  Their  patience,  sympathy  and  skill  saved  hundreds  of  lives, 
and  the  "American  Sister"  will  long  be  an  expression  to  conjure  by  among  British 
soldiers.  Miss  Fairchild  died  as  the  result  of  her  work  at  the  front.  Miss  Stam- 
baugh  was  severely  wounded,  but  happily  recovered,  and  many  of  these  women 
sacrificed  their  health  and  strength  permanently  in  the  performance  of  their  nerve- 
wrecking  and  heart-breaking  duties  over  there. 

Army  regulations  place  the  social  and  educational  work  among  troops  (under 
the  commanding  officer)  in  the  hands  of  the  Chaplain  of  the  Organization.  Dr. 
Wilmer,  specially  assigned  to  this  duty,  and  the  Chaplain  of  Base  Hospital  No.  10 
gave  a  great  deal  of  their  time  to  this  side  of  their  work.  Baseball,  hockey,  tennis, 
football,  cricket,  boxing  were  made  possible  and  encouraged.  It  was  a  surprise 
to  British  soldiers  that  this  Unit  could  meet  them  on  even  terms  in  their  national 
sport.  Philadelphians,  however,  have  always  been  good  cricketers.  A  reading- 
room  was  provided.  A  dramatic  club  was  formed.  Lectures  on  history,  hygiene 
and  social  questions  were  given  at  regular  intervals.  Every  week  an  entertain- 
ment, known  as  "the  Padre's  Party,"  took  place.  At  these  parties  such  refresh- 
ments as  were  obtainable  were  furnished  and  some  special  program  was  presented. 
Dancing  was  allowed.  Concerts  were  given  frequently,  the  ladies  of  the  Motor 
Convoy  Service  usually  assisting. 

A  great  deal  of  attention  was  given  to  the  amusement  of  the  patients.  Ward 
concerts  were  given  almost  daily,  French  artists,  nurses,  officers,  Red  Cross  workers, 
British  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Salvation  Army  workers  and  the  enlisted  personnel  and 
convalescent  patients  assisting. 

In  the  British  Army  the  work  of  the  Chaplain  is  taken  seriously,  and  every 
possible  provision  is  made  for  such  work.  The  Church  of  England  put  at  the 
disposal  of  the  Chaplain  of  the  Unit  a  well  equipped  church  hut  for  public  services 
for  the  personnel  and  the  convalescent  patients.  Several  services  were  held  every 
day  in  this  hut.  On  Sundays  the  hut  was  crowded,  so  crowded  that  often  many 
had  to  be  turned  away  for  lack  of  room.  Services  were  also  held  by  the  Chaplain 
in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Salvation  Army  huts.  Ward  services  for  the  sick  and 
wounded  were  part  of  the  regular  routine.  Services  were  also  held  for  the  sick  and 
wounded  German  prisoners  in  their  stockade. 

The  burials  took  place  in  the  British  Military  Cemetery  of  Mt.  Huon,  not 
far  from  the  hospital  area.  Every  soldier,  officer  or  private,  who  died  received  a 
dignified  burial  with  military  honors.    The  Military  Cemetery  was  beautifully  kept. 

205 


The  graves  were  carefully  marked  with  a  cross  bearing  the  name,  rank,  organiza- 
tion and  date. 

Even  a  brief  sketch  of  Base  Hospital  No.  10  in  France  would  be  incomplete 
without  reference  to  the  band,  which  was  trained  and  led  by  Dr.  Beebe.  The  in- 
struments were  procured  and  paid  for  by  the  Commanding  Officer,  Dr.  Harte. 
There  was  much  musical  talent  in  the  Unit,  and  before  it  had  been  long  organized, 
it  did  the  Unit  much  credit. 

On  January  12,  1919,  the  Unit  consisted  of  thirty-nine  officers,  125  nurses, 
and  327  enlisted  men,  491  in  all.  Those  who  had  not  been  in  service  for  a  year 
were  ordered  to  various  camps  in  the  A.  E.  F.  On  February  3d,  all  patients  were 
transferred  to  General  Hospital  No.  47.  Early  in  March  the  nurses  were  sent  to 
Plouharnel  in  the  heart  of  Brittany,  near  Vannes.  On  March  12th  they  were  sent 
to  Brest,  and  on  April  3d  sailed  on  the  Rotterdam  for  New  York,  arriving  April  12th. 
A  few  days  afterwards  the  nurses  received  their  back  pay,  a  bonus  of  $60,  and 
their  official  discharge. 

On  March  4th  Dr.  Sweet,  with  twenty-five  officers  and  154  enlisted  men,  left 
Le  Treport  for  Plouharnel;  Dr.  Mitchel  and  Dr.  Newlin,  with  twenty-five  enlisted 
men,  remaining  at  Le  Treport  to  complete  the  closing  of  the  hospital.  The  latter 
contingent  left  on  March  12th.  On  the  23d  all  were  sent  to  Camp  Pontanaza  at 
Brest.  General  Smedley  D.  Butler,  commanding  officer  of  the  camp,  later  wrote 
to  G.  H.  Q.  that  Base  Hospital  No.  10  was  the  best  outfit  of  its  kind  that  had  come 
under  his  charge.  The  Unit  embarked  on  April  6th  on  the  Kaiserin  Augusta- 
Victoria,  sailing  on  the  8th,  and  arriving  at  Hoboken  April  17th.  On  the  18th 
the  Unit  was  sent  to  Camp  Dix,  New  Jersey,  and  was  demobilized  onApril  22, 1919. 

Some  of  the  officers,  nurses  and  enlisted  men  remained  in  France  longer,  and 
were  scattered.  Some  came  home  with  other  organizations,  and  some  returned 
as  "casuals."  It  was  not  long,  however,  before  nearly  all  of  the  original  outfit 
were  home  and  honorably  discharged. 

BASE  HOSPITAL  NO.  20,  U.  S.  A. 
By  Lieutenant  Colonel  Eldridge  L.  Eliason 

U.  S.  Army  Base  Hospital  No.  20  was  organized  at  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania. Colonel  Edward  Martin,  the  first  Director,  resigned  in  April  1917  and 
was  succeeded  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  John  B.  Carnett,  who  supervised  the 
organization  of  the  Unit,  under  the  auspices  of  the  American  Red  Cross. 

Preliminary  work  proceeded  simultaneously  along  three  main  lines;  the 
selection  of  the  personnel;   the  raising  of  funds;  and  the  purchase  of  equipment. 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Carnett,  together  with  Lieutenant  Colonel  Eliason, 
Chief  of  the  Surgical  Service,  and  Lieutenant  Colonel  George  M.  Piersol,  Chief 
of  the  Medical  Service,  selected  an  able  professional  personnel,  representing  all 
specialties  of  surgery  and  medicine  from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  Hospital. 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Thomas  H.  Johnson,  M.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  was  assigned  to  duty 
as  Commanding  Officer,  and  Major  Sherman  M.  Craiger,  Q.  M.  C,  as  Quarter- 
master. 

The  selection  of  a  sufficient  number  of  properly  qualified  nurses  was  a  diffi- 
cult problem  which,  however,  was  admirably  handled  by  Edith  B.  Irwin,  Chief 
Nurse,  who  was  formerly  Chief  Nurse  of  the  General  Surgical  Clinic  at  the  Univer- 

206 


sity  Hospital.  Miss  Irwin,  at  her  own  request,  in  January,  1918,  was  placed  on 
active  duty  for  several  weeks  at  the  United  States  Army  Walter  Reid  Hospital, 
Washington,  D.  C,  to  familiarize  herself  with  the  duties  of  Chief  Nurse  for  an 
army  hospital.  Fifty-seven  of  the  sixty-five  nurses  were  graduates  of  the  Nurses 
Training  School  of  the  University  Hospital. 

The  selection  of  153  enlisted  men  was  entrusted  to  Major  John  H.  Musser, 
Jr.,  and  Major  Philip  F.  Williams.  All  of  the  enlisted  men  were  chosen  because 
of  exceptional  ability.  They  were  all  volunteers  and  sought  service  with  Base  Hos- 
pital No.  20  as  the  quickest  route  to  France.  Over  80  per  cent  of  them  were  college 
men  and  the  remainder  were  proficient  in  special  trades  or  occupations.  The  actual 
work  of  recruiting  was  performed  by  Major  Floyd  E.  Keene,  together  with  the 
volunteer  assistance  of  Captain  Thomas  Edwards,  Captain  Richard  D.  Hopkinson, 
and  Major  P.  F.  Williams,  who  were  then  on  the  inactive  list. 

Funds  were  immediately  necessary  for  the  purchase  of  equipment,  as  the  Gov- 
ernment made  no  appropriation  for  the  financing  of  a  Base  Hospital  organized  under 
the  direction  of  the  American  Red  Cross.  The  $25,000  worth  of  hospital  equipment 
that  each  Base  Hospital  was  originally  required  to  purchase  and  store  in  times  of 
peace  was  amply  provided  for  Base  Hospital  No.  20  by  the  Harrison  Fund  of 
$30,000,  contributed  in  equal  parts  by  George  L.  Harrison,  Mrs.  Emily  Leland 
Harrison  and  Thomas  Skelton  Harrison.  When,  after  war  was  declared,  the  Base 
Hospitals  were  required  to  increase  their  equipment,  further  appeals  met  with 
patriotic  support.  Contributions  of  $110,202.18,  in  cash  and  of  forty  thousand 
dollars  worth  of  equipment  were  secured  largely  by  the  individual  efforts  of 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Carnett,  and  were  turned  over  to  the  Medical  Department 
of  the  Army,  without  a  cent  of  expense  to  the  Government. 

A  total  of  thirty-four  freight  carloads  of  equipment  was  shipped  to  New  York, 
and  the  greater  part  of  ifc  accompanied  the  personnel  on  the  U.  S.  S.  Leviathan 
on  the  voyage  to  Brest,  and  arrived  fairly  promptly  at  Chatel-Guyon,  where  the 
hospital  was  stationed  during  its  activities  in  France. 

On  November  24,  1917,  orders  came  from  the  War  Department  mobilizing  the 
enlisted  men  at  the  First  State  Armory,  the  remaining  professional  personnel, 
nurses  and  civilian  employes  to  be  mobilized  later.  By  November  30,  1917,  prac- 
tically all  of  the  men  had  reported.  Through  the  courtesy  of  the  Athletic  Asso- 
ciation of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  the  Students'  Training  House 
was  turned  over  to  the  hospital  for  use  for  mess  and  quarters.  The  cooks,  "K. 
P.'s"  and  a  majority  of  the  N.  C.  O.'s  were  also  stationed  in  the  training  house. 

By  the  20th  of  December  all  of  the  officers  and  men  had  reported  and  routine 
military  instructions  were  well  under  way.  Of  the  153  enlisted  personnel,  103  had 
at  least  five  weeks  hospital  training  as  orderlies  and  anesthetists.  Every  member 
had  full  instruction  in  practical  first-aid  treatment,  given  by  Lieutenant  Colonel 
E.  L.  Eliason,  and  every  man  was  required  to  apply  splints,  bandages  and  dressings. 

On  Monday,  April  1,  1918,  Base  Hospital  No.  20  started  for  Camp  Merritt, 
New  Jersey,  on  the  first  leg  of  its  overseas  journey.  The  organization  arrived  in 
camp  about  4  p.m.,  where  they  were  stationed  for  three  weeks,  sailing  on  the  U.  S.  S. 
Leviathan  from  Hoboken  on  April  22.  The  nurse  personnel,  the  dietitian  and  the 
three  civilian  stenographers,  who  had  been  at  Ellis  Island,  No.  3  N.  Y.  H.,  since 
February  18,  1918,  joined  the  Unit  at  Hoboken  and  sailed  with  it.  After 
an  uneventful  voyage,  the  Leviathan  reached  Brest  on  May  2,  1918.     The  officers 

207 


and  men  debarked  the  following  day  and  marched  to  Camp  Pontanazen.  After 
a  stay  of  two  days,  they  were  joined  by  the  nurses  and  left  for  Chatel-Guyon,  where 
they  arrived  on  the  morning  of  May  7th. 

Chatel-Guyon  is  a  village  of  some  2,000  inhabitants  and  is  situated  in  the 
Province  of  Puy-de-Dome,  which  forms  a  part  of  the  picturesque  Auvergne  section 
of  France.  The  village  takes  its  name  from  the  chateau  built  by  Guy  II,  Duke 
of  Auvergne,  in  1195.  Its  altitude  is  about  1,200  feet,  and  it  is  on  the  edge  of  the 
large  fertile  plain  of  Liganne  and  in  the  foothills  of  the  Puy  Mountains.  It, 
therefore,  enjoys  an  excellent  climate  during  both  summer  and  winter. 

The  first  month  of  the  stay  of  Base  Hospital  No.  20  was  devoted  to  the  hard 
and  tedious  work  of  cleaning  up  and  repairing  the  numerous  hotels  and  other 
buildings  that  had  been  assigned  for  its  use. 

The  total  yearly  rental  (in  francs)  for  the  buildings  used  by  Base  Hospital 
No.  20  was  328,612,  or  in  normal  times  equivalent  to  $65,722.40. 

Two  weeks'  hard  work  made  the  hospital  ready  to  care  for  200  patients.  Four 
weeks  saw  the  organization  ready  to  receive  500  patients.  This  number  was  later 
increased  to  over  2,000. 

Functioning  of  the  Hospital 

The  hospital  formally  opened  to  patients  on  Decoration  Day,  1918.  With 
but  the  few  exceptions  of  patients  from  the  post  and  neighboring  camps,  all  patients 
were  brought  to  Chatel-Guyon  on  hospital  trains. 

The  first  one  of  these  arrived  on  June  8th  with  359  patients  and  others  con- 
tinued to  arrive  as  often  as  twice  a  week.  It  may  be  stated  here  that  Base  Hospital 
No.  20  operated  as  a  true  Base  Hospital  in  that  it  kept  and  cared  for  patients  until 
they  were  either  cured  or  classed  for  ultimate  distribution.  It  at  no  time  acted 
as  an  Evacuation  Hospital,  as  did  many  Base  Hospitals,  merely  keeping  patients 
a  few  hours  before  evacuating  them  to  other  hospitals. 

The  patients  were  classified  according  to  their  disease  or  injury,  and  were 
placed  in  separate  wards  for  surgical,  medical  and  infectious  diseases  and  the  spe- 
cialties. A  dispensary  or  "ambulatory"  surgical  department  treated  all  minor 
walking  cases,  thus  relieving  the  work  in  the  ward  dressing  rooms. 

From  June  8th  to  December  20th,  twenty-three  additional  hospital  trains 
brought  a  total  of  7,872  patients  to  Base  Hospital  No.  20  from  the  various  battle 
fronts.  The  largest  number,  587,  was  received  on  July  25th,  all  of  which  came  from 
the  Chateau-Thierry  front. 

These  figures  do  not  include  the  106  admissions  from  the  command  to  and  from 
hospital  and  quarters  prior  to  the  arrival  of  this  Unit  at  Chatel-Guyon.  The 
maximum  number  of  patients  in  the  hospital  in  any  one  day  was  2,153  on  October 
10,  1918.  The  last  patient  was  discharged  on  January  20,  1919,  and  the  Unit 
ceased  to  function  as  a  hospital  on  that  date. 

During  the  nine  months  that  Base  Hospital  No.  20  functioned,  it  cared  for 
8,703  patients,  of  which  number  only  sixty-five  died — a  remarkable  showing.  The 
largest  number  of  patients  in  the  hospital  any  one  day  was  2,153,  on  October  20, 
1918. 

In  the  personnel  of  the  organization  itself  there  was  only  one  death  during  its 
entire  existence,  another  tribute  to  its  efficiency. 

208 


General  Method  of  Receiving  and  Treating  Wounded 

On  the  receipt  of  telegraphic  notice  of  the  impending  arrival  of  a  Hospital 
Train,  each  ward  surgeon  was  required  to  submit  to  the  Chiefs  of  the  Surgical 
and  Medical  Service  the  number  of  vacant  beds  in  each  ward  as  well  as  the  number 
of  patients  who  could  be  transferred  to  other  buildings  if  the  necessity  demanded  it. 
From  this  data  the  Chief  of  Medical  and  Surgical  Service  made  provision  for  the 
number  and  variety  of  cases  which  the  incoming  train  contained,  and  a  chart  was 
prepared  stating  the  exact  number  of  beds  available  in  each  ward.  The  Com- 
manding Officer  and  the  two  Chiefs  of  Services,  with  a  corps  of  men,  boarded  the 
Hospital  Train  at  Riom,  the  first  town  beyond  the  Chatel-Guyon,  and  each  patient 
was  examined  and  tagged  with  the  number  of  the  section  and  ward  to  which  he 
was  to  go.  Upon  the  arrival  of  the  train  the  patients  were  carried  immediately 
to  the  section  on  the  station  platform  as  indicated  by  their  tags.  Here  they  were 
loaded  into  ambulances  or  trucks  bound  for  the  hospital  section,  and  upon  arrival 
there  they  were  at  once  carried  to  the  several  wards.  An  entire  train  load  of  pa- 
tients could  thus  be  transferred  to  their  beds  within  two  hours.  Each  surgeon 
was  required  to  be  in  his  ward,  day  or  night,  to  receive  his  patients,  so  that  he 
could  dress  all  wounds  as  soon  as  possible.  This  fact  was  responsible  for  the  im- 
mediate recognition  of  sixteen  wounded  cases  infected  with  gas  gangrene,  and  the 
immediate  operation,  with  the  consequent  saving  of  life. 

Detached  Duty 

Shortly  after  the  arrival  of  Base  Hospital  No.  20  in  France,  orders  came  from 
the  Chief  Surgeon  to  form  two  Operating  Teams  for  work  in  the  hospitals  at  the 
front.  The  two  Teams  were  formed  and  were  later  designated  as  No.  61  and  No. 
62.  Each  Team  was  made  up  of  a  surgeon  in  charge  and  an  assistant,  an  anesthe- 
tist, a  senior  nurse,  a  second  nurse,  and  two  men  as  orderlies. 

Surgical  Operating  Team  No.  61 

On  June  8,  1918,  this  Team,  under  command  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Eliason, 
went  to  Evacuation  Hospital  No.  1,  near  Toul,  for  instruction  in  war  surgery. 

The  personnel  of  Team  No.  61  was:  Lieutenant  Colonel  E.  L.  Eliason,  Surgeon 
in  Charge;  Major  F.  E.  Keene,  Assistant;  Major  William  Bates,  Anesthetist; 
Florence  Williams,  A.  R.  N.  C;  Sabina  Landis,  A.  R.  N.  C;  Sergeant  Joseph 
Dougherty;  Private  George  Farabaugh;  Captain  Thompson  Edwards  later  replaced 
Major  Keene  and  Mary  Hume  replaced  Miss  Williams. 

On  July  21st  the  Team  reported  to  Lieutenant  Colonel  Bingham  in  Paris,  and 
was  sent  to  the  A.  R.  C.  Military  Hospital  No.  1  at  Neuilly,  and  later  to  the  A.  R. 
C.  Military  Hospital  No.  3  (officers'  hospital).  The  Team  was  ordered  to  La  Ferte 
and  was  taken  by  ambulance  to  Chateau-Thierry,  reporting  to  Evacuation  Hospital 
No.  5.  In  August  it  proceeded  to  Chaligny,  reporting  to  Field  Hospital  No.  162, 
which  on  September  2d  was  taken  over  by  Evacuation  Hospital  No.  113. 

On  October  3d,  it  was  ordered  to  report  to  headquarters  at  Froidos,  to  Evacu- 
ation Hospital  No.  10.  The  Team  stayed  with  this  hospital  for  the  remaining 
period  of  the  war  and  for  three  weeks  afterwards. 

209 


Surgical  Operating  Team  No.  62 

At  the  front  they  performed  about  600  operations  in  addition  to  dressing  many 
severe  cases  that  needed  no  operation. 

Surgical  Operating  Team  No.  62  was  the  first  to  leave  Base  Hospital  No.  20 
for  service  at  the  front.     It  left  Chatel-Guyon  for  Chaumont  on  June  5,  1918. 

The  personnel  of  Team  No.  62  was:  Lieutenant  Colonel  John  B.  Carnett, 
Surgeon  in  Charge;  Captain  George  M.  Laws,  Assistant;  Captain  N.  R.  Goldsmith, 
Anesthetist;  Helen  Pratt,  A.  R.  N.  C;  Marie  Bergstresser,  A.  R.  N.  C;  Sergeant 
First  Class  de  Benneville  Bell;  Private  Rufus  B.  Jones. 

After  a  short  stay  at  Base  Hospital  No.  15  and  at  Evacuation  Hospital  No.  1, 
on  the  Lorraine  front,  the  Team  reported  to  the  117th  Sanitary  Train  of  the  42d 
(Rainbow)  Division  and  was  assigned  to  duty  with  Mobile  Hospital  No.  2  at 
Bussy-le-Chateau,  on  the  Champagne  front.  From  July  15th  to  July  18th,  the 
Team  operated  with  Evacuation  Hospital  No.  4  at  Ecury  and  then  rejoined  Mobile 
Hospital  No.  2  at  Vatry,  accompanying  it  to  Lizy-sur-Ourcq  on  the  Chateau- 
Thierry  front.  On  July  31st  the  Team  was  sent  to  Evacuation  Hospital  No.  2 
at  La  Ferte  Milon,  went  with  it  to  Crezancy,  on  the  Marne,  and  rejoined  Mobile 
Hospital  No.  2  at  Coincy,  on  August  6th.  On  August  25th,  the  Team  proceeded 
to  the  St.  Mihiel  front  and  located  at  Recourt,  on  August  30th.  On  September 
25th,  it  left  for  Chateau  Salvange,  near  Froidos,  on  the  Argonne  front,  and  re- 
mained there  until  it  returned  to  Chatel  Guyon  on  November  24th. 

Subsequently  each  member  of  Team  No.  62  received  a  copy  of  a  letter  of  com- 
mendation from  General  Pershing. 

On  September  3d,  Captain  Laws  was  detached  and  placed  in  charge  of 
Surgical  Team  No.  562,  taking  Mat  Grenville,  A.  R.  N.  C,  from  Team  No.  62. 
Major  F.  E.  Keene  and  Letitia  Gallagher  replaced  them  on  Team  No.  62. 
Team  No.  562  saw  duty  with  Mobile  Hospital  No.  2,  Evacuation  Hospital  No.  1, 
Base  Hospital  No.  31,  and  returned  to  Base  Hospital  No.  20  on  November  28,  1918. 

Shock  Team  No.   116 

The  personnel  of  Team  No.  116  was:  Major  John  H.  Musser,  Jr.  (in  charge); 
Grace  MacMillan,  A.  R.  N.  C;  Sergeant  F.  G.  Connor,  M.D.;  Private  Jos.  R. 
Arnold,  M.D. 

On  July  22,  1918,  the  Team  was  ordered  to  report  to  La  Ferte-sous-Jouarre 
and  arrived  there  the  following  day,  in  charge  of  Major  John  H.  Musser,  Jr. 

They  were  sent  to  Verdolet,  reporting  to  the  Commanding  Officer  of  Field 
Hospital  No.  27,  and  were  immediately  assigned  to  the  task  of  handling  the  severely 
wounded  of  the  3d  Division. 

While  at  Chateau-Thierry  the  members  of  the  Team  received  a  letter  of  com- 
mendation from  General  Dickman,  commanding  the  3d  Division. 

On  August  10th  the  Team  was  sent  to  Field  Hospital  No.  112  at  Cohan. 
After  several  other  transfers  the  Team  was  ordered  to  report  at  Field  Hospital  No. 
127  of  the  32d  Division.  This  hospital  received  only  the  severely  wounded,  and  at 
the  same  time  acted  as  a  triage  station. 

Four  days,  beginning  September  4th,  the  Team  spent  in  the  forest  of  Pierre- 
Fonds,  returning  to  Base  Hospital  No.  20  on  September  11th. 

210 


Emergency  Medical  Team  No.   116 

The  personnel  of  the  Team  consisted  of  Captain  George  K.  Strode,  M.C., 
Commanding;  Elizabeth  J.  Coombs,  A.  R.  N.  C,  and  Corporal  Robert  F. 
McMurtrie,  M.D.  Ry  orders  from  General  Headquarters,  Captain  Strode  was 
detailed  to  the  Central  Medical  Department  Laboratory  for  special  instruction 
in  shock  and  hemorrhage  in  September,  1918.  Ry  authority  from  H.  A.  E.  F., 
the  Team  left  Chatel-Guyon  September  24th  and  proceeded  to  Evacuation  Hos- 
pital No.  6  at  Souilly.  Team  No.  116  immediately  took  charge  of  the  Shock 
Ward  of  Evacuation  Hospital  No.  6  at  Souilly,  and  during  the  first  week  worked 
night  and  day  without  relief.  A  second  Team  was  then  assigned  to  duty,  and 
thereafter  Team  No.  116  alternated  on  night  and  day  duty. 

On  November  26th,  when  orders  arrived  relieving  them  from  duty  at  Evacua- 
tion Hospital  No.  6,  Team  No.  116  proceeded  to  Paris.  Two  days  later  the 
Team  returned  to  Rase  Hospital  No.  20. 

Copies  of  the  commendation  that  was  extended  to  Evacuation  Hospital  No.  6 
by  the  Chief  Surgeon  of  the  1st  Army,  A.  E.  F.,  on  November  30,  1918,  were  for- 
warded to  each  member  of  Emergency  Medical  Team  No.  116. 

Social  Life  at  Rase  Hospital  No.  20 

The  first  celebration  of  any  type  held  in  France  by  Rase  Hospital  No.  20 
occurred  at  Chatel-Guyon  on  May  30,  1918,  and  marked  not  only  Decoration 
Day  but  also  the  formal  opening  of  the  hospital  and  the  first  raising  of  the  American 
Flag  at  Chatel-Guyon.  Less  formal  were  the  exercises  on  Independence  Day, 
when  a  reception  was  given  for  all  sick  and  visiting  French  officers  in  the  morning. 
In  the  afternoon  this  courtesy  was  reciprocated  by  the  French  officers.  A  public 
reception  in  the  late  afternoon  was  extended  to  the  officers  at  the  Casino,  at  which 
addresses  were  made  by  the  Mayor  of  Chatel-Guyon  and  by  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Johnson.   Somewhat  similar  was  the  reception  on  Rastile  Day  on  July  14th. 

Entertainments  for  the  patients  on  Thanksgiving  and  Christmas  were  given. 
On  the  afternoon  of  Christmas  the  juvenile  population  of  Chatel-Guyon,  under 
the  age  of  ten  years,  were  the  guests  of  Rase  Hospital  No.  20  at  a  Christmas  tree 
celebration.  For  this  purpose  a  large  spruce  tree  in  the  park  was  decorated  with 
colored  electric  lights,  and  after  some  singing,  and  a  short  speech  by  the  cure,  each 
child  was  presented  with  package  of  candy  furnished  by  the  Red  Cross. 

Many  of  the  social  activities  were  arranged  by  the  Red  Cross  representative, 
Captain  J.  M.  Ware,  who  reported  for  duty  on  June  2,  1918.  Among  the  various 
forms  of  diversion  were  baseball,  football  and  tennis.  An  old  reservoir  near  head- 
quarters served  as  a  swimming  pool. 

Rase  Hospital  No.  20  was  fortunate  in  possessing  an  abundance  of  theatrical 
talent.  A  committee  was  formed  when  the  Unit  was  still  in  training  in  Phila- 
delphia, and  after  short  rehearsals  the  "Retaining  of  the  Shrew"  was  produced, 
the  affair  proving  in  every  respect  most  successful.  Later  "Rase  20  Follies" 
was  staged.     At  Camp  Merritt,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  rendered  much  assistance. 

At  Chatel-Guyon  a  large  number  of  entertainments  were  furnished  both  for 
the  benefit  of  the  patients  and  for  the  civilian  population.  At  these  entertainments 
there  were  popular  music,  and  classical  dancing,  in  which  several  members  of  the 
Unit  took  female  parts  with  the  ease  and  grace  of  long  trained  performers. 

211 


An  orchestra  was  formed  of  the  enlisted  men  which  was  used  for  furnishing 
music  for  various  entertainments.  The  piano  was  antiquated  and  out  of  tune, 
and  the  drum  was  made  from  a  banjo  head.  Other  instruments  were  brought 
from  home  by  the  men  themselves. 

Leaves  and  Trips 

Six  regions  were  designated  as  leave  areas,  including  some  of  the  most  famous 
resorts  in  Europe,  and  it  was  possible  on  a  leave  to  go  anywhere  in  France  from  the 
Alps  to  the  Channel,  and  from  the  Pyrenees  to  the  border.  It  was  possible  for 
nurses  and  enlisted  men  to  take  advantage  of  trips  throughout  France  with  no 
expense,  as  hotels  with  comfortable  quarters  and  excellent  meals  were  provided 
for  their  exclusive  use.  Nice  was  undoubtedly  the  Mecca,  and  whatever  the  route 
traveled  the  trail  inevitably  lead  to  that  resort. 

French  War  Orphan  Fund 

The  French  War  Orphan  Fund  was  initiated  by  the  Stars  and  Stripes  as  a 
special  Thanksgiving  donation  in  1918.  Chaplain  Rogers  Israel  acted  as  treas- 
urer for  Base  Hospital  No.  20,  and  a  sum  of  7,500  francs  represented  the  collection 
from  the  officers,  nurses,  and  enlisted  men;  no  patients  in  the  hospital  were  allowed 
to  contribute.     Base  Hospital  No.  20  adopted  fifteen  French  war  orphans. 

Medical  Society 

Soon  after  the  hospital  opened  a  Medical  Society  was  formed  which  met  bi- 
monthly, and  to  which  other  hospital  staffs  were  invited.  Base  Hospital  No.  30 
accepted  the  invitation  to  join.  At  these  meetings  papers  and  reports  of  work 
done  were  presented  by  the  officers.  The  meetings  were  fully  attended  and  much 
profit  obtained  from  them. 

Classes 

After  the  armistice,  Lt.  Col.  Eliason  arranged  for  a  course  in  anesthesia. 
Twenty  nurses  availed  themselves  of  this  opportunity  and  obtained  practical  and 
didactic  instruction  from  Lieutenant  N.  R.  Goldsmith.  Further  lectures  were 
arranged  for  on  military  surgery  and  medicine,  and  several  talks  were  given  by  staff 
members  on  French  history.  Classes  in  various  subjects  were  being  organized 
for  the  enlisted  men  when  orders  arrived  to  leave  Chatel-Guyon. 

Celebration  of  the  Armistice 

On  November  10th,  many  rumors  reached  Chatel-Guyon  that  the  armistice 
had  been  signed.  The  French  believed  it  to  be  true  and  an  impromptu  celebra- 
tion was  started.  In  the  evening  the  real  celebration  commenced.  About  twenty- 
five  American  convalescent  soldiers  started  to  parade.  This  number  soon  in- 
creased to  several  hundred  Americans,  and  an  equal  number  of  French  men,  women 
and  children.  As  they  passed  each  hospital  there  was  a  general  turnout  of  all 
patients  who  could  walk,  so  that  by  the  time  they  reached  the  main  street  there 
were  over  1,000  in  line.  As  no  drums  were  to  be  had  four  large  hard-tack  tins 
were  secured  as  a  result  of  a  raid  on  the  Mess  Department. 

The  next  morning  official  news  that  the  armistice  was  signed  was  received, 
and  the  Mayor  ordered  all  church  bells  to  be  rung.  The  town  was  decorated, 
and  that  night  another  parade  was  organized  led  by  a  real  band. 

212 


Auxiliary  of  Base  Hospital  No.   20 

The  Auxiliary  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  Hospital  Unit  of  the  Red 
Cross,  known  as  No.  122,  was  organized  under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  Wm.  Woodward 
Arnett  on  April  11,  1917.  The  seventy  women  who  were  present  at  the  first  meet- 
ing pledged  $6,000  to  purchase  supplies  and  material  for  the  equipment  of  a  500-bed 
base  hospital.  The  actual  work  of  making  up  supplies  was  begun  on  April  15th,  con- 
tinuing for  ten  months  five  days  a  week.  Within  three  months  from  the  time 
the  auxiliary  was  organized  sixty-six  boxes  of  patients'  equipment  containing 
22,244  articles  and  about  35,000  surgical  dressings  were  completed  and  boxed. 

The  original  seventy  members  were  increased  to  256,  and  the  $6,000  promised 
soon  totaled  $10,000,  nor  was  it  difficult  to  secure  additional  funds  as  rapidly 
as  needed. 

Welfare  Committee 

InJFebruary,  1918,  the  Welfare  Committee  of  Base  Hospital  No.  20  was 
organized  and  undertook  to  aid  the  hospital  in  many  ways.  It  pledged  itself  to 
represent  the  hospital  on  this  side,  to  distribute  a  semi-monthly  community  let- 
ter from  France  to  friends  and  relations  of  the  hospital,  to  transmit  funds  to  the 
hospital,  to  supply  it  with  reading  material  and  to  aid  in  many  other  ways. 

During  its  existence  Base  Hospital  No.  20  was  under  the  command  of  four 
different  officers,  Lieutenant  Colonel  T.  H.  Johnson,  Lieutenant  Colonel  G.  M. 
Piersol  and  Lieutenant  Colonel  J.  B.  Carnett.  When  the  organization  was  split 
up  at  embarkation  area,  and  the  officers  sent  home  as  casuals,  the  command  of  the 
Unit  fell  upon  Major  Philip  Williams'  shoulders. 

Officers,  men  and  nurses  returned  in  separate  small  detachments  during  April 
and  May,  1918. 

After  demobilization  of  Base  Hospital  No.  20  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 
Hospital  received  letters  from  the  American  Red  Cross  at  Washington,  D.  C,  and 
from  the  Surgeon  General  commending  Base  Hospital  No.  20  for  its  "readiness  for 
service,  patriotic  devotion  to  duty  and  excellence  of  professional  personnel." 

A  further  letter  of  commendation  for  exceptionally  meritorious  and  conspicuous 
services  was  sent  to  Dr.  J.  B.  Carnett. 

Base  Hospital  No.  20  Association 

The  Association  was  formed  November  14, 1919,  in  Philadelphia,  and  provision 
was  made  to  hold  a  reunion  each  year.  The  first  reunion  was  held  in  November, 
1920. 

BASE  HOSPITAL  No.  34,  U.  S.  A. 
By  Lieutenant  Colonel  Ralph  S.  Bromer 

During  the  early  months  of  1917,  the  Medical  Department  of  the  Army  and 
the  Red  Cross,  Colonel  Jefferson  R.  Kean,  M.  C,  in  charge,  organized  fifty  base 
hospitals  for  service  with  the  American  Army.  The  idea  was  early  conceived  of 
forming  one  at  the  Episcopal  Hospital.  Dr.  Charles  H.  Frazier  was  first  appointed 
Director,  with  Dr.  Astley  P.  C.  Ashhurst  as  Chief  of  the  Surgical  Service.  Funds 
were  raised  and  friends  of  the  hospital  gave  liberally  in  contributions  to  the  Red 
Cross  until  a  sum  of  $65,000  was  obtained  for  the  equipment  of  the  hospital, 
George  H.  Frazier  serving  as  treasurer  and  disbursing  officer. 

213 


The  months  of  March  and  early  April,  1917,  were  occupied  with  these  pre- 
liminaries. Late  in  April  Dr.  Frazier,  owing  to  inability  to  leave  his  University 
duties,  very  reluctantly  relinquished  his  charge  of  the  hospital  and  Dr.  Ashhurst 
was  appointed  Director.     Progress  in  the  procurement  of  equipment  was  rapid. 

In  late  May,  Malcolm  Douglas  became  affiliated  with  the  hospital  as  Registrar. 
Under  his  charge  the  work  of  enrolling  the  enlisted  personnel  progressed  most 
speedily.  Applicants  were  many,  and  men  were  secured  of  excellent  caliber  and 
of  varied  vocations,  foreshadowing  success  in  the  eventual  operation  of  the  hospital's 
different  departments.  By  June  30th,  the  entire  quota  of  152  men  had  been 
sworn  in  and  enlisted  in  the  Medical  Enlisted  Reserve  Corps. 

In  the  meantime  the  hospital  was  formally  accepted  by  the  Medical  Depart- 
ment and  was  given  the  number  of  "34."  In  July,  Captain  Raphael  I.  Levin, 
Quartermaster  Reserve  Corps,  was  assigned  and  reported  for  duty  as  quarter- 
master. As  fast  as  equipment  was  bought  it  was  assembled  and  stored  in  the 
Larkin  Building,  20th  and  Arch  streets,  and  at  the  Episcopal  Hospital. 

The  organization  of  the  nurse  corps  personnel  was  entrusted  to  Miss  Katherine 
Brown,  Superintendent  of  Nurses,  Episcopal  Hospital.  During  these  same  months 
she  was  busily  engaged  in  recruiting  and  enlisting  sixty-five  nurses.  By  August 
she  reported  a  full  quota. 

Mention  should  be  made  of  the  men  who  attended  the  early  meetings  at  Dr. 
Frazier's  office  and  who  devoted  much  time  to  the  purchase  of  supplies  for  their 
respective  departments.  Besides  Drs.  Frazier  and  Ashhurst,  there  were  Drs. 
Emory  G.  Alexander,  Geo.  P.  Muller,  Joseph  Macfarland,  John  B.  Carson,  Ralph 
S.  Bromer  and  Mr.  Malcolm  Douglas.  Of  these  Drs.  Muller  and  Macfarland 
unfortunately  could  not  serve  with  the  unit.  The  assistance  and  advice  of  Dr. 
Richard  H.  Harte,  of  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  hospital,  and  Captain  E.  N. 
Leiper,  the  Superintendent,  were  also  greatly  appreciated.  After  the  retirement 
of  Dr.  Frazier,  Dr.  Ashhurst  strenuously  pushed  the  preparation  of  the  organiza- 
tion for  active  duty,  and  by  the  time  orders  were  received  for  its  mobilization 
it  was  in  a  state  of  excellent  preparedness. 

On  September  7,  1917,  the  organization  was  mobilized  at  the  Episcopal 
Hospital  and  Major  Ralph  G.  DeVoe,  Medical  Corps,  United  States  Army  was 
detailed  as  commanding  officer,  assuming  command  September  4,  1917.  Captain 
R.  S.  Bromer  was  detailed  as  adjutant. 

On  September  7,  1917,  the  organization  moved  to  the  Concentration  Camp 
of  the  United  States  Army  Ambulance  Service  at  Allentown,  Pa.,  later  called 
Camp  Crane.  Here  two  months  or  more  were  spent  in  equipping  and  training 
the  men.  Instruction  in  first  aid,  Medical  Department  drill,  bandaging,  etc., 
was  routinely  given.  On  November  21st,  the  command  moved  to  Camp  Mills, 
Long  Island,  and  remained  there  until  December  14th,  awaiting  instructions  for 
embarkation.  These  finally  arrived,  after  three  weeks  of  most  severe  weather 
spent  in  the  tents  of  Camp  Mills.  On  the  15th,  the  organization  embarked  on 
the  Leviathan,  the  nurses  included,  they,  in  the  meantime,  having  been  mobilized 
and  equipped  at  Ellis  Island.  The  voyage  was  uneventful  and  on  December  24th, 
at  noon,  Liverpool  was  reached  and  debarkation  immediately  begun.  The  nurses 
were  sent  to  Southampton  on  a  separate  train  from  that  of  the  officers  and  men. 
Southampton  was  reached  midnight  of  December  24th,  the  nurses  being  quartered 
at  hotels  and  the  officers  and  men  at  a  rest  camp.     On  December  25th,  the  former 

214 


were  sent  to  Le  Havre  on  one  of  the  British  hospital  ships,  the  Warilda  and  on 
December  26th,  the  officers  and  men  crossed  on  a  British  Channel  ship,  the  MoncCs 
Queen,  debarking  early  on  the  morning  of  the  27th. 

Work  Overseas 

The  command  remained  at  Le  Havre  until  December  29th,  when  the  entire 
personnel  was  sent  by  train  to  Blois,  where  Medical  Casual  Camp  No.  6,  Inter- 
mediate Section  L.  0.  C.  was  then  located. 

Here  during  January,  1918,  the  unit  was  split  up.  The  Commanding  Officer, 
Major  Ashhurst,  the  adjutant,  quartermaster  and  registrar,  and  about  sixty  men 
were  sent  to  Nantes  where  the  hospital  was  to  be  located  for  preliminary  survey  and 
for  the  purpose  of  pushing  the  work  of  renovation  of  the  seminary  building  to  be  used 
as  a  hospital.  Five  officers  and  thirty  men  were  sent  to  Brest  where  Camp  Hospital 
No.  31  was  started  and  organized  by  them  in  the  Pont-a-Nezon  Barracks.  Five 
men  were  sent  to  American  Red  Cross  Military  Hospital  No.  5  in  Paris,  and 
thirty-five  men  were  ordered  to  Camp  Hospital  No.  15  at  Coetquiden,  an  artillery 
training  center.  The  nurses  were  distributed  to  Base  Hospital  No.  101  at  St. 
Nazaire,  Camp  Hospital  No.  15  at  Coetquidan,  and  American  Red  Cross  Military 
Hospital  No.  2  in  Paris. 

January,  February  and  March,  1918,  were  spent  in  renovating  the  building, 
constructing  new  barracks,  moving  equipment  from  freight  stations  and  docks, 
and  in  securing  additional  equipment  for  a  1,700  bed  hospital. 

The  main  building,  four  stories  high,  was  furnished  with  1,000  beds.  This 
building  had  a  usable  attic,  which  was  remodeled  to  house  the  Medical  Supply 
Department  and  to  provide  space  for  storage  of  patient's  clothing.  The  adapta- 
tion of  this  building  required  an  enormous  amount  of  labor  by  men  of  the  unit. 
They  built  seventeen  shacks,  which  accommodated  the  operating  rooms,  X-ray 
department,  large  bath  houses,  receiving  ward,  enlisted  men's  quarters,  and  wards 
aggregating  700  additional  beds.  All  this  construction  was  accomplished  with 
great  dispatch  and  by  April,  1918,  the  entire  unit  was  reassembled  and  patients 
were  admitted.  The  first  train  of  patients  received  came  from  American  Red 
Cross  Military  Hospital  No.  1  at  Paris.  After  these  arrivals  the  hospital  was 
soon  filled  and  it  reached  its  full  capacity  during  and  immediately  after  the  Chateau- 
Thierry  drive.  The  patients  were  almost  entirely  Americans.  Though  a  base 
hospital  situated  far  in  the  rear,  the  majority  were  wounded  men  from  the  fighting 
line. 

The  work  was  carried  on  actively  throughout  the  remainder  of  the  year. 
Peak  capacity  was  again  reached  during  the  fighting  in  the  Argonne.  Mention 
also  should  be  made  of  the  care  and  assistance  rendered  the  personnel  of  the  Army 
during  the  influenza  epidemic,  which  reached  its  height  during  October,  1918. 
These  cases  were  drawn  largely  from  the  garrison  of  Nantes,  which  at  times  num- 
bered 11,000  or  more  men,  also  from  the  38th  Division  which  had  been  sent  immedi- 
ately on  debarkation  to  billets  in  the  "south  of  Nantes"  billeting  area. 

In  July,  1918,  the  hospital  became  a  part  of  the  hospital  center  of  Nantes. 
The  large  hospital  project  known  as  the  Grand  Blottereau,  located  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  city  was  occupied  at  this  time  by  Base  Hospitals  Nos.  11,  38  and  216, 
and  the  whole  center  was  placed  under  command  of  Colonel  Thomas  J.  Kirk- 
patrick  of  the  Regular  Army  Medical  Corps. 

215 


Early  in  October,  1918,  the  hospital  was  further  expanded  by  the  acquisition 
of  the  Ecole  Normale,  a  normal  school  building  owned  and  turned  over  gratuitously 
by  the  Department  of  the  Loire  Inferieure  to  the  Medical  Department  of  the 
Army.  It  was  equipped  and  furnished  as  a  hospital  for  officers  and  designed  for 
reception  of  medical  cases  and  convalescent  surgical  patients.  It  was  operated 
as  an  annex  to  Base  Hospital  No.  34  and  Major,  later  Lieutenant  Colonel,  A.  J. 
Ostheimer  was  placed  in  immediate  charge. 

During  the  first  half  of  the  year  under  careful  guidance  of  Colonel  DeVoe, 
the  Commanding  Officer,  the  organization  of  the  various  administrative  departments 
of  the  hospital  was  perfected  and  all  showed  themselves  fully  equal  to  the  strain 
thrown  upon  them  during  the  heavy  work  of  the  Argonne  drive  and  the  influenza  epi- 
demic. The  adjutant's  office  was  organized  and  run  by  Captain  Ralph  S.  Bromer,  M. 
C. ;  the  registrar's  office  by  Captain  John  P.  Jones;  the  Medical  Supply  Department 
by  First  Lieutenant,  later  Captain,  B.  F.  Buzby;  the  Mess  Department,  by  First 
Lieutenant,  later  Captain,  Malcolm  G.  Douglas;  Sanitary  Corps  and  the  Quarter- 
master's Department  by  Captain  Raphael  I.  Levin,  Q.  M.  C.  Especial  mention 
should  be  made  of  the  supply  by  the  latter  department  of  the  entire  garrison  of 
Nantes  from  the  very  beginning  of  the  hospital  until  the  organization  in  June, 
1918,  of  Quartermaster  Depot  No.  2,  Base  Section  No.  1,  on  the  Isle  of  St.  Anne 
in  Nantes.  This  threw  extra  strain  and  labor  upon  the  officer  in  charge  and  the 
men  of  this  department. 

The  professional  services  were  early  organized  by  Colonel  Ashhurst  in  charge 
of  the  Surgical  Service,  Major  Carson  of  the  Medical  Service,  Captain  Moore  in 
the  Clinical  and  Pathological  Laboratory  and  Captain  Bromer  in  the  X-ray 
Laboratory.     Changes  in  these  departments  will  be  mentioned  later. 

The  American  Red  Cross  sent  as  its  first  representative,  Captain  Chas.  G. 
Petrie,  who  began  during  April  the  organization  of  a  service  which  later  grew  to 
large  proportions.  In  July  Captain  Louis  H.  Fead  arrived  to  replace  Captain 
Petrie,  who  was  transferred  to  the  Grand  Blottereau.  Under  his  direction,  a 
canteen  was  started,  magazines,  books,  etc.,  were  distributed  to  the  patients, 
regular  moving-picture  shows  were  held,  a  Home  Communication  Service  was 
established,  a  large  recreation  hut  was  built,  where  different  show  troupes  gave  many 
and  varied  entertainments,  dances  for  the  enlisted  men  were  held  and  numerous 
comforts  supplied  the  nurses.  A  Y.  W.  C.  A.  representative  was  also  continuously 
assigned  to  the  nurses'  quarters  to  provide  all  recreation  and  entertainment  possible. 

The  main  hospital  building  and  the  ground  occupied  by  the  adjoining  barracks 
was  originally  a  seminary  for  priests.  Additional  space  was  soon  required  and  on 
the  street  immediately  opposite  the  east  entrance,  a  large  riding  school  was  acquired 
as  a  quartermaster  store  and  warehouse.  On  this  same  street  a  house  was  obtained 
as  quarters  for  the  female  civilian  employes.  Two  large  chateaux  were  rented 
to  house  the  nursing  personnel.  The  officer  personnel  was  billeted  in  private 
homes  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  hospital. 

Activities  After  the  Armistice 

With  the  signing  of  the  armistice  the  nature  of  the  work  of  the  hospital  changed. 
Its  situation  in  proximity  to  the  base  port  of  St.  Nazaire  and  within  easy 
rail  connection  with  Brest,  put  it  in  direct  line  for  the  evacuation  of  the  sick  and 
wounded  to  the  United  States.    The  work  of  evacuation  was  early  started  and 

216 


convoys  were  received  and  forwarded  as  rapidly  as  patients  could  be  prepared  and 
reequipped  for  the  trip  home.  The  organization  was  not  destined,  however,  long  to 
remain  in  this  work.  In  pursuance  of  the  policy  of  the  chief  surgeon's  office  for 
the  early  return  of  the  hospitals  first  sent  over,  word  was  unofficially  received 
Christmas  Eve,  1918,  of  the  hospital's  return  as  soon  as  its  relief  arrived.  On 
January  2d,  Evacuation  Hospital  No.  36  reached  Nantes  and  preparations 
were  rushed  for  the  transfer  of  the  hospital  to  that  organization.  This  was  accom- 
plished January  16, 1918,  and  the  command  was  prepared  for  embarkation.  After 
final  inspections  were  made  and  the  unit  officially  reported  ready,  it  yet  had  several 
weeks  to  wait  until  orders  to  move  arrived.  The  officers  finally  left  Nantes, 
March  23d,  the  nurses  soon  after,  and  the  enlisted  men  with  three  officers  April 
2d.  They  all  ultimately  reached  the  United  States  and  the  organization  was 
finally  demobilized  April  29th,  at  Camp  Dix,  N.  J.  The  transport  bringing  the 
officers  home  was  the  Pretoria,  one  of  the  ships  turned  over  by  the  Germans,  after 
the  armistice.  The  nurses  crossed  on  the  George  Washington  and  the  enlisted  men 
on  the  Walter  A.  Luckenbach. 

Major  A.  P.  C.  Ashhurst,  the  Director  of  the  Unit,  was  promoted  colonel  and 
was  assigned  surgical  consultant  of  the  important  hospital  centers  of  Nantes, 
Savenay  and  St.  Nazaire.  During  the  course  of  the  organization's  existence  in 
the  A.  E.  F.,  Major  R.  G.  DeVoe,  the  Commanding  Officer,  was  promoted  colonel 
and  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Nantes  Hospital  Center,  Major  Emory  G.  Alex- 
ander became  Surgical  Director  of  the  Unit,  Captain  Ralph  S.  Bromer  was  promoted 
Lieutenant  Colonel  and  assumed  command  of  Evacuation  Hospital  No.  36,  the 
organization  sent  to  replace  Base  Hospital  No.  34.  Major  Rutherford  L.  John 
was  made  Chief  Orthopedic  Surgeon  of  the  Nantes  Center  and  Major  John  P. 
Jones  became  Chief  of  Surgical  Service  of  Evacuation  Hospital  No.  36.  Captain 
John  W.  Moore  was  promoted  major  and  placed  in  charge  of  the  laboratories  of 
the  Nantes  Center,  and  Miss  Katharine  Brown,  Chief  Nurse,  was  made  supervisor 
of  nursing  for  the  same. 

While  in  service  in  the  A.  E.  F.,  Reserve  Nurse  Alice  Ireland  died  at  St. 
Nazaire,  Base  Hospital  No.  101,  of  pneumonia.  Private  Joseph  F.  Covert  died 
of  septicemia  at  Camp  Hospital  No.  15,  and  Private  James  L.  Murray  of  influenza 
at  Base  Hospital  No.  34,  A.  E.  F. 

The  hospital  furnished  its  quota  of  "teams"  for  front  line  work,  as  the  organiza- 
tions of  surgeons,  nurses  and  orderlies  sent  from  base  hospitals  in  the  rear  to  front 
line  hospitals  were  called.  The  first  of  these  sent  out  was  Surgical  Team  No.  23, 
headed  by  Colonel  Astley  P.  C.  Ashhurst,  M.  C.  He  had  with  him  as  his  assistant 
Captain  Henry  S.  Kerchner  and  Nurses  Margarita  Andrews,  Ethel  P.  Kandle  and 
Grace  E.  Stephens,  and  Privates  Winsor  Josselyn  and  Joseph  E.  Miles.  They 
left  Nantes,  early  in  April,  1918,  going  to  Crevecoeur-le-Grand  where  they  served 
with  Auto  Corps  No.  6  of  the  French  Army  until  July.  On  July  18th,  they  arrived 
at  the  American  Red  Cross  Hospital  No.  1,  Neuilly  sur  Seine,  Paris  and  remained 
there  until  August  14th.  They  were  then  transferred  to  Evacuation  Hospital 
No.  6,  American  Army  serving  with  it  during  the  Argonne  Campaign.  On  Novem- 
ber 18th,  Colonel  Ashhurst  was  transferred  to  Savenay  as  consultant  in  surgery 
and  Major  Emory  G.  Alexander,  M.  C.  was  sent  to  relieve  him. 

Surgical  Team  No.  24  was  composed  of  Major  Chas.  D.  Lockwood,  M.  C, 
Captain  Irvine  M.  Boykin,  M.  C,  and  Captain  Louis  W.  Frank,  M.  C.     The 

217 


nurses  and  enlisted  men  composing  it  were  Nurses  Anna  Behman  and  Katherine 
Holler  and  Sergeants  Horace  B.  Austin  and  Harry  G.  Bostick.  This  team 
served  with  the  American  Army  in  the  Champagne  and  the  Argonne  sector,  being 
stationed  with  several  American  evacuation  hospitals. 

During  the  course  of  the  summer  a  gas  and  shock  team  in  charge  of  First 
Lieutenant,  later  Captain  Royal  E.  Durham,  M.  C.  was  dispatched  to  the  front. 
The  nursing  and  enlisted  personnel  of  these  teams  routinely  consisting  of  one  each, 
Nurse  Jane  D.  Nicholson  and  Private  William  Vogel  were  detailed  for  the  duty. 
It  was  first  sent  to  the  central  laboratory  at  Dijon  for  instruction  purposes  and 
from  there  was  sent  to  the  front,  serving  with  one  of  the  American  evacuation 
hospitals,  No.  8,  during  the  Argonne  Drive. 

During  the  course  of  the  latter  drive,  the  second  team  was  broken  up,  Major 
Lockwood,  Captain  Frank  and  Miss  Holler  formed  the  nucleus  of  one,  and  Captain 
Boykin,  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  other  with  Lieutenant  Simon  and  Miss  Behman. 

Immediately  after  the  termination  of  hostilities  the  various  teams  of  the 
A.  E.  F.  were  returned  to  their  respective  organizations.  During  late  November 
and  early  December  all  the  personnel  returned  to  Nantes,  and  was  re-attached  to 
the  hospital  for  return  to  the  United  States. 

BASE  HOSPITAL  NO.  38  U.  S.  A. 
By  Colonel  W.  M.  L.  Coplin 

War  is  the  summation  of  all  tragedies, — the  pinnacle  of  all  follies,  the  abysmal 
depth  of  all  horrors;  the  conjoined,  coordinate,  contemporaneous  supremacy  of 
flame  and  famine,  of  holocaust  and  hate,  of  disease,  disaster  and  death,  of  slaughter 
and  starvation.  It  is  the  insanity,  the  infanticidal,  homicidal,  suicidal  mania  of 
nations — the  darkness  of  doomsday  out  of  which  shines  but  one  lone  star,  red — 
and  purple-rimmed — the  light  of  the  Samaritan  who  feeds  and  clothes,  arrests  bleed- 
ing, binds  wounds,  bears  anesthetic,  sedative,  and  opiate,  nurses  with  tender  hand, 
brings  water  to  lips  athirst  and  dying,  wipes  off  the  sweat  of  agony,  takes  the  last 
faltering  message  to  loved  ones  at  home  and,  when  comes  the  end,  closes  staring 
eyes,  composes  limbs,  enshrouds  and  coffins,  covers  with  the  flag  which  the  soldier 
loved  and  for  which  he  died,  and  bears  the  fallen  victim  to  his  last  rest,  his  dream- 
less sleep  of  peace  eternal.  These  purveyors  of  mercy  and  kindness, — all  out  of 
harmony  with  the  fields  in  which  they  labor — amid  scenes  no  pen  can  describe, 
ply  their  calling  from  shell-torn  trench  to  bomb-wrecked  hospital  far  in  the  rear, 
along  lines  of  communication,  at  ports  of  embarkation,  on  hospital  ships  in  port 
and  at  sea,  until,  at  last,  the  restored  soldier  rests  on  the  bosom  of  loved  ones  at 
home,  or  bivouacs  forever  on  Fame's  eternal  camping  ground. 

Much,  if  not  most  of  this  work  was  done  by  those  who  enlisted  to  serve  in  base 
hospitals.  Officers,  nurses  and  hospital  corps  men — often  detailed  from  an  original 
base  hospital — at  one  time  or  another  served  in  every  position  from  firing  line  back 
through  the  apparently  unending  labyrinth  of  "communications."  To  bear  its 
share  of  the  burden  Base  Hospital  No.  38  of  the  Jefferson  Medical  College  and  Hos- 
pital was  organized. 

Founded  in  1825,  and  nearing  the  centenary  of  its  existence,  the  work  was 
not  new  to  the  institution  which,  through  almost  one  hundred  years,  had  sent  its 
graduates  to  every  battlefield  and  into  every  disaster  in  the  nation's  history,  had 

218 


given  Silas  Weir  Mitchell  and  William  Williams  Keen  to  the  work  of  the  great 
Civil  conflict,  and  in  the  World  War  its  graduates  to  the  number  of  1,462,  while  more 
than  370  undergraduates  worked  in  every  professional  capacity  from  Surgeon 
General  Merritte  W.  Ireland  (Class  of  1891),  to  the  humblest  positions  in  the 
service  of  their  country. 

Organization 

The  Jefferson  Medical  College  Base  Hospital,  organized  under  the  direction 
of  the  American  Red  Cross  and  known  as  Base  Hospital  No.  38,  was  rendered  pos- 
sible by  the  generous  contributions  of  Adeline  Pepper  Gibson  and  Henry  S.  Gibson. 
Organization  was  begun  May  3,  1917.  Before  the  summer  had  ended  officers 
and  enlisted  men  had  been  selected,  necessary  commissions  obtained  and  most  of 
the  preliminary  work  completed.  The  personnel,  included  thirty-five  officers, 
100  nurses,  five  civilians,  and  200  enlisted  men. 

Major  W.  M.  L.  Coplin  was  designated  Director,  and  Chief  of  the  Laboratory 
Division;  Major  J.  Norman  Henry,  Chief  of  the  Medical  Division  and  Major 
Charles  F.  Nassau,  Chief  of  the  Surgical  Division.  Major  John  S.  Lambie,  M.  C, 
U.  S.  A.,  was  later  detailed  as  executive  officer. 

Mobilization  and  Training 

The  organization  was  mobilized  October  15,  1917,  and  went  immediately  into 
training  at  the  2d  Regiment  Armory,  Philadelphia.  The  novitiate  in  Philadelphia 
extended  from  the  date  of  mobilization  to  June  21,  1918,  when  the  unit  embarked 
for  France.  During  this  period  of  preparation  it  was  decided,  at  the  suggestion 
of  the  director,  to  inaugurate  a  new  and  hitherto  untried  plan  of  preparing  enlisted 
men  for  hospital  duty.  It  had  previously  been  the  custom  to  assemble  the  per- 
sonnel of  base  hospitals  at  some  training  camp,  for  example,  Allentown,  where 
military  and  certain  didactic  instruction  could  advantageously  be  given. 
Obviously  the  functions  which  hospital  corps  men  are  supposed  to  perform  differ 
materially  from  those  of  any  other  military  unit.  Necessary  though  a  knowledge  of 
policing  and  military  drill  may  be,  the  men  should  know  something  of  hospital 
organization  and  the  care  of  patients;  consequently  it  was  decided  to  institute 
two  courses  of  instruction — didactic  and  practical. 

The  former  was  inaugurated  (October  29,  1917)  by  an  introductory  lecture  by 
William  W.  Keen,  M.D.,  Sc.  D.,  LL.D.,  Hon.  F.R.C.S.  (England  and  Edin.) 
Emeritus  Professor  of  Surgery,  at  the  Jefferson  Medical  College,  in  which  he  out- 
lined the  history  of  hospital  organization  and  duties  as  he  knew  them  in  Philadel- 
phia and  in  army  hospitals  during  the  Civil  War.  This  was  followed  by  lectures 
given  by  members  of  the  staff  and  others,  covering  problems  of  hospital  admin- 
istration, the  care  of  patients,  treatment  of  injured,  transportation,  sanitary  science, 
antisepsis  and  on  other  subjects  bearing  directly  upon  the  functions  of  base  hospitals. 

Through  the  courtesy  and  cordial  cooperation  of  the  Jefferson  Hospital, 
Pennsylvania,  St.  Agnes,  St.  Joseph's,  Philadelphia  General,  Philadelphia  Hospital 
for  Contagious  Diseases,  Frankford,  Episcopal,  Lankenau,  Presbyterian  and 
Samaritan  hospitals,  valuable  instruction  was  given  to  small  groups  of  men  de- 
tailed to  the  institutions  named.  They  were  assigned  to  laboratory,  operating 
room,  dispensary,  ward,  and  accident  room,  and  saw  useful  practical  service.  The 
courses  were  continued  throughout  most  of  the  winter,  thus  affording  the  men  an 

219 


extended  knowledge  of  the  work  they  would  be  called  upon  to  perform.  Con- 
currently, officers  improved  in  every  possible  way  their  knowledge  by  special  work 
in  laboratories,  X-ray  departments,  surgical  and  medical  clinics,  and  the  specialties. 
Some  of  the  officers  were  detailed  to  the  Rockefeller  Institute,  New  York,  for 
special  training. 

Equipment 

To  the  foundation  of  $50,000  given  by  Adeline  Pepper  Gibson  and  Henry  S. 
Gibson,  generous  citizens  of  Philadelphia,  contributions  by  others — including  $5,000 
given  by  Mrs.  Thomas  P.  Hunter  for  operating  rooms,  brought  the  total  to  $79,- 
992.39,  practically  all  of  which  was  expended  for  equipment.  In  addition  to  cash 
contributions  many  gifts  were  made  directly.  These  included  an  ambulance  by  the 
residents  of  Logan,  another  by  employes  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Com- 
pany, another  by  the  Philadelphia  Teachers'  Association,  another  by  the  West 
Philadelphia  Auxiliary  No.  4  of  the  American  Red  Cross,  another  by  the  Fotterall 
Square  Association  and  one  given  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea — a  total  of  six 
ambulances.  Through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Norman  L.  Rarr  and  Mr.  William  C. 
Haddock,  Jr.,  and  their  friends,  a  delivery  truck  was  supplied.  The  American 
Red  Cross,  Washington,  D.  C,  gave  a  carload  of  dressings;  the  local  Red  Cross  and 
many  auxiliaries  aided  also.  The  Emergency  Aid  assisted  generously.  The  con- 
tributions including  cash  of  $79,992.39,  a  special  fund  given  nurses  $8,001.54*,  and 
supplies  valued  at  $34,318.58,  make  a  total  value  of  $122,312.51. 

Service  in  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces 

On  June  21,  1918,  six  officers  and  192  enlisted  men  under  the  command  of 
Lieutenant  Colonel  John  S.  Lambie,  M.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  embarked  on  the  S.  S. 
Nopalin,  New  York,  and  twenty-nine  officers  under  the  command  of  Major  Coplin, 
boarded  the  S.  S.  President  Grant.  The  latter,  on  account  of  an  accident  to  the 
refrigeration  plant,  was  compelled  to  return,  sailing  finally  on  June  30,  1918. 
Passengers  on  the  S.  S.  Nopatin  landed  at  Rrest  July  5th,  left  July  10th,  and  arrived 
at  Nantes,  France  July  11th;  on  July  17th  they  were  joined  by  the  remaining 
officers.  The  nursing  corps  had  sailed  from  New  York  on  May  18th,  and  upon 
arrival  in  France  the  nurses  were  assigned  to  duty  in  base  hospitals  at  Nantes,  or  to 
stations  nearer  the  line  of  combat. 

Location 

At  Nantes,  a  quaint  and  beautiful  city  on  the  Loire,  designated  as  one  of  the 
American  hospital  centers,  was  also  stationed  Rase  Hospital  No.  34,  which,  at  the 
time  "38"  arrived,  was  receiving  patients.  Rase  Hospital  No.  38  was  located 
in  the  Grand  Rlottereau  which  was  later  to  receive  three  other  hospital 
organizations.  The  Grand  Rlottereau  is  a  park  surrounding  what  had  been  a  small 
gem  of  a  chateau  with  its  exquisite  grounds,  partly  wooded,  containing  tall  trees, 
veritable  monarchs,  small  shrubs  and  hedges,  and  all  intervening  types  of  woodland 
growth.  Along  one  side  extended  a  beautiful  walled  road  of  rural  France,  no 
longer  in  good  condition.  On  another  side  was  a  small  tributary  of  the  Loire,  and 
just  beyond  the  slowly  moving  majestic  river.    On  another  side  were  the  botanical 

*This  embraced  gifts  specifically  for  nurses,  and  is  not  included  in  the  Director's  reports. 
All  other  contributions  have  been  accounted  for  to  the  American  Red  Cross,  Washington,  D.  C. 

220 


and  agricultural  gardens  of  Nantes,  and  off  from  a  corner  the  town  of  Doulon, 
really  a  part  of  the  historic  old  city. 

The  Hospital  in  France 

Physically,  the  plant  included  twenty-one  wards,  also  diet  kitchens,  per- 
sonnel barracks  and  mess  hall,  officers'  barracks  and  mess  hall,  nurses'  barracks 
and  mess  hall,  ablution  sheds  and  barracks,  receiving  wards,  quartermaster  supply 
buildings,  mess  supply  building,  operating  pavilion,  and  laboratory,  a  total  of 
about  fifty  buildings,  all  of  temporary  construction.  They  were  supplied  with 
electricity  and  running  water,  and  an  emergency  sewage  system  was  installed 
which  became  inadequate  on  account  of  the  unexpected  number  of  patients  and 
the  unanticipated  floods  which  inundated  that  region  of  France  and  impeded 
drainage.  The  original  barracks  were  constructed  of  composition  board,  felt  roof 
and  concrete  floors,  with  adequate  window  space.  The  overflow,  amounting  to 
more  than  2,000  patients,  administered  to  by  the  organization,  was  sheltered  in 
tents  erected  on  a  contiguous  section  of  the  park.  The  extraordinary  rains  of 
1918  in  France  rendered  the  soil  so  soft  that  the  temporary  roads  soon  became  a 
veritable  mud-plant  through  which  officers,  nurses,  convalescents  and  enlisted 
men  waded  for  weeks;  part  of  the  plain  was  under  water  for  many  days,  but  the 
hospital,  more  fortunate  than  one  of  its  neighbors,  was  not  reached  by  the  high 
water. 

The  buildings  which  "38"  was  to  occupy  were  only  partly  completed  when 
the  organization  arrived;  officers  and  enlisted  men  proceeded  to  assist  in  the 
construction.  As  early  as  July  22d,  132  sick  and  injured  from  the  Soissons 
front  were  received  and  cared  for,  although  the  buildings  were  not  finished 
until  several  weeks  later.  By  September  over  1,000  patients  had  been 
admitted.  It  was  originally  contemplated  that  for  each  base  hospital  pro- 
vision for  500  patients  would  be  adequate.  Before  leaving  the  United  States 
the  personnel  had  been  increased  to  that  of  a  thousand-bed  base,  shortly  after 
arrival  in  France  it  became  obvious  that  it  might  at  any  time  be  required  to  shelter 
2,000  incapacitated  soldiers,  and  early  in  November,  1918,  the  daily  census  included 
2,412  patients.  It  is  believed,  however,  that  every  possible  attention  was  given 
and  that  the  enormous  expansion  did  not  weaken  the  efficiency  of  the  organization, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that,  at  one  time,  only  ten  officers  remained  at  the  base, 
three  of  whom  were  largely  occupied  in  administrative  capacities. 

Because  of  pressure  at  other  hospitals  and  the  urgent  demand  for  nurses,  practi- 
cally all  of  those  belonging  to  the  unit  had  been  transferred  to  needy  centers  at 
Nantes  and  elsewhere  in  France;  therefore,  shortly  after  "38"  was  placed  in  opera- 
tion, Miss  Clara  Melville,  Chief  Nurse,  had  only  seven  nurses  to  assist  in  operating 
rooms  and  to  care  for  approximately  1,000  seriously  wounded  and  sick  soldiers; 
later  the  number  reached  more  than  2,000.  Nevertheless  it  must  be  universally 
recognized  that  the  depletion  of  nurses  was  one  thing  from  which  the  organization 
suffered  intensely;  the  loyal  and  unflagging  devotion  of  officers  and  enlisted  men 
did  much  to  ameliorate  conditions,  but  in  a  great  hospital,  containing  many  seriously 
ill  and  wounded,  no  one  fills  the  place  of  a  properly  trained  nurse.  Our  nurses 
were  performing  more  important  duties  with  operating  teams  at  the  front,  in  hos- 
pitals on  the  field  and  along  the  line  of  communication,  and  on  hospital  trains,  so 
that  whatever  the  original  organization  may  have  suffered,  the  benefits  to  the 

221 


service  in  the  A.  E.  F.  were  no  doubt  greater;  consequently  our  loss  was  borne 
though  less  patiently  than  would  have  been  decorous. 

Detached  Duty 

Shortly  after  arriving  in  France,  and  in  common  with  all  other  organizations 
which  included  highly  trained  specialists,  we  suffered  severe  losses  from  detach- 
ment of  important  officers  to  more  active,  and  it  was  believed  more  important, 
duties  nearer  the  front  and  elsewhere  in  the  stricken  country.  Indeed  some  highly 
efficient  men  had  been  detached  before  Base  Hospital  No.  38  left  the  United  States. 

Originally  Captain  J.  Torrence  Rugh  was  chosen  for  the  orthopedic  division 
of  Base  Hospital  No.  38.  The  Surgeon  General's  office  requested  his  release  as  an 
orthopedist  of  established  repute  was  needed  to  direct  the  proper  care  of  enlisted 
men  in  this  country.  Reluctantly  the  release  was  granted,  his  work  was  well 
done,  and  his  promotions  continuous  to  and  including  the  rank  of  Colonel. 

Captain  E.  J.  G.  Beardsley,  who  had  been  a  member  of  the  Medical  Reserve 
Corps  since  1909,  was  also  transferred  to  a  larger  field.  The  Surgeon  General's 
office  recognized  in  him  a  man  of  unusual  attainments,  a  capable  teacher  and  an 
experienced  clinician.  He  was  detailed  to  the  Army  Medical  School,  later  to  train- 
ing camps,  became  Chief  of  Medical  Service,  Base  Hospital  No.  89,  Camp  Sheridan, 
and  joined  the  A.  E.  F.  in  France.  His  promotions  passed  through  the  grades  of 
Captain,  Major  and  Lieutenant  Colonel. 

Captain  George  E.  Price  preceded  the  unit  and  was  on  duty  as  consulting 
neurologist  in  Paris;  later  succeeded  by  Major  M.  A.  Burns,  who  was  also  detached 
for  permanent  duty  in  the  capital  city. 

Major  Thomas  C.  Stellwagen  had  also  sailed  in  advance  of  "38,"  and  was 
on  observation  duty  at  Queen's  Hospital,  Sidcup,  England;  later  transferred  to 
Evacuation  Hospital  No.  1,  to  Field  Hospital  No.  27,  acting  as  surgeon  for  non- 
transportable  cases,  to  Evacuation  Hospital  No.  5,  with  Field  Hospital  No.  112, 
and  for  three  months  served  with  Mobile  Hospital  No.  4.  After  the  armistice 
he  resumed  duty  at  Base  Hospital  No.  38  as  Chief  of  the  Department  of  Oral  and 
Plastic  Surgery. 

Major  W.  M.  L.  Coplin,  Director,  and  Chief  of  the  Laboratory  Division,  later 
Lieutenant  Colonel  and  Colonel,  was  detailed  to  Headquarters,  Laboratory  Service, 
A.  E.  F.,  Dijon,  later  becoming  Laboratory  Officer,  Hospital  Center,  Beaune; 
December,  1918  transferred  to  the  3d  Army  as  Director  of  Laboratories,  accom- 
panying the  Army  of  Occupation  and  having  charge  of  twenty-seven  laboratories, 
with  headquarters  at  Coblenz,  Germany. 

Major  J.  Norman  Henry,  Chief  of  the  Medical  Divisien,  was  detailed  to  the 
Army  Sanitary  School  at  Langres,  August  19,1918,  to  headquarters  at  Toul,  to 
the  89th  Division  where  there  were  unusual  opportunities  for  studying  the  prob- 
lems of  a  division  in  action.  After  his  return  early  in  October,  he  became  Com- 
manding Officer  of  Base  Hospital  No.  38. 

Major  Charles  F.  Nassau  left  the  Base  Hospital  early  in  July,  1918,  for  ob- 
servation duty  in  Evacuation  Hospital  No.  1,  at  Toul,  to  the  Red  Cross  Hospital 
in  Paris,  where  he  was  joined  by  other  members  of  the  operating  team  consisting 
of  Captain  Mark  D.  Hoyt,  Lieutenant  Louis  D.  Englerth,  Miss  Amanda  Boyer, 
R.  N.,  and  Privates  Edward  G.  Huth  and  Herbert  W.  Duke.  From  Paris  Major 
Nassau  went  to  Evreux,  American  Red  Cross  Hospital  No.  109;  in  September  to 

222 


Evacuation  Hospital  No.  7,  Souilly;  to  Mobile  Hospital  No.  1,  Esnes,  returning 
to  Souilly,  and  after  the  armistice  resumed  his  position  as  Chief  Surgeon 
with  "38." 

Captains  Frank  H.  Hustead  and  Charles  E.  Hays  joined  Major  Stellwagen 
in  the  assignments  detailed  above  and  served  in  the  Argonne  and  St.  Mihiel  drives. 

Lieutenant  Colonel  John  S.  Lambie  detailed  by  the  Medical  Department 
as  Executive  Officer  of  Base  Hospital  No.  38,  left  the  organization  on  September  2, 
1918,  becoming  commanding  officer  of  the  hospital  center  at  Puy  de  Dome  and  later 
inspector  of  hospitals  in  the  A.  E.  F.  Major  John  B.  Lowman  was  left  in  command, 
but  shortly  thereafter  on  account  of  illness,  was  relieved  by  Major  J.  Norman 
Henry,  who  became  Commanding  Officer,  and  continued  in  this  service  until  Novem- 
ber 22,  1918,  when  Major  Lowman  returned  and  resumed  command. 

Major  John  B.  Forst  passed  through  the  St.  Mihiel  and  Argonne  offensives 
with  Mobile  Hospital  No.  2,  serving  as  Ophthalmologist  with  this  organization  on 
the  Meuse,  returning  to  the  base  in  October.  He  was  in  command  of  Base  Hos- 
pital No.  38  when  the  patients  were  turned  over  to  Evacuation  Hospital  No.  31, 
returned  with  the  unit  and  was  mustered  out  with  the  boys  at  Camp  Dix, 
New  Jersey,  April,  1919. 

Captains  Borzell,  Burns,  Hays,  Mohler,  Musser  and  Tyson  at  different  times 
were  off  on  observation  duty  or  on  other  details. 

Our  Herotc  Dead 

Every  great  adventure  has  its  tragedy  and  the  experience  of  Base  Hospital 
No.  38  was  no  exception.  .  While  in  line  of  duty  the  call  to  higher  reward  was 
answered  by  five  members  of  the  unit.  Every  death  was  due  to  the  stress  of  ac- 
tivities upon  which  the  worker  was  engaged.  The  nurses  in  travel  to  detailed 
stations  or  on  duty,  a  physician  going  from  ward  to  sick-bed  under  war  conditions 
where  the  comforts  of  a  modern  hospital  or  of  a  home  were  not  available ;  enlisted 
men  dying  from  disease — all  falling  in  line  of  duty.  In  each  instance  it  is  reason- 
able to  believe  that,  had  the  unfortunate  one  avoided  the  rigors  of  war  and  the 
hardships  of  service,  life  might  have  been  spared.  They  are  heroes  and  heroines 
who  fell  outside  the  glamour  of  attack  and  screeching  shell,  but  none  the  less 
gave  their  lives  for  the  cause. 

Adeline  Pepper  Gibson,  benefactress  of  Base  Hospital  No.  38,  while  on  active 
duty  contracted  pneumonia  and  died  at  Nantes,  January  10,  1919.  Through 
the  many  trying  days  of  effort,  Mrs.  Gibson  gave  unsparingly  of  all  those  things 
worth  while.  There  was  no  opportunity  to  do  good  that  was  too  laborious,  no 
time  of  need  when  her  interest  was  not  aroused  and  her  helping  hand  was  not  ex- 
tended, no  weariness  of  body  that  arrested  her  enduring  endeavor,  no  situation 
she  did  not  see,  and  seeing  act.  To  officers  and  men,  to  nurses  and  patients  often 
she  brought  cheer  and  sunshine  where  before  existed  despair  and  gloom.  Her  life 
with  us  was  one  continuing  period  of  smiling,  patient,  helpfulness,  and  her  passing 
weighed  upon  us  as  an  unforgettable  sorrow  of  our  adventure.  A  stranger  to  all 
the  wearying  sadness  of  hospital  life  under  the  shadow  of  grim  war,  the  things 
she  did  and  the  way  she  did  them  won  the  hearts  of  all.  There  was  a  noble  sin- 
cerity in  her  life  best  known  to  those  near  enough  to  see  the  warp  and  woof  of  the 
cloth  of  gold  woven  in  the  loom  of  duty  before  which  she  daily  and  hourly  cast 
life's  flying  shuttle.     A  world  peopled  by  such  souls  would  be  sunshine  and  cheer, 

223 


without  pain  or  sorrow — a  veritable  paradise.  A  history  of  Base  Hospital  No.  38 
is  being  published  as  a  fitting  memorial  to  our  lamented  benefactress. 

Captain  M.  Mauney  came  to  the  organization  a  stranger,  detailed  by  the 
Surgeon  General's  office  when  the  personnel  was  increased.  He  endeared  himself 
to  all  the  men  with  whom  he  worked  and  was  faithful,  devoted,  serious  minded  and 
capable.  During  the  influenza  epidemic  he  continued  at  work  in  the  wards  when 
he  should  have  been  in  bed,  and  it  is  the  feeling  of  those  about  him  that  his  devotion 
to  duty  made  certain  the  tragedy  of  his  death  which  resulted  from  pneumonia  on 
November  1,  1918. 

Meryl  Grace  Phillips  died  May  18, 1918,  of  pneumonia,  the  day  her  companions 
sailed  for  France.  She  was  a  graduate  of  the  Williamsport  Hospital,  an  accom- 
plished nurse,  a  woman  of  unusual  attainments  and  possessed  a  delightful  per- 
sonality. 

Nellie  Jane  Ward  died  on  July  5,  1918  of  pneumonia  contracted  while  on  duty 
at  Chaumont,  France.  Because  of  her  attainments  and  superior  qualifications 
Miss  Ward  had  been  assigned  to  the  work  at  Chaumont.  She  was  a  graduate  of 
the  Massachusetts  General  Hospital,  long  known  for  the  high  grade  of  women 
prepared  in  its  halls. 

Kenneth  B.  Charlton  of  Washington,  D.  C,  a  member  of  the  enlisted  per- 
sonnel, while  home  on  leave,  was  stricken  with  pneumonia  and  died  in  the  Walter 
Reed  Hospital,  Washington,  D.  C,  January  13,  1918. 

Kenneth  J.  Ellis  of  Philadelphia,  an  original  member  of  the  unit,  contracted 
pneumonia  while  training,  and  died  in  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital,  Philadelphia, 
March  7,  1918.  Both  Charlton  and  Ellis  were  men  of  the  nobler  type,  esteemed  by 
all  who  knew  them  and  popular  among  their  fellows.  Their  memory  will  ever 
be  with  us. 

Summary  of  Work  Done 

Aside  from  the  nearly  9,000  patients  who  passed  through  operating  rooms, 
wards  and  convalescent  camp,  the  officers,  nurses  and  men  of  Base  Hospital  No. 
38  administered  to  the  sick  and  injured  at  the  bases  at  Nantes,  St.  Nazaire,  Dijon, 
Beaune,  Langres,  Saumuf,  Paris,  Dancourt,  Evreux,  Eshes,  Souilly,  LaTouche, 
Euverzin,  Louey,  Chaumont,  Toul,  in  the  Argonne  and  St.  Mihiel  drives,  and 
after  the  armistice,  with  the  3d  Army  at  Prum,  Trier,  Mayen,  Neuenahr,  Ehren- 
breitstein,  Coblenz  and  elsewhere — a  continuous  line  of  faithful  workers  extend- 
ing from  the  parent  institution  in  Philadelphia  across  paths  of  communication, 
to  bases  in  Europe,  to  the  battle-fields  of  stricken  France  and  Belgium,  and  beyond 
to  the  remotest  outposts  of  the  Army  of  Occupation  along  the  Rhine,  and  in  the 
bridge-head  area  to  the  most  advanced  relief  station  in  Germany. 

A  SKETCH  OF  THE  SERVICE  OF  HOSPITAL  UNIT  A 

John  H.  Jopson,  M.D. 

Hospital  Unit  A,  the  first  of  the  Red  Cross  units  of  this  type  to  be  authorized 
by  the  Red  Cross,  was  organized  and  equipped  by  the  Presbyterian  Hospital  of 
Philadelphia,  as  its  contribution  to  the  sanitary  service  of  the  United  States  Army 
during  the  World  War.  It  was  felt  that  a  unit  of  this  character  was  a  wise  addition 
to  the  considerable  number  of  base  hospitals  already  under  process  of  organiza- 

224 


A  Surgical  Dressing  Room 


tion  at  other  hospitals  in  Philadelphia,  some  of  which,  especially  the  Hospital  of 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital,  had  drawn  heavily 
on  the  personnel  of  the  Presbyterian  Hospital  staff. 

The  organization  of  the  unit  was  authorized  by  the  Red  Cross,  and  guaranteed 
by  the  board  of  managers  of  the  hospital  early  in  the  spring  of  1917.  The  officers 
as  originally  selected  were  all  connected  with,  or  had  served  as  members  of  the 
staff  of  the  Presbyterian  Hospital,  some  as  visiting  physicians  and  surgeons  in  the 
house,  others  in  the  same  capacity  in  the  dispensary,  and  the  juniors  as  recent 
internes.  The  nurses  were  all  graduates  of  the  training  school  of  the  same  insti- 
tution, including  the  Chief  Nurse,  Miss  Kate  Liddle.  The  enlisted  men  were  from 
Philadelphia  and  the  vicinity,  and  were  selected  by  Dr.  Henry  P.  Brown,  Jr.,  one 
of  the  original  officers  of  the  unit,  who  was  transferred  to  the  77th  Division 
before  the  unit  was  mobilized.  The  equipment  conformed  to  that  prescribed 
by  the  Red  Cross  for  this  type  of  organization.  While  awaiting  mobilization, 
a  number  of  the  officers  were  called  to  active  service,  and  assigned  to  the 
training  camps  for  medical  officers  at  Fort  Oglethorpe  and  Fort  Benjamin  Har- 
rison. The  writer,  who  was  director  of  the  unit,  was  included  in  the  second  class 
of  observers  at  the  War  Demonstration  Hospital  of  the  Rockefeller  Institute  in 
September,  1917,  where  Dr.  Alexis  Carrel  had  started  his  course  of  instruction  in 
wound  sterilization  and  treatment  to  which  officers  were  assigned  for  a  two  weeks' 
course  of  instruction.  This  course  was  a  most  convincing  demonstration  of  the 
value  of  the  Carrel  method.  The  clinical  and  laboratory  instruction  as  given 
by  Dr.  Carrel  and  his  associates,  some  of  whom  had  extended  practical  experience 
in  the  sanitary  organizations  of  the  French  Army,  was  carried  on  with  a  freshness 
and  enthusiasm  that  was  contagious. 

225 


The  unit  was  mobilized  at  the  Presbyterian  Hospital  on  November  6,  1917, 
and  three  days  later  proceeded  to  Fort  Porter,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  for  equipment  and 
training,  preparatory  to  service  overseas.  Three  of  the  officers  had  been  transferred 
from  the  training  camps  to  other  organizations,  or  to  service  with  troops,  and 
their  places  were  taken  by  others  assigned  by  the  Surgeon  General.  The  twelve 
medical  officers  ordered  to  Fort  Porter  included  Major  John  H.  Jopson  as  Com- 
manding Officer,  Captain  John  Speese,  Captain  Charles  A.  Fife,  Captain  Clifford 

B.  Farr,  and  First  Lieutenants  Albert  G.  Mitchell,  Ralph  W.  Walker,  Douglas 
N.  Forman,  Douglas  P.  Murphy,  George  K.  Tweddell,  Percy  D.  Moulton,  William 

C.  Powell  and  Walter  R.  Holmes.   Lieutenant  Mitchell  was  Adjutant.   There  were 
forty-seven  enlisted  men. 

The  twenty-one  nurses  were  assembled  at  Ellis  Island  in  charge  of  Miss 
Kate  Liddle,  Chief  Nurse. 

In  addition  to  Hospital  Unit  A,  there  were  assembled  at  Fort  Porter,  Hos- 
pital Units  F  and  K,  from  the  Harlem  Hospital,  New  York  and  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa, 
respectively,  under  the  command  of  Majors  Neff  and  MacRae.  The  station  was 
under  the  command  of  Major  T.  D.  Woodson  of  the  Regular  Army  Medical  Corps. 

The  units  remained  in  training  at  Fort  Porter  until  January  10, 1918,  when  they 
were  ordered  to  Camp  Merritt,  New  Jersey,  and  on  January  15,  1918,  left  there  for 
the  port  of  embarkation,  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  and  embarked  and  sailed  the  same  day  on 
the  Cunard  Line  S.  S.  Carpathia,  officially  designated  in  orders  as  Transport  509. 
The  Nashville,  Tenn.,  Unit  S  was  also  on  board,  under  command  of  Major 
Barr.  There  were  all  told  about  2,000  troops  on  board,  nearly  100  officers  and 
84  nurses.  The  commanding  officer  of  troops  was  Colonel  Symmonds,  of  the 
Cavalry  Corps  of  the  United  States  Army.  Two  days  later  stop  was  made  at 
Halifax,  N.  S.,  to  join  a  convoy  of  seven  vessels  which  was  made  up  there,  and 
which  left  January  19,  1918,  under  the  escort  of  U.  S.  S.  San  Diego  and  the  British 
converted  cruiser  Victorian. 

The  commanding  officer  of  Unit  A  was  transport  surgeon.  After  the  first 
three  days  out  the  sanitary  arrangements  were  satisfactory,  although  the  presence 
of  so  many  newly  enlisted  men  necessitated  constant  vigilance  until  they  could 
be  brought  into  familiarity  with  their  surroundings.  The  ship  was  filled  to 
capacity  and  there  were  double  tiers  of  bunks  on  both  lower  decks.  There  were 
three  rooms  below  decks  available  as  hospitals  with  accommodations  for  fifty- 
eight  patients,  and  the  cases  of  illness  developing  on  board  were  at  once  segregated 
when  indicated,  and  admitted  to  one  or  the  other  of  these  hospitals  according  to 
the  nature  of  the  disease.  They  were  fairly  well  filled  during  the  voyage  and  the 
cases  of  contagion  included  influenza,  measles  and  mumps,  and  one  case  of  German 
measles.  Ten  men  were  landed  at  Halifax,  N.  S.,  according  to  instructions, 
cases  of  contagious  illness  of  the  above  types,  and  sent  to  the  military  hospital. 
The  severe  epidemic  of  influenza,  which  led  to  such  high  mortality  and  morbidity 
on  the  transports,  had  not  as  yet  appeared,  and  the  cases  of  this  form  observed 
were  mostly  of  a  mild  type  and  few  in  number.  There  were  eighty-nine  cases  of 
all  types  of  disease  and  injury  treated  in  hospital  and  quarters  during  the  voyage 
and  of  these,  thirteen  were  classified  as  influenza.  There  were  eleven  cases  of 
measles  and  twenty-one  of  mumps.  Twenty-six  cases  remaining  in  hospital  on 
arrival  at  Glasgow  on  January  30th,  were  transferred  to  the  hospital  at  that  port. 
These  were  mostly  cases  of  mild  contagion  of  the  above  types.    One  case  of  in- 

226 


sanity  developed  during  the  voyage.  The  presence  of  a  large  number  of  medical 
officers  on  the  ship  rendered  it  possible  to  conduct  the  inspections,  to  administer 
the  hospitals,  and  to  run  the  dispensary,  which  was  at  once  established,  in  a  thorough 
and  satisfactory  manner.  Special  dispensaries  for  treatment  under  specialists 
were  conducted,  and  the  services  of  oculists,  aurists,  and  surgeons  were  freely 
drawn  upon  at  all  times.     One  death  occurred  during  the  voyage. 

The  entire  convoy  made  the  trip  across  safely.  No  submarines  were  sighted, 
and  although  there  was  some  excitement  when  a  strange  ship  was  sighted,  and  was 
pursued  and  called  on  to  lay  to  by  a  shot  from  one  of  the  cruisers,  no  enemy  was 
seen.  An  extreme  northern  course  was  followed,  and  the  escort  of  destroyers  was 
met  three  days  out  from  land.  The  convoy  then  divided,  two,  including  the 
Carpathia,  making  for  Glasgow,  the  remainder  for  Liverpool. 

The  unit  landed  at  Glasgow  on  January  30,  1918,  and  proceeded  to  Win- 
chester Rest  Camp  where  it  remained  until  February  3d,  when  it  embarked  at 
Southampton  and  landed  at  Le  Havre,  France,  the  following  day,  February  4, 
1918.  The  same  evening  the  enlisted  men,  under  the  command  of  the  Adjutant, 
Lieutenant  Mitchell,  were  ordered  to  Base  Hospital  No.  18  at  Bazoilles  sur  Meuse, 
which  was  the  John  Hopkins  Unit,  and  the  following  day  the  remaining  officers, 
eleven  in  number,  were  ordered  to  the  casual  officers'  camp  at  Blois.  It  was, 
perhaps,  unfortunate  that  the  original  idea  of  the  Red  Cross  and  the  Surgeon 
General's  office  as  to  the  function  of  units  of  this  type  could  not  have  been  better 
understood  and  carried  out  at  this  time. 

These  units,  while  small,  were  so  selected  as  to  be  capable  of  taking  over  a 
small  hospital,  or  to  reenforce  a  large  one.  It  was  also  considered  an  advantage 
to  secure  groups  of  men  accustomed  to  working  in  cooperation  in  civil  life.  Where 
an  emergency  requires  the  quick  induction  of  a  Red  Cross  unit  into  active  service, 
there  can  be  little  doubt  as  to  the  wisdom  of  such  a  method  of  organization.  It 
is  quite  otherwise  when  time  permits  of  building  up  and  training  a  personnel 
winnowed  out  after  experience  in  existing  military  hospitals. 

In  common  with  some  of  the  other  hospital  units  arriving  in  France  at  this 
time,  Unit  A  did  not  function  as  a  united  organization  after  its  arrival.  The 
enlisted  men  were  attached  to  Base  Hospital  No.  18.  This  hospital  had  at  this 
time  an  abundant  supply  of  its  own  officers  and  nurses.  Unit  A  nurses,  originally 
assigned  there,  were  at  once  sent  back  to  Paris  and  distributed  among  Red  Cross 
Hospitals  Nos.  1,  2  and  3  in  that  city.  After  a  few  days  in  Blois,  the  officers 
who  had  been  ordered  there  were  sent  to  various  stations,  including  Tours,  Langres 
and  Paris.  The  history  of  the  unit  was  thereafter  merged  with  that  of  the  various 
organizations  to  which  officers  and  men  were  ordered.  The  enlisted  men  remained 
at  Bazoilles  throughout  the  war,  and  returned  to  the  United  States  with  Base 
Hospital  No.  18  in  February,  1919. 

Their  first  commanding  officer  was  Major  George  Edwards,  and  later,  when 
the  hospital  group  was  constructed  at  this  place,  Colonel  Elmer  Dean.  One  of 
the  first  hospitals  to  go  overseas,  and  functioning  most  of  the  time  as  a  base,  No.  18 
was  utilized  as  an  evacuation  hospital  during  the  Argonne-Meuse  offensive,  and 
was  at  all  times  one  of  the  most  active  organizations  on  the  line  of  communications. 
The  enlisted  members  of  Unit  A  earned,  by  their  deportment  and  work,  the  highest 
praise  from  their  commanding  officers  at  this  hospital,  and  Major  Edwards  was 
always  most  enthusiastic  over  their  work,  and  pronounced  them  as  among  the 

227 


finest  he  had  ever  commanded.  A  number  of  them,  including  Atlee,  Coleman, 
Mellor,  Teal  and  Brice,  were  promoted  to  sergeants.  Teter,  who  died,  and  Brewster 
were  corporals. 

The  writer  was  on  temporary  duty  at  this  hospital  during  February  and  March 
of  1918.  On  April  3d,  he  proceeded  to  Evacuation  Hospital  No.  1  at  Sebastopol 
near  Toul,  with  the  first  group  of  observers,  six  in  number,  assigned  there  for 
instruction  in  front  line  surgery.  Ordered  to  assemble  a  team  and  remain  there, 
he  secured  the  services  of  four  of  his  associate  officers  of  Unit  A,  Captain  Speese 
and  Lieutenants  Walker,  Murphy  and  Holmes,  and  of  two  of  the  nurses,  Miss 
Addams  and  Miss  Barnsley,  and  two  orderlies  of  the  same  unit,  Walters  and 
Johnson.  His  team  remained  on  duty  at  this  place  until  after  the  armistice. 
Captain  Speese  soon  headed  a  team  of  his  own  and  went  through  most  of  the 
engagements  of  the  American  Army  with  one  or  the  other  of  the  evacuation  hos- 
pitals or  mobile  units,  being  finally  Chief  of  the  Surgical  Service  in  Mobile 
Hospital  No.  8. 

Evacuation  Hospital  No.  1,  the  first  to  be  formed  in  the  American  Army, 
and  the  first  to  take  its  place  in  the  line,  originally  behind  the  First  Division  in 
the  St.  Mihiel  sector,  was,  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1918,  the  chief  instruction 
center  of  operators  in  the  Army  in  France.  A  large  number  of  officers  who  after- 
ward themselves  became  the  heads  of,  or  members  of  operating  teams,  as  well  as 
many  X-ray  and  laboratory  specialists,  were  assigned  here  for  observation,  usually 
for  a  two  weeks'  period. 

The  hospital,  organized  at  Fort  Riley,  was  commanded  at  various  times 
by  Major  Davis  and  Colonels  Gosman,  Hanner  and  Marrow,  the  greater  part 
of  the  time  by  Colonel  Gosman,  and  was  at  all  times  a  model  of  administrative 
efficiency.  The  surgery  was  under  the  direction  of  Colonel  John  H.  Gibbon  during 
most  of  the  period  of  activity,  and  this  hospital  was  the  first  to  receive  systematic 
evacuations  of  freshly  wounded  soldiers  from  the  American  Line.  The  original 
operating  staff  at  this  time  (April,  1918)  was  composed  of  Pool,  Heuer,  and 
McWilliams,  and  later  Vaughan  and  Jopson  and  their  assistants,  while  many 
teams  were  added  for  temporary  duty  before  the  St.  Mihiel  Drive,  for  which  this 
hospital  was  designated  as  one  of  the  main  ones  for  the  reception  of  severely 
wounded.  Twenty-six  teams  were  on  duty  with  Evacuation  No.  1  and  Mobile 
Hospital  No.  3  during  the  drive  in  September.  Later  Percy,  Dorrance,  Heyd 
and  Hetzel  operated  for  long  periods  at  this  station.  The  surgery  was  moulded 
by  and  modeled  after  the  teachings  and  practice  of  the  leading  French,  Belgian 
and  British  operators,  under  whom  the  first  operators  here  had  been  trained. 

The  location  of  the  hospital  nine  miles  behind  the  line  on  the  Verdun  road  was 
a  favorable  one  for  the  speedy  reception  of  freshly  wounded  soldiers,  and  the  type 
of  buildings  in  which  it  was  housed,  a  French  cavalry  barracks,  was  well  adapted 
to  the  definitive  treatment  of  the  wounded.  It  was  not  a  mobile  type  of  con- 
struction, but  tha  necessity  of  moving  did  not  develop. 

In  regard  to  technique  and  methods  of  instruction,  which  latter,  it  is  generally 
agreed,  are  better  carried  out  in  the  technical  branches  of  a  military  surgeon's 
education  in  the  field,  it  suffices  to  say  that  the  methods  of  the  clinics  and  hospitals 
of  DePage,  Willems,  and  LeMaistre,  in  regard  to  debridement,  primary  and 
secondary  suture,  were  taught  and  practised,  as  far  as  the  exigencies  of  the  military 
situation  permitted.    The  sterilization  of  unclosed  and  grossly  infected  wounds 

228 


by  the  Carrel  method  was  at  all  times  employed,  and  with  the  most  satisfactory 
results,  and  to  most  of  the  observers  was  an  enlightenment  and  revelation.  The 
results  as  tabulated  in  monthly  reports  for  the  Chief  Consultant,  showed  that  the 
results  of  primary  and  secondary  suture,  joint  closure,  and  other  radical  inno- 
vations of  the  Belgian  and  French  schools,  could  be  duplicated  by  American 
surgeons.  The  Carrel  method,  at  first  condemned  as  a  tedious  and  impracticable 
measure  in  front  line  work,  was  not  only  shown  to  be  a  life-saving  but  a  time- 
saving  measure.  Captain  Theodore  C.  Beebe,  in  charge  of  the  laboratory,  and 
Captain  Lockwood,  Director  of  the  X-ray  department,  were  responsible  for  the 
training  of  many  officers  in  these  specialties.  The  fact  that  almost  50  per  cent 
of  the  officers  of  Hospital  Unit  A  served  at  this  hospital  renders  proper  this  resume 
of  its  work. 

Of  the  remaining  officers,  Farr  was  attached  to  the  Chemical  Warfare  Service, 
Fife  was  at  the  Attending  Surgeon's  office  in  Paris,  later  attached  to  Evacuation 
Hospital  No.  4  and  finally  Chief  of  the  Medical  Service  at  Base  Hospital  No.  34 
at  Nantes.  Moulton  was  at  the  aviation  center  at  Isidun,  Forman  and  Tweddell 
were  at  Tours,  and  Powell  was  with  the  10th  (Ry.)  Engineers.  Mitchell  was 
Medical  Chief  at  the  Red  Cross  Hospital  at  Neufchateau,  and  later  with  the  49th 
Machine  Gun  Battalion  (Rainbow  Division),  during  the  St.  Mihiel  and  Meuse- 
Argonne  offensives,  and  with  the  Army  of  Occupation.  Nearly  all  received  promotion. 

The  head  nurse,  Miss  Liddle,  was  Chief  Nurse  at  Base  Hospital  No.  202  at 
Orleans  in  the  latter  part  of  1918  and  several  of  the  unit  nurses  joined  her  there.  Up 
to  that  time,  in  common  with  the  other  nurses  except  those  on  duty  at  Evacuation 
Hospital  No.  1,  she  had  enjoyed  an  active  and  useful  service  in  the  Red  Cross 
hospitals  in  Paris.  One  of  our  nurses,  Miss  Jeanette  Watkins,  was  decorated  with 
the  Medaille  d'  Honneur  by  the  French  for  notable  services  during  the  influenza 
epidemic. 

The  unit  lost  one  member  by  death,  Corporal  Horace  E.  Teter,  who  died  at 
Base  Hospital  No.  18,  in  March,  1918,  of  pneumonia.  He  was  a  fine  soldier, 
extremely  efficient,  and  popular  with  the  entire  unit. 

In  conclusion  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  point  out  that  a  unit  of  this  size  could 
be  organized  in  peace  times  along  the  fines  which  have  been  found  so  adaptable 
for  mobile  warfare,  namely  as  a  mobile  hospital.  The  rapid  rise  in  favor  of  this 
type  of  hospital,  the  smaller  number  of  officers,  the  limited  equipment  as  compared 
with  a  base  hospital,  and  the  ability  to  utilize  it  either  in  civil  or  military  emergencies 
suggests  it  as  a  good  type  upon  which  to  model  a  certain  number  of  emergency 
organizations.  The  average  hospital  could  build  up  from  its  staff  a  skeleton 
organization  along  the  lines  of  a  mobile  hospital,  staffed  by  young  but  experienced 
surgeons,  capable  of  sustaining  the  severe  strain  thrown  upon  them  during  periods 
of  active  fighting,  or  the  occasional  emergencies  or  great  disaster  in  times  of  peace, 
and  due  to  natural  causes.  In  fact,  the  second  mobile  hospital  in  the  American 
Army,  Mobile  Hospital  No.  1  (Mobile  Hospital  No.  39  was  the  first),  was  staffed 
in  the  main  by  Hospital  Unit  A. 

RED  CROSS  GENERAL  HOSPITAL  No.  1 

Previous  to  the  entry  of  the  United  States  into  the  war  a  portion  of  the 
Medico-Chirurgical  Hospital  of  Philadelphia  had  been  taken  over  by  the  City  and 
condemned  to  be  torn  down  to  make  room  for  the  Parkway,  the  remaining  portion 

229 


of  the  buildings  having  been  acquired  by  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  Upon 
the  declaration  of  war  it  was  deemed  inadvisable  to  curtail  any  hospital  accom- 
modation then  in  existence,  and  the  City  and  University  then  agreed  to  allow  the 
buildings  to  remain  intact  until  the  termination  of  the  war,  or  as  long  as  they  might 
be  required  for  military  purposes. 

The  National  Red  Cross  therefore  agreed  to  take  over  the  entire  hospital 
and  maintain  it  for  the  Navy  under  the  designation  of  Red  Cross  General  Hospital 
No.  1.  It  was  turned  over  to  the  Navy  on  June  21,  1917.  Captain  Frank  Ander- 
son, M.  C,  U.  S.  N.,  was  placed  in  command  and  shortly  afterwards  Lieutenant 
Thomas  M.  Kelly,  M.  C,  U.  S.  N.  R.,  was  ordered  as  his  assistant.  It  was  the 
intention  of  the  Navy  Department  to  use  what  accommodation  might  be  required 
by  the  Navy  and  gradually  eliminate  the  civil  patients  to  make  room  for  those  of 
the  Navy. 

No  change  was  made  in  the  organization  or  general  administration  of  the 
hospital.  The  professional  and  nursing  staffs  continued  in  their  duties  as  before 
the  transfer,  and  likewise  the  same  civil  employees  were  retained. 

During  its  occupancy  by  the  Navy  the  two  commissioned  naval  medical 
officers  above  mentioned,  together  with  a  pharmacist,  were  attached  to  the  hospital 
for  purposes  of  naval  administration,  and  in  all  about  seventy  naval  hospital  corps 
recruits  were  sent  there  from  time  to  time  for  training  and  instruction.  Fourteen 
graduate  trained  nurses,  assisted  by  about  thirty  undergraduates  of  the  Medico- 
Chirurgical  training  school  for  nurses,  performed  all  the  nursing  duties  of  the 
hospital  for  both  civil  and  Navy  patients. 

David  Milne,  who  had  for  some  years  been  treasurer  of  the  Medico- 
Chirurgical  Hospital,  consented  to  continue  in  the  same  office  when  it  became  a 
Red  Cross  hospital  and  was  appointed  by  the  National  Red  Cross  as  its  financial 
representative  for  the  institution. 

During  the  ten  months  of  its  existence  as  a  Red  Cross  hospital,  about  450  naval 
patients  were  under  treatment,  the  average  at  any  one  time  being  about  fifty. 
The  great  majority  of  these  patients  were  such  cases  as  occur  in  the  ordinary 
service  of  peace  times;  only  a  few  had  seen  service  on  the  other  side  in  the  war 
area.  As  the  full  capacity  of  the  hospital  was  not  required  by  the  Navy,  it  was 
possible  to  continue  the  admission  of  civil  patients.  Emergency  and  accident 
cases  especially  were  accepted  and  in  this  way  valuable  service  was  rendered  to 
the  civil  population  of  the  neighborhood  as  well  as  to  the  Navy. 

With  the  increasing  accommodation  afforded  by  the  regular  naval  hospitals 
of  the  Philadelphia  Station,  the  necessity  for  maintaining  this  Red  Cross  hospital 
no  longer  existed,  and,  therefore,  on  May  1,  1918,  all  naval  patients  were  with- 
drawn and  its  use  by  the  Navy  was  discontinued. 

The  most  willing  and  conscientious  professional  attention  was  at  all  times 
rendered  to  the  patients  by  the  medical  and  surgical  staff  of  the  hospital,  and  it 
was  to  their  regret  that  a  greater  demand  could  not  have  been  made  upon  their 
time  and  services. 

Apart  from  the  strictly  professional  work  much  was  done  for  the  comfort  and 
entertainment  of  the  men  by  the  social  service  committee  of  the  hospital.  Extra 
clothing  was  liberally  provided,  a  recreation  room  was  fitted  up  for  use  by  convales- 
cents, a  piano  and  phonograph  contributed,  and  diversion  furnished  by  theatre 
parties  and  automobile  tours. 

230 


PHILADELPHIA  ARSENALS 


r^^ZjHE  two  arsenals  in  the  city,  the  Frankford  Arsenal  and  the 
Schuyklill  Arsenal,  were  old  established  government  works 
when  the  World  War  broke  out. 

With  very  little  delay  the  personnel  was  increased, 
new  buildings  erected  and — new  problems  solved. 

Some  interesting  developments  occurred.  For  ex- 
ample, before  the  War  the  optical  departments  of  the 
Frankford  Arsenal  purchased  its  finest  glass  from  Ger- 
many. When  the  supply  there  was  cut  off,  the  necessary 
material  was  secured  from  France.  Finally,  when  the 
marine  warfare  made  it  difficult  to  get  the  glass  with  any  degree  of  satisfaction, 
it  was  found  that  it  was  quite  possible  to  get  an  equally  high  grade  glass  at 
Pittsburgh,  Penn. 

THE  FRANKFORD  ARSENAL 
By  L.  W.  Boody 

The  Frankford  Arsenal  Reservation,  located  in  the  northeastern  section  of 
Philadelphia,  comprises  an  area  of  91.5  acres,  and  is  a  portion  of  a  tract  of  land 
which  was  transferred  by  patent  from  John,  Thomas  and  Richard  Penn, 
proprietaries,  to  Andrew  Hamilton  on  May  19,  1742. 

The  territory  on  which  the  arsenal  reservation  is  now  situated  was  sold  and 
resold  at  various  dates  until  the  United  States  Government  made  an  original  pur- 
chase of  some  twenty  acres  thirty-four  perches  in  1816.  A  final  purchase  of  twenty- 
three  and  a  fraction  acres  was  made  in  March,  1917. 

\k  That  portion  of  the  present  arsenal  reservation  which  was  first  acquired  by 
the  United  States  Government  as  above  described  is  located  on  the  Bridge  Street 
side  of  the  grounds  and  extends  from  the  Frankford  Creek  along  Bridge  Street  to 
Tacony  Street. 

Arrowheads  and  other  Indian  relics  have  been  found  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
mouth  of  the  Frankford  Creek,  showing  that  Indians  had  a  camp  there.  They 
lived  there  as  late  as  1755  and  inspired  such  names  as  Tacony,  Wissinoming, 
Tacawana,  Wingohocking,  etc. 

The  Frankford  Arsenal  was  established  under  the  general  authority  providing 
depots  to  be  established  in  various  parts  of  the  country  as  contained  in  Section  9 
of  the  Act  of  Congress  February  8,  1815,  viz.:  "That  to  insure  system  and  uni- 
formity in  the  different  public  armories,  they  are  hereby  placed  under  the  direction 
of  the  Ordnance  Department;  and  the  colonel  of  the  Ordnance  Department,  under 
the  direction  of  the  secretary  for  the  Department  of  War,  is  hereby  authorized  to 
establish  depots  of  arms,  ammunition,  and  ordnance  stores  in  such  parts  of  the 
United  States  and  in  such  number  as  may  be  deemed  necessary." 

The  first  commanding  officer  of  the  arsenal  was  Captain  Joseph  H.  Rees, 
Ordnance  Department,  who  took  command  in  1816.  Since  that  time  it  has  been 
under  command  of  officers  of  the  Ordnance  Department. 

231 


An  interesting  event  associated  with  its  early  history  was  a  visit  by  General 
Lafayette,  described  as  follows: 

"On  the  26th  of  September,  1824,  the  1st  City  Troop  left  the  town  (Philadel- 
phia) and  at  Holmesburg  it  was  joined  by  the  2d  City  Troop  and  the  1st  and  3d 
County  Troops;  the  whole  squadron  being  under  command  of  Captain  J.  R.  C. 
Smith,  of  the  1st  City  Troop. 

"The  next  day  at  Morrisville,  where  the  governor  had  delivered  an  eloquent 
address  of  welcome  to  Lafayette,  they  were  joined  by  the  2d  County  Troop  and 
the  Bucks  County  Troop.  They  met  and  escorted  General  Lafayette  and  Governor 
Schultze  to  Frankford,  where  they  slept  for  the  night  at  the  United  States  Arsenal. 
The  people  of  Frankford  were  very  much  disappointed  at  the  escort  arriving  when 
it  was  yet  too  light  for  illumination  and  still  too  dark  to  give  a  favorable  view  of 
the  procession. 

"Lafayette  visited  the  village  the  next  morning  and  was  received  by  Isaac 
Worrel,  town  clerk,  who  made  a  speech  of  welcome  in  behalf  of  the  borough 
authorities." 

When  the  arsenal  was  first  established  it  was  in  the  town  of  Whitehall,  which 
was  subsequently  merged  into  the  borough  of  Frankford  and  in  1850  the  whole 
incorporated  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 

From  1816  to  the  war  with  Mexico,  the  work  that  was  done  at  this  arsenal 
consisted  chiefly  in  the  repair  of  artillery  and  infantry  equipments,  and  the  manu- 
facture of  various  component  parts  of  ammunition  and  ordnance  articles. 

During  this  period  the  arsenal  was  also  used  as  a  place  of  receipt,  storage  and 
distribution. 

The  work  at  the  arsenal  seems  to  have  gone  smoothly  along  during  the  first 
thirty  years  of  its  existence,  except  for  a  short  time  in  May,  1844,  when  it  was 
suspended  on  account  of  a  riot  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 

During  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  the  operations  assumed  formidable  pro- 
portions,  the  plant  and  working  force  being  correspondingly  increased. 

From  1866  to  the  Spanish-American  War  the  work  was  confined  to  the  manu- 
facture of  the  service  ammunition. 

By  1894  the  importance  of  the  arsenal  as  a  place  of  storage  was  greatly 
reduced,  there  being  only  a  few  articles  stored  here,  such  as  rifles,  carbines,  light 
cavalry  sabers,  non-commissioned  officers'  swords,  horse  artillery  swords,  field 
guns  and  caissons,  gatling  guns,  nitre,  etc.  The  capacity  of  the  small  arms  ammuni- 
tion plant  at  that  time  was  about  75,000  rounds  per  day. 

The  output  of  all  the  Frankford  Arsenal  departments  was  greatly  increased 
during  the  Spanish-American  War,  all  working  at  least  two  shifts. 

The  history  of  the  arsenal  from  about  1894  to  1912  may  be  briefly  divided 
into  three  classes  of  work,  namely,  the  manufacture  of  small  arms  ammunition, 
artillery  ammunition,  and  instruments  for  fire  control. 

Small  Arms  Ammunition  Department 

Prior  to  the  entrance  of  the  United  States  into  the  war,  the  only  government 
operated  plant  in  the  United  States  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  small  arms 
ammunition  was  located  at  Frankford  Arsenal.  For  several  years  the  manufactur- 
ers of  sporting  ammunition  were  given  contracts  each  year  by  the  government  for 
a  small  amount  of  .30  caliber  ball  cartridges,  so  that  they  might  be  trained  in  the 

232 


International. 


Shop  in  which  Shells  were  made. 


manufacture  of  military  ammunition.  The  placing  and  inspection  of  these 
contracts  was  under  the  supervision  of  the  commanding  officer,  Frankford 
Arsenal. 

After  the  European  War  broke  out,  the  capacity  of  private  manufacturers 
for  production  of  military  ammunition  was  greatly  increased,  due  to  the  fact  that 
large  orders  were  received  from  the  Allies.  As  these  contracts  were  practically 
completed  when  the  United  States  entered  the  war,  it  was  made  possible  for  these 
companies  to  contract  with  our  own  government  for  large  quantities  of  military 
ammunition.  The  first  contracts  were  let  by  the  Frankford  Arsenal,  and  this 
arsenal  was  responsible  for  the  organization  of  the  inspection  personnel,  and  equip- 
ment at  their  plants. 

Major  John  E.  Munroe  was  appointed  inspector  of  small  arms  ammunition. 
Major  Munroe  at  that  time  was  also  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  Small  Arms  Ammu- 
nition Department  at  this  arsenal.  As  it  was  inadvisable  to  cripple  the  private 
manufacturers  by  commissioning  officers  from  their  personnel,  commissions  were 
given  to  technically  trained  men,  and  over  fifty  reserve  officers  and  a  large  number 
of  civilians  were  instructed,  in  the  Small  Arms  Ammunition  Department  at  this 
arsenal,  in  the  manufacture  and  inspection  of  military  ammunition.  The  product 
of  the  Frankford  Arsenal  was  also  used  as  standard,  and  blueprints,  specifications, 
gauges,  samples  and  information  were  furnished  to  private  companies,  without 
which  it  would  have  been  practically  impossible  for  them  to  obtain  an  early  pro- 
duction of  large  quantities  of  the  desired  ammunition.  The  instructions  included 
the  study  of  operations  on  .30  and  .45  caliber  cartridges,  ballistic  tests  and  proof 
house  equipment,  nomenclature,  operations,  repair  and  care  of  rifles,  pistols, 
revolvers  and  machine  guns,  and  army  correspondence,  personnel  and  property. 

233 


About  the  middle  of  October,  1917,  the  office  of  the  inspector  of  small  arms  ammuni- 
tion was  moved  to  Washington,  and  Major  Munroe  was  transferred  to  Washington 
as  chief  inspector.  The  inspection  of  small  arms  ammunition  at  this  arsenal  was 
then  placed  under  the  supervision  of  Captain  H.  S.  Mcllvain,  who  had  charge  of 
inspection  until  the  1st  of  June,  when  Captain  Albrecht,  Army  Inspector  of 
Ordnance,  representing  the  Inspection  Division,  was  stationed  at  Frankford  Arsenal, 
with  Captain  Wilkins  as  his  assistant.  They  had  charge  of  the  production  and 
inspection  of  small  arms  ammunition  until  November  1,  1918,  when  it  was  found 
advisable  to  return  the  production  and  inspection  to  the  officer  in  charge  of  the 
Small  Arms  Ammunition  Department,  Major  Wm.  B.  Doe.  There  were  frequent 
revisions  of  specifications  for  the  manufacture  of  such  ammunition  during  the  war, 
either  to  insure  better  quality  or  to  increase  production. 

Exhaustive  tests  were  conducted  at  the  Springfield  Armory  of  ammunition 
manufactured  by  the  Frankford  Arsenal,  National  Brass  &  Copper  Tube  Co.,  U.  S. 
Cartridge  Co.,  Winchester  Repeating  Arms  Co.,  Western  Cartridge  Co.,  Remington 
Arms  U.M.C.  Co.,  and  Peters  Cartridge  Co.  The  result  of  these  tests  proved  that 
Frankford  Arsenal  ammunition  was  superior  to  all  other  ammunition.  It  was  there- 
fore decided  by  the  Ordnance  Department  that  Frankford  Arsenal  should  manufac- 
ture the  special  aircraft  ammunition  (the  .30  caliber  aircraft  service,  tracer, 
incendiary  and  armor  piercing)  required  for  machine  guns  for  army  and  navy 
airplanes.  It  was  vital  that  this  ammunition  should  be  more  perfect,  if  possible, 
than  any  ammunition  heretofore  manufactured,  as  failures  of  the  cartridges  might 
cause  the  loss  of  the  aviator's  fife  or  an  airplane,  and  give  military  advantage  to  the 
enemy.  During  the  year  1918  the  quality  of  the  ammunition  manufactured  by  the 
Small  Arms  Ammunition  Department  at  this  arsenal  was  unsurpassed  by  any  other 


International. 


Finishing  Shells. 
234 


manufacturer,  and  reports  brought  back  from  France  bear  this  out.  Andrew 
Hallowell,  of  the  Small  Arms  Department,  spent  several  months  in  France  and 
England  visiting  various  testing  stations,  airdromes  and  factories,  and  he  frequently 
asked  aviators  and  other  users  of  ammunition  what  ammunition  they  preferred, 
and  the  reply  was,  "Frankford  Arsenal." 

There  follows  a  tabulation  showing  production  of  small  arms  ammunition 
throughout  the  United  States  during  the  war,  these  records  being  taken  from  the 
reports  of  the  Inspection  Division,  Ordnance  Department,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Total  Accepted 

Up  to  Up  to 

Jan.  1,  1918  Nov.  11,  1918 

All  types  small  arms 351,117,928  3,349,930,200 

.30  caliber  ball  cartridges  (all  classes) 251,405,600  2,492,902,900 

.45  caliber  pistol  ball 36,010,784  308,426,200 

Aircraft  .30  caliber  service 29,725,800 

.30  caliber  tracer 25,249,500 

.30  caliber  incendiary 13,759,500 

.30  caliber  armor  piercing 4,370,400 

.30  caliber  ball  cartridges  (all  classes) 15,543,800  44,987,400 

.45  caliber  pistol  ball 3,600,000  26,400,000 

The  following  figures  give  the  production  of  small  arms  ammunition  at  Frank- 
ford  Arsenal  during  the  war: 

Total  Accepted  from  4-1-17 

Up  to  Up  to 

Jan.  1,  1918         Dec.  1,  1918 

.30  caliber  ball  cartridges  (all  classes) 90,174,820  173,637,908 

.45  caliber  pistol  ball 5,618,230  13,392,670 

Aircraft  .30  caliber 

Tracer 9,500  22,971,860 

Incendiary 15,943,829 

Armor  piercing 365,860  5,707,501 

Total 96,168,410  231,753,768 

The  total  production  of  the  Small  Arms  Ammunition  Department  from  Jan- 
uary, 1917,  to  November,  1918,  inclusive,  was  231,753,768  cartridges  of  all  types. 
In  addition  to  this  amount,  the  Small  Arms  Ammunition  Department  produced 
a  large  number  of  miscellaneous  items  and  components,  such  as  20-grain  and 
110-grain  primers,  primer  bodies,  powder  bags,  .30  and  .45  caliber  primers,  .30 
caliber  cartridge  clips,  bandoleers,  gas  checks,  pressure  cylinders,  tracer  gilding 
metal  cups,  serrated  and  base  slugs  for  incendiary  cartridges,  and  so  forth. 

The  production  during  the  Spanish  War  was  37,000,000  cartridges,  and  it 
will  therefore  be  noted  that  during  the  World  War  the  production  of  the  Small  Arms 
Department  was  approximately  six  times  as  great.  The  maximum  production  was 
obtained  the  last  few  months  of  the  war,  and  the  highest  total  production  for  two 
consecutive  months  was  for  August  and  September  of  1918,  with  an  average  per 
month  of  13,223,450  cartridges.    It  is  thought  that  this  rate  of  production  would 

235 


International. 

Girl  munition  ivorkers  at  Frankford  Arsenal 


have  been  increased  in  October  and 
November,  except  for  the  severe  in- 
fluenza epidemic  which  was  prevalent 
in  Philadelphia  during  October  and 
production  was  consequently  reduced 
1,000,000  rounds.  The  average  month- 
ly production  for  1918  was  12,325,000 
rounds,  as  compared  with  the  average 
monthly  production  of  10,685,000 
rounds  in  1917,  for  the  nine  months 
after  this  country  declared  war.  In 
March  and  April,  1918,  production 
fell  off  due  to  the  change  from  the 
manufacture  of  special  aircraft  ammu- 
nition (tracer,  incendiary  and  armor 
piercing),  which  change  necessitated 
new  and  additional  operations;  the 
training  of  new  employees;  and  the 
development  of  these  types  of  ammu- 
nition on  a  manufacturing  basis. 

Three  new  frame  buildings  and  some 
additional  equipment  were  available  for 
the  loading  of  the  special  bullets  with  the  tracer  mixture,  phosphorus  and  other 
components  required  for  aircraft  ammunition,  but  no  new  equipment  and  buildings 
were  available  for  the  manufacture  of  the  cartridge  case,  which  was  the  same  as 
the  cartridge  case  used  in  the  regular  service  ammunition,  with  the  exception  that 
the  primer  had  to  be  crimped  into  the  case.  As  no  machinery  was  available  for  this 
crimping  operation,  it  was  necessary  to  take  hall  of  the  venting  and  sizing  machines 
and  tool  them,  thereby  handicapping  the  production  of  cases  for  several  months 
until  crimping  machines  were  received. 

The  manufacture  of  tracer  bullets  on  a  production  basis  was  started  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1918,  in  two  of  the  frame  buildings  and  a  third  building  was  available  for 
the  manufacture  of  incendiary  bullets  in  June,  1918. 

During  the  entire  period  of  the  war  there  were  many  difficulties  and  obstacles 
encountered  in  increasing  production,  such  as  scarcity  of  labor,  both  skilled  and  un- 
skilled, delay  in  obtaining  necessary  machinery,  tools,  equipment  and  buildings, 
frequent  orders  from  Washington  which  changed  the  types  of  ammunition  to  be 
given  preference  in  manufacturing,  and  the  change  to  the  special  aircraft 
ammunition. 

The  Ordnance  Department  placed  several  contracts  with  outside  manufac- 
turers for  the  production  of  special  aircraft  ammunition,  but  as  these  manufacturers 
were  unable  to  satisfactorily  furnish  the  quality  and  quantity  of  ammunition  re- 
quired, it  was  necessary  to  rely  almost  entirely  upon  this  arsenal  to  produce  this 
very  important  ammunition.  In  spite  of  the  above  mentioned  difficulties,  the 
Small  Arms  Department  produced  not  only  the  amount  which  it  had  originally 
promised,  but  also  the  additional  amount  required  due  to  the  failure  of  outside 
sources. 

The  Small  Arms  Department  started  a  second  or  night  shift  on  December  4, 


236 


1917,  and  on  March  26,  1917,  both 
shifts  were  changed  from  an  eight 
hour  to  a  ten  hour  basis.  For  several 
months  the  second  or  night  shift 
worked  four  hours  on  Saturday  after- 
noon, but  on  February  9,  1918,  the 
Saturday  afternoon  work  was  discon- 
tinued. 

The  total  number  of  employees 
in  the  Small  Arms  Department  at  the 
start  of  the  war  in  April,  1917,  was 
1,101,  and  in  November,  1918,  when 
the  armistice  was  signed,  there  were 
2,654  employees.  When  it  is  taken 
into  consideration  that  the  manufac- 
ture of  military  ammunition  requires 
trained  employees,  the  magnitude  of 
the  task  of  training  the  new  employees 
is  appreciated.  That  it  was  possible  to 
train  these  new  employees  quickly 
and  correctly  was  due  to  the  loyalty 
and  interest  of  the  old  employees  in 
the  Small  Arms  Department.  During 
the  war  the  morale  of  the  employees  was  of  the  highest  order;  they  always  had 
for  their  motto:  "More  and  better  ammunition." 

As  the  war  progressed,  operations  which  had  previously  been  performed  by 
men  were  performed  by  female  operators,  thereby  releasing  all  available  men  for 
the  Army.  It  was  the  policy  of  the  Small  Arms  Department  to  ask  exemption 
only  for  those  male  employees  who,  because  of  the  nature  of  their  work,  could  not 
be  spared. 

Edward  L.  Uhl  was  the  civilian  head  of  the  Small  Arms  Department  from 
March  26,  1917,  to  October  15,  1917,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  H.  B.  Vande- 
grift  of  the  Small  Arms  Department. 

A.  H.  Hallowell  was  the  civilian  head  of  the  night  shift  for  several  months. 
He  was  transferred  to  the  day  shift  as  assistant  to  Mr.  Vandegrift  and  was  sent 
to  France  in  August  for  three  months  as  the  arsenal  representative  of  the  manu- 
facturers' association.  Mr.  Hallowell  visited  various  arsenals  and  ammunition 
factories  in  France  and  England,  and  also  visited  testing  stations  and  airdromes. 

W.  Rowley  succeeded  Mr.  Hallowell  as  civilian  head  of  the  night  shift. 

The  following  foremen  were  in  charge  of  the  small  arms  shops  during  the  war : 


International. 

Gauging  U-inch  cases  before  packing. 


Day  Shift  Night  Shift 

G.  P.  Kappler Box,  gauging  and  packing C.  H.  Gibbs 

J.  Matthews Loading — bullet  assemble J.  Costello 

M.  F.  Cleary Case  shop J.  Wilhelm 

Thomas  Hess Draw  press  shop Harry  Penn 

Wm.  Ashworth Blanking  and  cupping  shop Harry  Penn 

W.  C.  Smith Tool  and  machine C.  Robinson 


237 


Chas.  McCann Sorting  shop 

J.  G.  Schneering Proof  house C.  F.  Hogue 

H.  F.  Schwind Tracer  shop S.  Carliss 

C.  Partridge Incendiary  shop R.  S.  Wolford 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Lionel  D.  Van  Aken  (then  major)  succeeded  Colonel 
Munroe  in  October,  1917,  and  was  in  charge  of  the  Small  Arms  Department  until 
April,  1918,  at  which  time  Colonel  Van  Aken  was  transferred  to  the  production 
division  for  duty. 

Major  W.  B.  Doe  (then  captain)  succeeded  Colonel  Van  Aken  in  April,  1918. 

The  following  officers  were  assigned  to  duty  in  the  Small  Arms  Department: 
Capt.  R.  Fenton  Fisher,  Capt.  Thomas  L.  Page,  Capt.  Julius  M.  Lonn,  Capt. 
Seymour  P.  Houghton,  Capt.  Dwight  F.  Morss,  Capt.  Harold  S.  Wilkins,  1st 
Lieut.  E.  P.  Harris,  1st  Lieut.  Nicholas  V.  S.  Mumford,  2d  Lieut.  Lee  H.  Williams. 

The  following  officers  were  assigned  to  duty  in  the  Small  Arms  Department 
for  a  few  months:  Major  Julian  S.  Gravely,  Major  S.  A.  Sten  Hammar,  Capt. 
H.  S.  Mcllvain,  Capt.  John  H.  Buckley,  Capt.  Joseph  F.  Sees,  Capt.  H.  B.  Allen, 
1st  Lieut.  Alvin  R.  Whitlock. 

Artillery  Ammunition  Department 

The  entrance  of  the  United  States  into  the  European  War  in  April,  1917, 
found  the  organization  in  the  Artillery  Ammunition  Department  greatly  depleted 
of  experienced  shop  superintendents  and  foremen,  as  the  flood  of  ordnance  work 
which  came  to  this  country  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  in  1914  caused  commercial 
manufacturers  throughout  the  country,  who  undertook  this  work  without  any 
previous  experience,  to  search  for  men  acquainted  with  this  type  of  work.  These 
commercial  establishments  paid,  in  many  instances,  more  money  than  such  em- 
ployees were  receiving  at  this  arsenal.  The  result  was  that  the  Artillery  Ammuni- 
tion Department  lost  practically  all  of  its  experienced  men,  especially  those  en- 
gaged here  for  any  length  of  time  in  an  executive  capacity.  Immediately  after 
war  was  declared  steps  were  taken  to  have  a  suitable  tool  and  gauge  design  depart- 
ment established  at  this  arsenal. 

In  the  late  spring  of  1918  the  new  addition  to  the  fuze  shop  was  completed, 
and  many  machines  from  the  old  fuze  shop  were  moved  and  relocated  in  the  new 
fuze  shop,  the  old  fuze  shop  having  been  too  crowded  with  machines  for  satisfac- 
tory operation.  Production  of  combination  time  fuzes  for  the  months  of  April, 
May,  June,  July,  August  and  September  of  1917  amounted  to  84,000  fuzes.  On  or 
about  September  8,  1917,  there  was  a  serious  explosion  of  the  dryhouses  and 
powder  blending  houses,  together  with  a  large  quantity  of  primers  and  various 
other  components  necessary  for  the  manufacture  of  fuzes  and  complete  rounds 
of  artillery  ammunition,  and  this  seriously  affected  the  production  of  fuzes  during 
the  months  of  October  and  November  and  December  of  1917  and  January  of  1918, 
when  production  was  cut  down  to  26,000  combination  time  fuzes  for  the  four 
months.  However,  during  that  period  arrangements  were  made  with  the  DuPont 
Company  to  load  and  dry  primers  and  detonators,  and  with  the  Artillery  Fuze 
Company  to  load  time  train  rings.  This  permitted  the  resumption  of  the  assembly 
of  fuzes  in  February,  1918.  Production  from  then  on  to  the  first  of  November, 
1918,  was  155,000.     In  October  of  1918,  the  last  month  of  the  war,  production 

238 


International. 


Working  on  the  larger  guns. 


reached  a  total  of  35,000  for  the  month.  During  this  period,  in  conjunction  with 
the  manufacture  of  combination  time  fuzes,  there  was  also  carried  on  the  manu- 
facture of  base  detonating  fuzes  and  miscellaneous  primers. 

In  connection  with  the  Artillery  Department  short  sketches  might  be  given 
of  the  shrapnel  shop,  case  shop,  forge  shop,  primer  shop,  assembling  shop,  and  so 
forth,  the  same  as  has  been  given  relative  to  the  fuze  shop,  but  owing  to  the  desire 
to  condense  this  article  as  much  as  possible  this  will  be  omitted. 

It  is  thought  it  may  be  interesting,  however,  to  the  reader  to  know  that  loaded 
artillery  ammunition  was  produced  at  this  arsenal  at  the  rate  of  100,000  rounds 
per  month  at  one  time  during  the  war. 

The  Artillery  Department  was  very  ably  handled  by  Major  Joseph  H.  Pelot, 
the  officer  in  charge. 

Instrument  Department 

The  Instrument  Department  was  from  the  beginning  of  the  war  until  May 
13,  1918,  under  the  supervision  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Harry  K.  Rutherford.  On 
that  date  he  was  relieved  from  duty  in  the  Instrument  Department  and  assigned 
as  officer  in  charge  of  production  and  the  management  of  the  Instrument  Depart- 
ment was  placed  under  the  control  of  Captain  W.  C.  Hamilton. 

The  articles  manufactured  by  the  Instrument  Department,  Frankford  Arsenal, 
are  panoramic  sights,  quadrants,  telescopic  sights,  drill  cartridges,  plotting  boards, 
range  finders,  gun  sights,  fuze  setters,  telescopes,  tools,  fixtures,  etc.  Repairs  to 
various  instruments  sent  in  from  the  service  are  also  made. 

239 


Stock  Department 

At  the  beginning  of  the  war  Major  Bricker  was  in  charge  of  the  Stock  Depart- 
ment, and  his  force  was  increased  somewhat  to  take  care  of  the  increased  amount 
of  material  delivered.  James  Gill  was  in  charge  of  the  Receiving  and  Stock- 
keeping  departments,  and  Peter  Sullivan  was  the  Chief  Stock  Clerk. 

Major  Bricker  was  relieved  in  June  and  Major  G.  B.  McClellan,  formerly 
Mayor  of  New  York  City,  took  charge.  Major  McClellan  was  soon  relieved  by 
Captain  W.  W.  Newcomb,  who  took  up  his  duties  in  the  Stock  Department  in 
July.  In  February  Captain  Newcomb  was  relieved  and  Captain  J.  A.  Stone  as- 
signed to  take  charge  of  this  department. 

Administrative  Department 

The  Administrative  Department  of  the  arsenal  during  the  period  of  the  war 
may  be  briefly  described  as  follows: 

Colonel  George  Montgomery  was  Commanding  Officer  of  the  arsenal  until 
March  of  1918,  when  he  was  relieved,  and  Colonel  Samuel  Hof  was  detailed  as 
Commanding  Officer.  Major  Bricker  (now  colonel)  was  the  officer  in  charge  of 
Administration  Division  at  the  begining  of  hostilities.  He  was  superseded  by 
Major  G.  B.  McClellan,  who  served  in  that  capacity  but  a  short  time,  when  he 
was  superseded  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  P.  J.  O'Shaughnessy.  L.  W.  Boody 
served  as  Chief  Clerk  of  the  arsenal  throughout  the  period  of  the  war. 

At  the  beginning  of  hostilities  a  certain  number  of  reserve  officers,  upon  their 
appointment  in  the  Ordnance  Department,  were  sent  to  the  Frankford  Arsenal 
for  instruction  in  War  Department  and  Ordnance  Department  regulations,  admin- 
istrative methods,  property  accountability,  etc.  Lewis  W.  Boody,  Chief  Clerk  of 
the  arsenal,  was  first  assigned  as  instructor  and  performed  such  duty  for  some 
time,  or  until  the  appointment  of  Captain  (now  Lieutenant  Colonel)  W.  F. 
Bowley. 

The  disbursing  office  of  the  arsenal  during  the  months  from  April,  1917,  to 
November,  1918,  inclusive,  expended — for  material  and  labor — $40,463,463.61. 

In  regard  to  the  personnel  of  the  arsenal,  from  a  general  point  of  view,  it  is 
thought  that  the  most  interesting  development  is  the  extent  to  which  women  were 
utilized  to  fill  positions  formerly  occupied  by  men.  On  March  1,  1917,  just  before 
the  expansion  which  occurred,  and  when  it  was  clear  that  war  was  imminent, 
there  were  employed  at  Frankford  Arsenal  3,238  employees — 2,372  men  and  866 
women;  the  men  constituted  73  per  cent  of  the  total  and  the  women  27  per  cent. 
On  November  1,  1918,  when  the  activities  of  the  arsenal  were  almost  at  the  highest 
point,  there  were  6,174  employees,  not  including  the  100  inspectors  then  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  Philadelphia  District  Ordnance  Office.  Of  these  6,174  there 
were  3,784  men  and  2,390  women;  the  men  at  this  time  constituting  only  61  per 
cent  of  the  total  and  the  women  39  per  cent. 

The  labor  situation  at  this  arsenal  was  not  as  bad  as  at  other  places,  due  to 
the  large  number  of  old  and  steady  employees  who  acted  as  an  example  to  the 
newer  ones,  and  there  was  a  very  small  turn-over,  so  far  as  labor  was  concerned. 
For  the  last  six  months  of  the  war  the  turn-Over  was  not  more  than  8  per  cent 
per  month. 

240 


WORK  AT  SCHUYLKILL  ARSENAL. 
By  Clarence  M.  Rusk 

Executive  Assistant,  Q.  M.  C. 

By  Act  of  Congress  April  2,  1794,  it  was  directed  that  "three  or  four  Arsenals 
with  magazines  shall  be  established  in  such  places  as  would  best  accommodate  the 
military  forces  of  the  United  States. "  The  present  site  of  the  Schuylkill  Arsenal 
was  purchased  soon  thereafter,  and  the  foundation  stone  was  laid  in  the 
year  1800.  In  1802,  it  was  reported  to  Congress  that  the  cost  of  the  buildings 
at  "the  laboratory,"  or  barracks,  as 
the  buildings  were  called,  was  up  to 
that  time  (they  being  unfinished) 
$152,608.02.  The  buildings  were  fin- 
ished in  1806.  There  were  four  large 
storehouses  of  brick  set  at  some  dis- 
tances apart,  three  stories  high,  and 
forming  a  hollow  square.  There  were 
also  on  the  premises  several  other 
buildings,  including  a  brick  house 
for  the  residence  of  the  Commanding 
Officer,  a  powder  magazine,  and  other 
smaller  constructions.  The  Grays 
Ferry  Road  buildings  were  in  use  for 
storage  as  early  as  1806. 

For  more  than  one  hundred  years 
this  establishment  has  been  used  as  a 
place  of  manufacture  for  supplies  for 
the  Army,  in  which  nearly  everything 
connected  with  the  comfort  of  the 
soldier,  his  uniform,  bedding,  blankets, 
tentage,  were  prepared  and  stored. 
Coats,  trousers,  breeches,  overcoats,  stockings,  shoes,  gloves,  caps  and  hats,  etc., 
have  been  manufactured  here  in  immense  quantities  or  purchased  from  contrac- 
tors, and  inspected  and  stored  in  the  warehouses. 

A  writer  of  the  early  80's  says  of  the  Arsenal : 

"  For  many  years  the  Schuylkill  Arsenal  was  a  great  workshop,  at  which  cloth 
and  other  material  for  clothing,  etc.,  were  cut  and  made  up  on  the  premises  or 
delivered  to  tailors  and  tailoresses  outside,  who  made  them  up  and  delivered  them. 
Frequently  from  700  to  1,200  women  were  employed  at  this  work,  and  from  100  to 
150  men.  During  the  Rebellion  the  disbursements  at  this  depot  were  from  $20,- 
000,000  to  $35,000,000  a  year.  The  amount  of  property  in  storage  is  frequently 
very  large  and  valuable.     The  area  of  the  ground  is  eight  acres." 

Thus,  the  Schuylkill  Arsenal  continued  its  work  along  general  lines.  It  was 
used  as  a  supply  base  during  the  Spanish-American  War,  and  with  the  entrance 
of  America  into  the  World  War  was  developed  to  its  present  size. 

In  1917  the  Schuylkill  Arsenal,  located  at  2620  Grays  Ferry  Road,  comprised 
twenty-two  buildings,  with  a  gross  floor  capacity  of  1,265,175  square  feet. 

The  twenty-one  buildings  of  the  Schuylkill  Arsenal  at  the  present  writing 

241 


Frank   \V.    Buhler,    Stanley   Co.    of    America. 

Main  Entrance. 


-i! 

4 

.'3H, 

an 

-~5 

£ 

,' 

xw 

_ 

Courtesy  Day  &  Zlmmermann,  Inc.,  Engineers. 

Airplane  View,  U.  S.  Army  Supply  Base,  Greenwich  Point. 

(1920)  are  occupied  by  the  Salvage  Division  of  the  Army,  the  Factory  Operating 
Division  and  the  Finance  and  Transportation  Services. 

The  expansion  of  the  Schuylkill  Arsenal  activities  under  a  Depot  Quarter- 
master during  the  World  War  included  the  General  Quartermaster  Interior  Depot, 
21st  Street  and  Oregon  Avenue,  leased  from  the  Girard  Estate,  comprising  60.7 
acres.  The  work  there  started  in  February,  1918,  and  the  first  stores  were  moved 
in  about  May,  1918. 

When  completed  the  buildings  numbered  thirty-two.  The  five  main  ware- 
houses had  a  total  of  912,000  square  feet  of  storage  space. 

Under  the  supervision  of  the  zone  supply  officer,  the  following  warehouses, 
etc.,  were  included  in  this  zone: 

Pittsburgh  Storage  Warehouses,  40th  and  Butler  streets,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Ford  Building,  Broad  Street  and  Lehigh  Avenue,  on  lease  the  third,  fourth,  fifth,  sixth,  seventh 
and  eighth  floors,  comprising  38,300  square  feet  per  floor.  Used  for  reserve  storage  supplies, 
equipment,   subsistence,   etc. 

Reed  Street  Factory,  26th  and  Beed  streets,  on  lease,  a  five-story  and  basement  fireproof 
building  was  entirely  used  for  manufacturing,  inspection,  baling,  offices,  etc. 

Commercial  Museum,  34th  and  Spruce  streets,  leased  at  $1  per  year,  one  story  high,  but 
equivalent  in  storage  space  to  a  three-story  building. 

Port  Storage.  Pier  No.  78,  south  wharves,  was  not  used  until  after  the  armistice.  Nearby 
were  four  warehouses  with  a  total  area  of  271,000  square  feet. 

Pier  38,  comprising  194,698  square  feet,  leased  during  the  war.  Pier  No.  57  was  also  used 
in  the  beginning  and  there  was  some  loading  at  Greenwich  Point. 

In  February,  1918,  Pittsburgh  was  made  an  independent  depot  and  in  June,  1918,  again 
transferred  to  the  jurisdiction  of  Philadelphia  General  Supply  Depot. 

242 


New  Construction 

At  the  Schuylkill  Arsenal,  the  following  improvements  to  meet  war-time 
work  were  made.  A  new  garage  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $13,482.  A  new 
elevator  was  installed  in  No.  3  Building  at  an  approximate  cost  of  $7,800.  Two 
new  fast  freight  elevators  in  special  new  brick  towers  were  installed  at  a  cost  of 
$33,804,  one  in  each  end  of  Building  No.  10.  A  new  three-story  temporary  office 
building  was  erected  at  a  total  cost  of  approximately  $40,571. 

Previous  to  the  outbreak  of  the  World  War,  the  organization  of  the  Depot 
Quartermaster  at  the  Schuylkill  Arsenal  was  as  follows: 

Administrative  Division — Mail  and  Record  Branch;  Personnel  and  Miscellaneous  Branch. 
Finance  and  Accounting  Division — Finance  Branch;  Accounting  Branch. 
Supplies  Division — Supplies  Branch;  Purchasing  Branch;  Transportation  Branch;  Manu- 
facturing Branch  (only  depot  to  have  this). 

At  the  beginning  of  the  war  the  Arsenal  was  in  charge  of  Colonel  M.  Gray 
Zalinske,  who  was  succeeded  in  turn  by  Benedict  M.  Holden,  a  civilian,  in  April, 
1918,  Colonel  Edmond  B.  Tompkins,  Q.  M.  C,  in  November,  1918,  and  Colonel 
J.  M.  Houston,  Q.  M.  C,  in  July,  1919. 

The  organization  as  perfected  by  C.  M.  Busk,  Executive  Assistant,  who  was  in 
charge  of  Administration  August  1,  1918,  was  as  follows  and  indicates  the 
stupendous  task  and  intricate  detail  of  quartermaster  operations: 

QUARTERMASTER   CORPS,   U.   S.   A. 
Philadelphia  Depot. 

Index 

Depot  Quartermaster — Executive  Secretary — Executive  Officer 

Division  Branch  Section 

Administrative Administrative Personnel,  Publication,  Time  and  Payroll, 

Operating  Cost,  Office  Service. 

Control 

Communications Post    Office,    Central    Filing,    Messenger 

Service. 

Publishing Printing,  Contract  Printing. 

Office  Service Stenographic 

Cemeterial 

Personnel Administrative Personnel,  Publications,  Time  and  Payroll, 

Operating  Cost,  Office  Service. 

Commissioned 

Enlisted 

Civilian 

Departmental 

Methods  Control Administrative Personnel,  Publication,  Time  and  Payroll, 

Operating  Cost,  Office  Service. 

Investigations 

Statistical 

Audits 

Procurements Administrative Personnel,  Publications,  Time  and  Payroll, 

Operating  Cost,  Office  Service. 

Purchase Contractors'  Service,  Industrial  Informa- 
tion, Contract  Preparation,  Advertising. 

243 


Procurements Raw  Materials Production  Records,  Coal,  Cotton,  Min- 
erals and  Metals,  Leather  and  Rubber, 
Miscellaneous. 

Manufacturing  Materials.  Contract  Analysis,    Production  Records, 

Raw  Material  Requirements,  Stock 
Maintenance  Distribution. 

Manufactured  Products 

Inspection Inspection,  Laboratory. 

Stores Administrative Personnel,  Publication,  Time  and  Payroll, 

Operating  Cost,  Office  Service. 
Order  Entering  and  Regis- 
tering Stock  Maintenance 

Order  Service Inventory,  Domestic,  Foreign. 

Warehouse Receiving,  Placement,  Packing,  Shipping. 

Labor  

Property Property   Accounts,    Audits,    Depot    In- 
voicing. 
Sales  and  Issues Office  Supply  and  Equipment. 

Conservation  and  Reclama- 
tion   Administrative Personnel,  Publication,  Time  and  Payroll, 

Operating  Cost,  Office  Service. 

Receiving  and  Sorting 

Salvage 

Clothing  Repair 

Hat  Repair 

Shoe  Repair 

Laundries  and  Dry  Clean- 
ing  

Tents,  Tentage,  Cots,  etc 

Warehouse 

Finance  and  Accounts Administrative Personnel,  Publication,  Time  and  Payroll, 

Operating  Cost,  Office  Service. 
Apportionments  and  Money 

Accounts Apportionments,    and    Money    Accounts, 

Cost  Accounting. 

Cash Cash  and  Sales,  Payroll  Audit. 

Voucher Vendors'    Invoice,   Vouchers  Audit,   Ex- 
pense Account,  Miscellaneous  Service. 

Plant  Service Administrative Personnel,  Publication,  Time  and  Payroll, 

Operating  Cost,  Office  Service. 

Ruilding  Design 

Construction  and  Repair 

Permanent  Equipment 

Power,  Heat  and  Light 

Plant  Supplies 

Plant  Equipment 

Plant  Protection Administrative Personnel,  Publication,  Time  and  Payroll, 

Operating  Cost,  Office  Service. 

Fire  Protection 

Depot  Watch 

Quartermaster  Detachment 

Safety  Engineering 

Plant  Inspection 

Medical Dispensary. 

Policing Janitors. 

244 


Transportation Administrative Personnel,  Publication,  Time  and  Payroll, 

Operating  Cost,  Office  Service. 

Inbound  Freight Inward  B/L. 

Outbound  Freight Outward  B/L. 

Transportation  Order Depot  Service,   Contractors'  Service. 

Motor  Transport Motor  Service,  Procurement,  Maintenance. 

Depot  Manufacturing Administrative Personnel,  Publication,  Time  and  Payroll, 

Operating  Cost,  Office  Services. 
Operating 

Correspondence    School,    Quartermaster    Officers'    Reserve    Corps 

The  Correspondence  School  for  Reserve  Officers  of  the  Quartermaster  Corps 
was  established  by  authority  of  the  Secretary  of  War  and  began  operations 
at  Philadelphia  on  April  1,  1917.  This  division  of  the  Quartermaster  Corps 
School  was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  instructing  persons  holding  com- 
missions in  the  Quartermaster  section  of  the  Officers'  Reserve  Corps,  both  on  active 
and  inactive  list. 

Instruction  was  imparted  by  mail.  The  students  were  given  certain  assign- 
ments for  study  and  professional  reading.  Examinations  or  problems  on  the  sub- 
ject studied  were  then  sent  to  the  student  officers,  who  answered  the  questions  and 
returned  all  papers  to  the  School.  The  instructors  at  the  School  corrected  the 
student's  paper,  making  such  pertinent  remarks  thereon  as  called  for.  The  papers 
were  then  graded  and  returned  to  the  student,  together  with  an  approved  solution 
made  up  by  the  instructors.  As  soon  as  the  student  turned  in  a  set  of  papers  he 
was  given  the  next  series.  A  record  was  kept  of  the  percentage  attained  by  each 
student.  All  quartermaster  reserve  officers  were  encouraged  to  avail  themselves 
of  this  course  and  about  75  per  cent  did  so. 

Mail,  Telegrams  and  Messenger  Service 

During  the  war  period  4,000  pieces  of  mail  were  received  daily  and  upwards 
of  6,000  pieces  were  sent  from  the  arsenal.  As  speed  was  a  matter  of  the  greatest 
importance  the  telegraph  service  was  also  heavily  used. 

A  messenger  service  which  made  possible  direct  communication  with  all  de- 
partments was  early  installed.  From  a  central  point  four  branch  stations  were 
established,  each  branch  having  a  separate  service  to  all  sections;  at  one  time  there 
were  twelve  branches. 

Transportation  Facilities  Within  the  Depot 

Thirty-nine  small  electric  tractors  were  used  to  haul  the  317  four-wheel  trailers 
and  two  Troy  trailers.  Three  light  Dodge  trucks  and  two  light  Dodge  busses, 
twelve  touring  cars,  thirty  cargo  trucks,  and  one  electric  truck  were  also  included 
in  the  equipment  and  were  daily  called  upon  for  heavy  service. 

Printing  Plant 

Previous  to  1916  the  annual  expenditures  for  depot  printing,  exclusive  of 
multigraph,  mimeograph  and  similar  duplicating  devices,  did  not  exceed  $4,000. 
Upon  the  mobilization  of  troops  to  patrol  the  Mexican  border,  local  requirements 
for  this  class  of  work  increased  approximately  300  per  cent.  A  job  press  was 
thereupon  installed,  the  saving  by  which  reimbursed  the  department  for  its  cost 

245 


in  the  first  year  of  operation.  Later,  the  facilities  of  a  printing  plant  were  in- 
cluded; large  automatic  feeder  presses  and  accessories  were  installed,  and  resulted 
in  a  saving  of  50  per  cent  on  what  the  printing  bills  otherwise  would  have  been. 

Zone  Storage  Operations 
growth    and    expansion    of    the    supplies    division 

April  6, 1917,  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  with  Germany,  the  Supplies  Division 
was  one  of  the  three  main  divisions,  comprising  the  Philadelphia  Depot  of  the 
Quartermaster  Corps,  with  approximately  ninety-six  monthly  employees  and 
296  per  diem  employees.  This  number  included  the  Manufacturing  Branch,  of 
whom  forty-five  were  employed  in  the  office. 

The  following  branches  comprised  the  Supplies  Division:  Administrative, 
Requisition,  Stock  Maintenance,  Property,  Invoicing,  Transportation,  and  Manu- 
facturing. The  Supplies  Division  also  attended  to  the  duties  of  receiving,  shipping 
and  warehousing  all  supplies,  making  sales  to  officers  and  the  militia  and  the  super- 
vision of  laborers,  carpenters,  painters  and  watchmen.  By  the  30th  of  April 
the  depot  had  increased  its  personnel  as  follows:  Factory,  1,381;  labor,  212; 
clerks  and  inspectors,  mechanics,  etc.,  606;  a  total  of  2,199. 

Philadelphia  the  Main  Clothing  Supply  Depot 

Previous  to  1917,  the  Philadelphia  Depot  was  known  as  the  main  clothing 
depot  for  the  supply  of  the  Army,  including  the  furnishing  of  chevrons  and 
ornaments,  flags,  colors,  guidons  and  equipage  to  all  posts  and  recruiting  stations, 
and  to  the  Eastern  Department.  It  was  also  the  source  of  supply  for  tableware  and 
kitchen  utensils  for  all  posts  in  the  Northeastern,  Eastern,  Southern  and  Central 
Departments,  excepting  posts  in  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Colorado,  Wyoming,  North 
and  South  Dakota  and  Missouri. 

In  addition  to  the  above  equipment,  the  Philadelphia  Depot  also  supplied  all 
band  instruments  and  band  instrument  supplies  to  the  entire  Army. 

All  requisitions  for  clothing  and  equipage  supplies  were  forwarded  direct  to 
the  Philadelphia  Depot,  and  the  distribution  was  effected  entirely  from  this  city. 

The  three  Disciplinary  Barracks,  located  at  Fort  Jay,  New  York,  Fort 
Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  Alcatriz  Island,  Cal.,  also  depended  on  Philadelphia 
Depot  for  supply  of  such  prisoners'  clothing  as  was  not  manufactured  at  the 
prisons,  Fort  Jay  forwarding  their  requisitions  through  the  Eastern  Department; 
Fort  Leavenworth,  being  independent,  through  the  Q.  M.  G.  0.;  and  Alcatriz 
Island,  through  the  San  Francisco  Depot. 

Being  an  independent  station,  directly  under  the  supervision  of  the  Quarter- 
master General,  numerous  requisitions  for  the  replenishing  of  stocks  of  clothing 
and  equipage  at  New  York,  St.  Louis,  Fort  Sam  Houston  and  San  Francisco  were 
forwarded  to  the  Philadelphia  Depot  from  time  to  time. 

Stocks  of  supplies  at  the  Philadelphia  Depot  had  been  considerably  drawn 
upon,  due  to  the  mobilization  on  the  Mexican  border  in  June,  1916,  and  practically 
the  entire  stock  of  the  Field  Supply  Depot  No.  1  was  depleted  by  the  spring  of  1917. 

In  April,  1917,  after  the  declaration  of  war  the  number  of  requisitions  received 
averaged  about  120  daily  and  increased  until  the  requisitions  numbered  150  daily, 
each  containing  increased  quantities  of  supplies. 

246 


Storage  Capacity — Schuylkill  Arsenal 

In  April,  1917,  the  storage  capacity  of  the  Philadelphia  Depot  consisted  of 
3,017,966  cubic  feet,  scattered  over  eight  buildings: 

Number  of  Shops,  Storehouses,  Quarters  and  Other  Public  Buildings  on  the  Grounds 

April  1,  1917,  and  Their  Use 

Shops 

5-A    Building Manufacturers  of  clothing  and  sponging  plant 

2        Building Manufacturers  of  flags  and  tentage 

11-A    Shed Carpenter  and  box  shop 

9         Tin  and  paint  shops 

1         Basement,  cooperage  repairs 

21         Blacksmith  shop 

Storehouses 

5-A    Building — Basement  and  second  floor  Storage  of  materials 

2  Building — Basement Storage  of  equipage 

1        Building General  storehouse 

3  Building — Basement General  storehouse 

First  floor Dispensary  and  general  storehouse 

Second  floor Storehouse 

Third  floor General  storehouse 

4  Building Storehouse  and  inspections 

5  Building General  storehouse 

10  Building General  storehouse 

12  Building General  storehouse 

6  Building — Basement General  storehouse 

First  floor-. Inspections,  laboratory 

Second  floor Museum 

8         Building — (old  magazine) Stable  and  general  storehouses 

Quarters 

No.  1%-A Officers  quarters 

No.  2    -A Officers  quarters 

Other  Buildings 
7  Boiler  House 

14  Oil  House 

15  Scale  Shed 

16  Main  Office 

17  Gate  House 

With  the  acquisition  of  the  Inland  and  Pier  78  warehouses,  and  other  points, 
the  carload  storage  capacity  increased  tenfold,  until  approximately  30,000,000 
cubic  feet  were  available  for  storage  purposes. 

Some  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  work  may  be  had  from  the  figures  showing 
the  yardage  received  and  issued  or  stored. 

Melton  O.  D 16  and  20  ounces 

Melton  O.  D 30  and  32  ounces 

Shirting  flannel 

Cloth  cotton  O.  D 

Duck,  khaki 12.4  ounces 

Duck,  khaki 8  ounces 

Duck,  shelter  tent 

247 


1917 

1918 

7,246,501 

12,893,669 

4,477,013 

5,232,913 

6,716,316 

11,963,191 

19,454,430 

15,265,657 

9,411,437 

20,432,926 

5,779,967 

9,218,643 

6,957,857 

9,890,474 

Reserve  Stock  of  Subsistence 

In  June,  1918,  arrangements  were  made  by  the  Q.  M.  G.  O.  for  storage  of 
reserve  stocks  of  subsistence  of  45,000,000  rations  to  be  divided  among  Philadelphia, 
Baltimore  and  Newport  News.  Shipments  here  arrived  at  the  rate  of  twenty 
carloads  per  day  and  required  200,000  square  feet  of  warehouse  space.  This  was 
the  first  instance  in  the  history  of  Philadelphia  Depot  that  it  handled  subsistence 
in  such  quantities,  as  it  had  always  been  known  as  a  clothing  depot. 

Value  of  Production 

Depot  Factory     Reed  St.  Factory 

Clothing $13,389,028.09  $4,315,568.37 

Chevrons 258,192.00  

Flags 339,634.49  132,068.84 

Tents 7,832,313.28  

$21,819,177.86         $4,447,637.21 
Total $26,266,815.07 

The  Largest  Shipment  During  the  War 

The  largest  shipment  made  during  the  war  on  one  requisition  was  in  Janu- 
ary, 1918,  in  favor  of  the  Expeditionary  Forces,  and  called  for  the  bulk  of  the 
subsistence  at  that  time  at  the  Philadelphia  Depot.  This  shipment  consisted  of 
105  carloads  and  1,600  truckloads,  and  was  completed  in  ten  days. 

The  second  largest  shipment  also  covered  an  overseas  requisition  and  was  made 
about  July  25,  1918,  consisting  of  102  cars  and  completed  in  ten  days.  Itemized 
list  of  this  requisition  is  as  follows: 

400,000  undershirts,  wool;  600,000  underdrawers,  wool;  2,960,000  pairs  stockings,  wool,  light 
weight;  1,500,000  pairs  stockings,  wool,  heavy  weight;  75,000  overcoats;  375,000  trousers,  wool; 
3,000,000  pairs  gloves,  wool;  125,000  coats,  wool;  100,000  jumpers,  denim. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  all  band  instruments  from  the  American  Expedi- 
tionary Force  were  returned  to  the  Schuylkill  Arsenal  for  storage  or  sale.  In- 
deed, the  salvage  department  of  the  arsenal  has  always  been  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant branches  of  the  service,  and  during  the  period  of  the  war  handled  5,096,538 
articles,  of  which  2,219,491  were  reissued. 

Tonnage  Handled  at  the  Arsenal 

F.  Y.  1914 9,708  tons  F.  Y.  1918 719,512  tons 

F.  Y.  1915 8,511  tons  F.  Y.  1919 487,929  tons 

F.  Y.  1916 12,950  tons  F.  Y.  1920 405,970  tons 

F.  Y.  1917 36.400  tons  F.  Y.  1921 (Estimated)  300,000  tons 

Expenditures  at  the  arsenal  during  the  period  of  the  war  amounted  to 
$318,753,837.42. 

Personnel 

In  1917,  six  officers  were  on  duty  at  the  Schuylkill  Arsenal  and  1,815  civilians 
were  employed.  These  numbers  increased  in  1918  to  140  officers  and  9,827  civilians. 
With  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  the  policy  of  retrenchment  decreased  this  number 
to  sixty-five  officers  and  4,025  civilians.  On  January  1,  1920,  a  further  reduction 
of  personnel  decreased  the  number  to  nineteen  officers  and  2,800  civilians. 

248 


ARMY  CASUALTY  LIST 

HE  following  names  of  Philadelphians,  who  died  while 
serving  with  the  United  States  Army,  were  copied  from 
the  list  issued  by  the  Government  for  use  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  French  Government  Memorial  Certificates. 
It  was  the  most  authentic  and  inclusive  list  available  at 
the  date  of  its  publication. 

The   Government  has   appropriated   several   million 
dollars  to  check  up  all  lists  so  that  as  quickly  as  possible 
all   men — and   women — who  were  killed  in  action,   or 
died  of  wounds  or  from  other  causes,  will  be  properly  listed. 
At  the  same  time  the  records  of  all  who  were  wounded,  or  who  were  sent  for 
treatment  to  hospitals,  will  be  listed. 

When  the  records  are  complete,  the  lists  will  be  turned  over  to  the  Adjutant 
General  of  the  several  States.  They,  in  turn,  will  no  doubt  list  the  men  and  women 
of  their  respective  commonwealths  according  to  locality. 


AJbrams,  Albert  L. 
Abrams,  Joseph  A. 
Achterman,  Edward 
Adair,  A. 
Adams,  Earl 
Adams,  Hiram 
Adams,  Thomas  R. 
Afiliano,  Pasquale 
Agostini,  Joseph  E. 
Aitkins,  Charles 
Aitkins,  John 
Akins,  Frank  L. 
Alberts,  John  Archer 
Albrecht,  Carl  J. 
Albridge,  Frank 
Alcope,  Otto 
Alden,  William 
Aleander,  Gail  H. 
Allen,  Alfred  R. 
Allen,  Edward 
Allen,  John  R. 
Allen,  John  J. 
Amandola,  Giovanne 
Amodei,  Anthony 
Anderson,  Harry  U. 
Anderson,  John 
Anderson,  Robert  L. 
Andrews,  John  H. 
Archer,  Edward  T. 
Archer,  Joseph  D. 
Armoo,  Carlo 
Armstrong,  Elmer  H. 
Armstrong,  George  M.- 
Arnold, Harry 


Ashmore,  Donald 
Ashton,  Alfred  T. 
Ashton,  James  K. 
Aspell,  Rernard 
Astbury,  Thomas  W. 
Attica,  Herman 
Atwood,  Walter 
Auchenbath,  Henry  W. 
Auritsky,  Samuel 
Auritt,  Nathan 
Ayre,  Jr.,  John 

Rackley,  W.  E. 
Railey,  Henry 
Rain,  Joseph 
Rainbridge,  Howard  C. 
Raird,  Joseph  A. 
Raker,  George  R. 
Raker,  Howard  S. 
Ralasone,  Pasquale 
Raldrick,  Joseph  J. 
Raldwin,  Jessie  P. 
Ralinsky,  William 
Rallay,  George 
Rallentine,  Samuel  L. 
Rambrick,  Vincet 
Ramford,  Edward  G. 
Ranhof,  William 
Rarker,  Edward  J. 
Rarnitz,  Reed  W. 
Rarr,  Edwin 
Rarr,  Robert 
Rarrett,  William  F. 
Rarron,  John  A. 


Rarry,  James  J. 
Harry,  John  J. 
Rarry,  Stanley  H. 
Rasile,  Edward  L. 
Raskin,  Andrew 
Rattista,  Ermindo 
Rattles,  Frank 
Rauer,  Frederick  E. 
Rauer,  George  H. 
Rauman,  Frederick 
Raumeister,  Frederick 
Raumgartner,  Fred.  J. 
Reanchionelle,  G. 
Reatty,  Charles  L. 
Reatty,  George 
Reaumont,  Fred.  A. 
Reckworth,  Eugene 
Redingfield,  John  C. 
Redingfield,  John  J. 
Rehrend,  Charles 
Relfatto,  Felix 
Rell,  George  E. 
Relli,  Frederick  F. 
Relza,  Michael 
Renedict,  Hyman 
Render,  John  X. 
Render,  William 
Renischeck,  Clem  M. 
Renner,  Rubin 
Rennicker,  Charles  N. 
Rensing,  Fred  W. 
Rerkowitz,  Louis  R. 
Ressano,  James 
Riddle,  Julian  Cornell 


Rieri,  Otto  J. 
Rilling,  John  L. 
Rillitt,  Richard  S. 
Rirney,  Knox  R. 
Rlack,  Robert  E. 
Rlaszkiewicz,  Julian 
Rlein,  William  H. 
Rlotts,  Domenick 
Rock,  Charles  J. 
Roehn,  Frank  R. 
Roldezar,  Lawrence  J. 
Roles,  Matthew  H. 
Rolte,  Raymond 
Roltersdorf,  Edward  A. 
Rolto,  Louis 
Rond,  Mark  V. 
Ronlivare,  William 
Ronsack,  Jr.,  James  A. 
Rooth,  John 
Rorowski,  Theodore 
Rorucki,  Anthony  V. 
Rosbyshill,  William  L. 
Ross,  John  G. 
Rowden,  Frank 
Rowns,  William  H. 
Royer,  John 
Royer,  Oscar  D. 
Royle,  Charles  J. 
Rradley,  Charles  D. 
Rradley,  John 
Rrady,  Edward  J. 
Rrady,  John 
Rrady,  Joseph  Henry 
Rraham,  Albert 


249 


Braker,  Jr.,  George  E. 
Brantz,  Harry  M. 
Bratcher,  George 
Brawley,  Jr.,  James  C. 
Braxton,  Earl 
Bray,  Harry 
Brazek,  Leon 
Breen,  Bernard  F. 
Breidenfield,  John 
Brenner,  Frederick 
Brett,  John  J. 
Brewer,  Arthur  S. 
Briggman,  Charles 
Briggs,  Bichard 
Brinnisholz,  Joseph 
Brinton,  Howard  A. 
Brocelli,  Sylvia  A.  S. 
Brock,  Frank  P. 
Broderick,  Thomas  J. 
Brogan,  James  J. 
Brooks,  George  M. 
Brown,  Francis 
Brown,  John  F. 
Brown,  Baymond 
Brown,  William  J. 
Brownstein,  Benjamin 
Bruhl,  Martin  M. 
Brunett,  Theodore 
Bryant,  Oscar  S. 
Buchanan,  Elwood  K. 
Buchman,  Harry  G. 
Buchsbaum,  Balph  T. 
Buchwald,  Fred.  W. 
Buck,  Brinton  S. 
Buckhart,  Nicholas  W. 
Buckius,  William 
Buckner,  Albert  W. 
Bunting,  James  S. 
Burger,  George 
Burke,  Peter  J. 
Burley,  Baymond  C. 
Burnett,  Thomas  L. 
Burns,  Harry 
Burns,  James  D. 
Burroughs,  William  E. 
Byrne,  Cornelius  J. 
Byrne,  Engelbert  H. 
Byrne,  M.  P. 
Byrne,  Vincent 
Byrnes,  Joseph  A. 
Bysin,  Harry 

Cabaldo,  Frank  T. 
Cahill  Lawrence  A. 
Cain,  John  W. 
Calhoun,  John  H. 
Callaghan,  James  M. 


Camerote,  Antonio 
Cammarata,  Arthur 
Campbell,  Edward  M. 
Cann,  Samuel 
Cannon,  Antonio 
Canserano,  Basilio 
Cantz,  Edward  J. 
Canvate,  William 
Capony,  Joseph 
Caramanna,  Salvatore 
Carlile,  Walter  W. 
Carlin,  James  A. 
Carmange,  Michael 
Carmelo,  V. 
Carney,  William  J. 
Caroline,  Bobert  E. 
Carpenter,  James  D. 
Carr,  Bernard  A. 
Carr,  Johnson  D. 
Carr,  Thomas  A. 
Carrigan,  Smythe  B. 
Carrigan,  Thomas  L. 
Carroll,  Bonnie 
Carson,  Frank 
Carson,  John 
Carter,  William 
Cartin,  Charles 
Casey,  Bernard  J. 
Casey,  Charles  Joseph 
Casey,  Clifton  M. 
Casey,  Harry  Martin 
Cassady,  Samuel  L. 
Cassel,  Frank  B. 
Cassel,  George  H. 
Cassia,  Domenico 
Cassidy,  James  J. 
Cassidy,  Thomas  Jos. 
Castor,  John  H. 
Castrigiana,  Sostino 
Caville,  Francis  Leo 
Chamberlin,  Carl  B. 
Chancier,  Joseph  A. 
Chanen,  Samuel 
Cherry,  Joseph  H. 
Chillis,  Edgar  S. 
Cholerton,  Harry 
Ciccone,  Daniel  J. 
Cimino,  Tony 
Cindis,  John  D. 
Clair,  Frederick  S. 
Clark,  Early  B. 
Clark,  Patrick 
Clark,  William  H. 
Clark,  William  J. 
Clark,  William  Joseph 
Clauser,  Bobert  L. 
Cleary,  William  J. 


Cobar,  Peter 
Coccia,  Alphonse 
Cochran,  James  Joseph 
Coen,  John  J. 
Coffan,  Howard  H. 
Cohen,  Morris 
Coleman,  Earnest 
Coleman,  James  J. 
Colio,  Guiseppe 
Coll,  James  A. 
Collins,  Frank 
Collins,  Frank  T. 
Collins,  Hugh  A. 
Collins,  Joseph  B. 
Colliton,  Ignatus  J. 
Commaker,  Albert 
Condran,  John  J. 
Conley,  Francis  X. 
Conley,  William  M. 
Conlin,  Andrew  A. 
Conlin,  Matthew 
Connell,  Carl  J. 
Connelly,  Edward  T. 
Connor,  Edgar 
Connor,  William 
Connor,  William  N. 
Conroy,  Harry  J. 
Contriciano,  Frank 
Conway,  Harry  J. 
Conway,  John  H. 
Conway,  Peter  J. 
Cook,  George  D. 
Cook,  Harry  Anthony 
Cooney,  John  Michael 
Cooper,  Joseph  W. 
Corbett,  Francis  W. 
Corcoran,  Daniel  J. 
Cornish,  George  T. 
Corr,  John 
Costello,  Frank  P. 
Costello,  John  A. 
Costigan,  James  Thos. 
Cotter,  William  P. 
Cotton,  William  0. 
Covelle,  Frederick 
Coyle,  Charles 
Coyle,  Charles  J. 
Coyle,  Joseph  A. 
Coyle,  Samuel  J. 
Coyne,  Charles 
Cozzie,  Victor  A. 
Craig,  George  A. 
Craig,  WiUiam  F. 
Crawford,  Francis  J. 
Crawford,  Joseph  P. 
Crawford,  Samuel  W. 
Crispi,  Nicolo 


Crocco,  Jerry 
Crossen,  Joseph  A. 
Crossley,  Harry 
Crowe,  Charles  H. 
Crute,  WiUiam 
Cubler,  Baymond  J. 
Cucinotta,  Pantalione 
Cullen,  Thomas  J. 
Cullen,  Walter  J. 
Cummings,  Orville  S. 
Cunningham,  Claude  C. 
Cunningham,  Wm.  M. 
Cupitt,  Harold  D. 
Curran,  John 
Currie,  Bichard  J. 
Curry,  WiUiam  L. 

D'AUessandi,  Guiseppe 
Daily,  Leonard  J. 
Dakin,  Bichard  E. 
Dalbey,  Joseph  L. 
Dallas,  John  M. 
Dalton,  Joseph  H. 
Daly,  Edward  J. 
Danig,  George 
Darrell,  John  E. 
Daul,  Joseph  Y. 
Davis,  Earl  B. 
Davis,  Harry  F. 
Davis,  H.  G. 
Davis,  Stanley  D. 
Dawson,  George  A. 
Day,  Joseph  A. 
Day,  Bichard  F. 
Decker,  Calvin  W. 
Decker,  Warren  J. 
De  Flavia,  Frank 
Delaney,  Lawrence 
De  Lulla,  Michael 
Dempsey,  John  A. 
Depue,  James  H. 
Desimore,  Generino 
Devenny,  James  V. 
Devine,  George  S. 
Devlin,  Charles  J. 
Dewees,  Charles  G. 
Dewees,  Herbert  K. 
Diamond,  David 
Diamond,  Harry 
Diamond,  Harry  F. 
Diamond,  Thomas  E. 
Dickerson,  George  F. 
Dieterle,  George  J. 
Dietz,  Benjamin  F. 
Dignan,  John  D. 
Di  Marcia,  Guistine 
Dinan,  James  F. 


250 


Di  Nardo,  John  M. 
Dine,  Thomas  L. 
Di  Plaudo,  Antonio 
Di  Pietro,  Constango 
Di  Sciscio,  R. 
Distler,  Walter  H. 
Di  Vito,  Anthony 
Dixon,  William  S. 
Dobbins,  Reubin 
Dobrowolski,  Rolesaw 
Dolan,  William  F. 
Doland,  Frank 
Doland,  Morris  J. 
Dolfo,  Anthony 
Dombrouski,  John 
Dominico,  George 
Donaghy,  James  A. 
Donaghy,  John  L. 
Donaghy,  Joseph 
Donahue,  George  M. 
Donahue,  James  J. 
Donald,  George 
Donnelly,  John 
Donnelly,  John  F. 
Donnelly,  William 
Dooley,  Kyrien  J. 
Dooney,  Thomas 
Dougherty,  Charles  J. 
Dougherty,  George 
Dougherty,  George  P. 
Dougherty,  Hugh  F. 
Dougherty,  James  A. 
Dougherty,  Joseph 
Dougherty,  Thomas  F. 
Dougherty,  Wm.  L. 
Dowd,  John  J. 
Doyle,  John  J. 
Doyle,  John  J. 
Downs,  Jr.,  Norton 
Draper,  Arthur  M. 
Druding,  George,  J. 
Drum,  Robert  I. 
Dubs,  Valentine 
Dudzik,  Andrew 
Duffel,  Reuben 
Duffy,  Charles  H. 
Duffy,  Frank  J. 
Duffy,  James 
Duffy,  John  I. 
Duffy,  Michael 
Duffy,  Patrick 
Dugan,  Walter  S. 
Duncan,  Howard 
Duncan,  Jr.,  Joseph  G. 
Dunn,  Howard  K. 
Durando,  Camillo 
Dutill,  Arthur 


Dzikouski,  J. 

Earner,  John  J. 
Eberle,  H.  E. 
Ebner,  Frank 
Eckels,  Lauren  S. 
Eckert,  Henry 
Edgar,  Harry  D. 
Edward,  Joseph  S. 
Egan,  Patrick  J. 
Egerter,  John 
Eidam,  Frank 
Eisele,  John  A. 
Elliott,  Charles  F. 
Ellison,  Asberry 
Emery,  Thomas  F. 
English,  William  H. 
Entwistle,  Zachary 
Epler,  William  R. 
Erb,  Frank  E. 
Erb,  Henry  E. 
Erdwein,  William  G. 
Ernest,  Howard 
Ernst,  William  A. 
Erpert,  Ike 
Escandel,  Charles  A. 
Esher,  George  W. 
Essing,  Arthur  T. 
Evans,  Jr.,  Charles  T. 
Evans,  Horace  L. 
Evans,  Richard 
Everhart,  Jr.,  E.  E. 

Faber,  William  C. 
Fagan,  Francis 
Fakey,  James  P. 
Fales,  Thomas  R.  W. 
Falls,  Frank 
Fanean,  Rernard  E. 
Fantacona,  Nicholas 
Faracca,  Attilio 
Farrell,  Lewis  A. 
Farrell,  Patrick  J. 
Faunce,  Wilmer 
Faust,  Stephen 
Fay,  John  P. 
Fearn,  Jr.,  Joseph  J. 
Fecca,  Daniel 
Fee,  James 
Ferguson,  Clarence  P. 
Ferguson,  Joseph  S. 
Ferguson,  Robert  J. 
Ferriter,  Joseph 
Ferry,  Alphonseous 
Ferry,  Michael 
Fickerson,  Elmer 
Fiechler,  Jacques 


Fielding,  Louis  H. 
Fields,  Percy 
Fife,  John 
Fineburg,  Joseph 
Fink,  Wilbur  E. 
Finn,  Rernard 
Finnegan,  Michael  G. 
Finnegan,  Thomas  F. 
Fischer,  Renjamin  H. 
Fischer,  Rernard  A. 
Fischer,  Herbert  A. 
Fischer,  John  J. 
Fishburn,  Amon  E. 
Fitzgerald,  Edward 
Fitzgerald,  Harvey  P. 
Fitzharris,  Joseph  C. 
Fitzpatrick,  Louis  H. 
Flanigan,  Thomas 
Fleckal,  Frederick  J. 
Fleisch,  Edward 
Fleming,  James  G. 
Fleming,  Joseph  F. 
Fleming,  William 
Fleming,  William 
Fleming,  William 
Fleming,  Jr.,  William 
Fleshman,  Albert  N. 
Fletcher,  Arthur 
Fletcher,  Frank 
Florio,  Humbert 
Flynn,  Charles 
Flynn,  John  J. 
Foell,  Harry  R. 
Foley,  Edward  H. 
Foley,  John  J. 
Fontanini,  Charles 
Forbes,  Oliver  D. 
Ford,  Harry  J. 
Ford,  James  J. 
Ford,  William 
Forsyth,  Albert  E. 
Forsyth,  Matthew 
Foss,  Rudolph 
Foster,  Francis 
Foster,  Joseph  P. 
Foster,  Lee  M.  \ 

Foster,  Leon  R. 
Foulke,  Walter  L. 
Fox,  Elmer 
Fox,  Fred  R. 
Fox,  Harry  L. 
Fox,  James 
Fox,  John  H. 
Fox,  Joseph 
Fraim,  John 
Francis,  Joseph 
Francis,  Raymond 


Frank,  Charles 
Frank,  Frederick  J. 
Frank,  Harry 
Frazier,  Edward  P. 
Frederick,  John 
Freed,  John  R. 
Freedman,  Nathan 
Freihofer,  Wm.  A. 
Friedel,  Jr.,  Alexander 
Friedman,  Isidore 
Friel,  Harry 
Fritz,  Stephen  G. 
Fudala,  Fred  J. 
Fuller,  Harry  J. 
Fullerton,  Joseph  P. 
Fulton,  Stewart 
Furlong,  Charles 
Furman,  Thomas  J. 

Gabrack,  Miketar 
Gabriele,  Andrea  F. 
Gabriele,  Joseph 
Gakle,  Wallace  H. 
Galgiordi,  Lugi 
Gallagher,  James  L. 
Gallagher,  John  L. 
Gantz,  Frank  C. 
Garan,  Frank  M. 
Garland,  John  P. 
Garner,  Robert  E. 
Garrity,  Edward  I. 
Gaskill,  Joseph  E. 
Gaskins,  John  F. 
Gaumer,  Albert  H. 
Gavaghan,  James  F. 
Gazzara,  John 
Geever,  Michael  J. 
Geib,  Adolph 
Geiger,  William  D. 
Geller,  Samuel 
Gemmell,  John  J. 
Gerhardt,  Jr.,  George 
Gerngross,  John  A. 
Geyer,  George  H. 
Gibson,  Albert  E. 
Gihotte,  Frank  J. 
Gilbert,  Noble  H. 
Gilchrist,  Alexander 
Gilland,  John  V. 
Gillen,  Jacob 
Gillen,  Jacob 
Gillen,  Samuel  W. 
Gillespie,  Harry  J. 
Gillespie,  Jerry 
Gillian,  William  M. 
Giordano,  Dominic  N. 
Giordano,  Vincent 


251 


Girmscheid,  Joseph  T. 
Givens,  Horace 
Givens,  John 
Givens,  John  J. 
Glashofer,  Philip 
Glassen,  Andrew  J. 
Glendon,  Martin 
Glenn,  Frank  Peter 
Glentworth,  John  H. 
Godericci,  John 
Godshall,  Walter  M. 
Goering,  Henry  L. 
Gold,  Isaac 
Gold,  Louis 
Golden,  John  J. 
Golden,  Thomas  M. 
Golden,  William  H. 
Goldfus,  Louis  Samuel 
Goldman,  Max 
Goldman,  William 
Goldstein,  Morris 
Goldstein,  Robert 
Gollmer,  David 
Goonan,  Michael  J. 
Goodridge,  Philip  R. 
Gordon,  Louis 
Gordon,  Nathan 
Gordon,  Robert  F. 
Gorman,  Edward  C. 
Gosner,  George  R. 
Goward,  Edward  R.  G. 
Gowen,  Edwin  A. 
Grady,  Jr.,  Michael  J. 
Graff,  John  Charles 
Graham,  John  R. 
Graubert,  Isadore  H. 
Graves,  Warren  V. 
Gray,  Caleb 
Gray,  John  H. 
Greeley,  Edward 
Greeley,  Raymond  E. 
Green,  Clyman  C. 
Green,  Herbert 
Greenberg,  R. 
Greenway,  Frank  W. 
Greenwood,  Harry  L. 
Greenwood,  John 
Gregory,  John  H. 
Grejber,  John  H. 
Griffin,  Joseph  F. 
Griffin,  William  V. 
Grigull,  Otto  E. 
Grimm,  Wilbur  E. 
Grinnan,  Thomas  P. 
Grochowski,  Roleslaw 
Grosholy,  Alfred  C. 
Gross,  Alfred 


Gross,  R. 
Gross,  Russell  C. 
Grosz,  Jacob  C. 
Grout,  Leo  M. 
Grove,  Leroy  R. 
Gruber,  Oscar  H. 
Guida,  Pasquale 
Guiliana,  Antonio 
Guinana,  Philip  A. 
Guise,  George  J. 
Gullioyle,  William  F. 
Gunsallus,  Frank  J. 
Gustave,  Stanley 

Haas,  Lawrence  F. 
Hackett,  Earl  T. 
Hackett,  John 
Hagen,  Harold 
Hager,  Harry  S. 
Hagerty,  John  T. 
Haggerty,  Russell  W. 
Hahn,  Harry 
Haidner,  Nicholas  A. 
Haines,  Joseph 
Halbig,  John 
Hale,  Leander 
Hales,  Joseph 
Haley,  James  J. 
Ham,  Timothy 
Hanna,  Eugeness 
Hanrahan,  Stephen  J. 
Hanschumacker,  A. 
Harmer,  Alfred  D. 
Harms,  John  P. 
Harper,  Frank  V. 
Harr,  Jr.,  Timothy 
Harrington,  Alex.  S. 
Harrington,  Geo.  A. 
Harris,  George  L. 
Harrison,  Ernest  J. 
Harrison,  William  J. 
Hart,  Lee  J. 
Hartman,  William  R. 
Hassen,  Daniel  L. 
Hasson,  William  J. 
Hastie,  William  M. 
Hattal,  Clarence 
Hause,  Joseph  W. 
Hausser,  Ernest  T. 
Havenstine,  Edw.  C. 
Hawthorne,  Emlen 
Healis,  Charles  A. 
Heathcote,  Joseph  A. 
Heckroth,  Vernon  R. 
Heffron,  Joseph 
Heicklen,  Morris 
Heinrich,  Leonard 


Heller,  Nicholas 
Heller,  Samuel  W. 
Hellings,  Charles  H. 
Helms,  C. 

Henderson,  Harry  W. 
Hendricks,  Alfred  Y. 
Hendricks,  John 
Henkele,  Paul 
Henkle,  Albert  W. 
Hennessey,  William  J. 
Henry,  Albert 
Henry,  Howard  H. 
Henry,  James  J. 
Henz,  Harry  R. 
Heppard,  Arthur  J. 
Hepworth,  James  T. 
Herbert,  James  E. 
Herbsleb,  George  R. 
Herkert,  Robert  A. 
Herman,  John  G. 
Hermann,  Fred.  W. 
Hermann,  Paul  M. 
Herrman,  John  G. 
Herron,  Nelson  M. 
Herter,  Harry 
Hess,  Walter 
Hester,  Julian  S. 
Hetherington,  Seth  C. 
Hewson,  Robert  J. 
Hey,  William  S. 
Heyser,  William  E. 
Hickey,  Robert  D.    . 
Hieke,  Harry  A. 
Higgins,  John  J. 
Higgins,  Jr.,  M.  J. 
Hill,  Frank  E. 
Hill,  William  0. 
Hillman,  John 
Hinchman,  Charles  S. 
Hinger,  Charles  E. 
Hink,  John  G. 
Hinton,  Leroy  R. 
Hirst,  Thomas  G. 
Hittner,  Edward 
Hockenbury,  Geo.  W. 
Hoeltzel,  Wilbur  R. 
Hoesle,  H.  W.  J.  D. 
Hogan,  James  H. 
Hogarth,  F.  Wilbur 
Holladay,  Harry 
Holland,  Harry  W. 
Hollowell,  John  J. 
Homes,  Felix 
Hone,  Frank  A. 
Hoopes,  George  D. 
Hoopes,  Joseph  E. 
Hooten,  John  J. 


Hoover,  Howard  R. 
Horan,  Thomas  J. 
Horn,  Thomas 
Horsey,  Earl 
Horst,  George 
Houck,  William  H. 
Houseknecht,  Chas.  R. 
Houston,  Charles  J. 
Houston,  Henry  H. 
Howley,  James  J. 
Hubacher,  Paul 
Hudson,  Harry  N. 
Hughes,  James  F. 
Hughes,  Joseph  A. 
Hughes,  Norman  D. 
Huling,  Jr.,  Samuel  H. 
Hunter,  George  G. 
Husik,  Renjamin 
Hutchinson,  Robert  E. 

Iaanelli,  Vincent 
Imhof,  George  H. 
Ingersoll,  Harry 
Inverso,  Angelo 
Ireland,  Harry 
Irvine,  Robert  P. 
Irwin,  Leonard  C. 
Irwine,  William  J. 
Isett,  Robert  T. 

Jablouowski,  Z. 
Jacebucca,  Nicola 
Jackalitz,  J. 
Jackson,  W.  A. 
Jacobs,  R.  G. 
Jacoby,  H.  J. 
Jaeger,  F.  J. 
Jamerisan,  Edw.  E. 
Jannacone,  N. 
Jarnett,  Fred  S. 
Jeffrie,  Thomas  E. 
Jeffries,  Charles 
Jenkins,  R. 
Jenks,  J.  A. 
Johnson,  Admiral 
Johnson,  F. 
Johnson,  F.  A. 
Johnson,  Hiram  D. 
Johnson,  John  H. 
Johnson,  L.  F. 
Johnson,  R. 
Johnston,  James  A. 
Jokrus,  Stiney 
Jones,  A.  H. 
Jones,  D.  J. 
Jones,  E.  J. 
Jones,  Frank 


252 


Jones,  Frederick 
Jones,  G. 
Jones,  Harry  L. 
Jones,  S.  A. 
Jones,  Samuel  J. 
Joyce,  Michael  J. 
Junior,  M. 
Junkin,  William  G. 
Junod,  William 
Jusinski,  A. 

Kachuk,  Mike 
Kahl,  Christian 
Kaiser,  William  J. 
Kalb,  Lemuel 
Kamerer,  George  C. 
Kane,  H.  S. 
Kane,  James  P. 
Kane,  Thomas  J. 
Kaperrati,  Anthony 
Karpativa,  Louis 
Kaulker,  George  S. 
Kavis,  W. 
Kazinetz,  Jacob 
Kealey,  James  F. 
Kearney,  Edward  J. 
Keating,  Charles 
Keckhut,  Henry  J. 
Keefe,  Harry  T. 
Keenan,  John 
Keenan,  Joseph  J. 
Keer,  Einar  J. 
Kehoe,  William  J. 
Kelejian,  Charles  L. 
Kellar,  John 
Keller,  H.  V. 
Keller,  William  A. 
Kelley,  George  L. 
Kelley,  John  G. 
Kellman,  Samuel 
Kelly,  Charles  J. 
Kelly,  Christopher 
Kelly,  Edward  J. 
Kelly,  Frank  J. 
Kelly,  James  A. 
Kelly,  James  P. 
Kelly,  John  P. 
Kelly,  Martin  J. 
Kelly,  Michael  J. 
Kelly,  Thomas  W. 
Kelly,  William 
Kennedy,  George  E. 
Kennedy,  John  A. 
Kennedy,  Joseph  D. 
Kenny,  Michael 
Kenworthy,  Charles 
Kenworthy,  E.  M. 


Kerr,  Peter 
Ketterer,  W.  G. 
Kidwell,  S. 
Kilda,  James  A. 
Kimble,  Millard  F. 
Kincade,  Harry  H. 
Kine,  Benjamin 
King,  Aloysius 
King,  Perry  E. 
King,  Robert 
Kinis,  Edgar  H. 
Kinzler,  Ernest  J. 
Kirschman,  Charles  S. 
Kister,  Frank 
Klebe,  John  B. 
Klotz,  Frank  L. 
Kluth,  William  C. 
Knapp,  Charles  A. 
Knapp,  David  A. 
Knight,  Frederick  H. 
Knoff,  Edward  J. 
Knowalski,  Adam  W. 
Knowles,  Austin  L. 
Knox,  Harrison 
Koch,  George 
Koch,  George  D. 
Koch,  Harrison  W. 
Koehler,  Louis  H. 
Kohler,  Charles 
Kolp,  George  B. 
Kolzen,  William  W. 
Koons,  Dallas  W. 
Kowalski,  Joseph 
Kozaski,  Bolstow 
Krantman,  Nathan 
Krause,  A. 
Krause,  Joseph 
Krauss,  Edward 
Kremens,  D. 
Kreps,  Herbert  L. 
Kriderman,  Morris 
Krimbach,  Herbert 
Krombach,  Herbert  H. 
Krouse,  Louis 
Kubat,  Joe 
Kucinsky,  John 
Kuhl,  Raymond  F. 

La  Fontaine,  E.  J. 
Lafferty,  Daniel  F. 
Laird,  Clinton  W. 
Laird,  G.  W. 
Lamb,  J.  J. 
Lambs,  W.  E. 
Lamonica,  Alphonso 
Lanard,  S.  A. 
Landenberger,  T.  T. 


Landman,  Jr.,  L.  E. 
Landolt,  Charles 
Langan,  J.  P. 
Langsdorf,  L. 
Lapczyk,  C. 
Larsen,  B.  E. 
Latney,  Howard  D. 
Latney,  R. 
Laub,  E.  G. 
Law,  James  W. 
Lawler,  William  J. 
Laws,  Joseph  E. 
Laws,  L.  W. 
Lay,  H.  T. 
Layden,  A.  W. 
Leach,  William  J. 
Leahan,  William 
Leek,  L. 
Lee,  G.  W. 
Lee,  James  W 
Lee,  Richard 
Lee,  Richard  A. 
Lee,  William  J. 
Leedom,  H.  S. 
Leible,  Jules 
Leidy,  Harry 
Leifer,  Jacob 
Leighton,  John  L. 
Leithold,  Frederick 
Lenarty,  Louis  B. 
Lentine,  William 
Leon,  Harry 
Leonard,  Joseph 
Leonard,  M. 
Leskie,  Charles  E. 
Lessig,  W.  T. 
Levan,  H. 
Lever,  H. 
Lever,  Marshall  B. 
Lewis,  F. 
Lewis,  Joseph 
Lewis,  W.  T. 
Lichetti,  Jr.,  A.  R. 
Lieberman,  M. 
Limabacher,  Wm.  G. 
Lipschutz,  L.  J. 
Lipscomb,  D.  W. 
Lister,  Brooks 
Litschert,  John  H. 
Lloyd,  H.  H. 
Lloyd,  J. 
Lloyd,  William  J. 
Lobaccaro,  L. 
Lockhart,  G.  B. 
Lockhart,  J.  S. 
Lohmiller,  J. 
Lohmuller,  L. 


Long,  C.  H. 
Loughram,  P. 
Lowry,  J.  B. 
Lucas,  Charles 
Lucera,  B. 
Luchenburg,  E.  L. 
Lumer,  William  J. 
Lunn,  W. 
Lutz,  Albert  P. 
Lynam,  Horace 
Lyons,  G.  L. 
Lyons,  J.  M. 
Lyshon,  W.  J. 
Lytton,  H.  S. 

McAleer,  Albert  A. 
McAnemy,  Joseph  P. 
McArthur,  John  S. 
McAuley,  Robert  J. 
McBride,  John 
McCabe,  Joseph  D. 
McCabe,  Leo  Thomas 
McCabe,  Michael 
McCaffery,  Francis  J. 
McCaffrey,  W.  E. 
McCain,  Harry 
McCall,  Howard  C. 
McCann,  Henry  J. 
McCann,  John  P. 
McCann,  Thomas  J. 
McCaughan,  F.  M. 
McCaughney,  R.  K. 
McCauley,  Edw.  A. 
McCausland,  Harry  E. 
McClain,  Harry 
McClean,  Alexander 
McClellan,  John 
McClurg,  Joseph  T. 
McColgan,  Maurice 
McColgan,  Wm.  M. 
McCollum,  Robert 
McConaghy,  Thomas 
McConnell,  Graham 
McConnell,  Thos.  A. 
McCord,  Vernon 
McCormick,  Chas.  A. 
McCormick,  Jos.  F. 
McCrory,  Samuel 
McCullough,  Albert  J. 
McCullough,  Robert 
McCunney,  Mark 
McCusker,  George  J. 
McCutcheon,  James 
McDaid,  Thomas  E. 
McDevitt,  Bernard  W. 
McDevitt,  Daniel 
McDonald,  Hugh  D. 


253 


McDonald,  James  B. 
McDonald,  Ronald 
McDonald,  Wm.  J. 
McFetrick,  James  B. 
McGearty,  Walter  M. 
McGee,  Arthur  J. 
McGinn,  Joseph 
McGinnis,  Louis  R. 
McGinty,  Charles 
McGlone,  James 
McGonigle,  James  B. 
McGothan,  Wm.  R. 
McGrath,  Joseph  A. 
McGreal,  Joseph  H. 
McGuigan,  Eugene  I. 
McGuire,  Joseph  J. 
McHugh,  Joseph 
Mcllvaine,  James 
Mclntyre,  Michael  J. 
McKee,  Joseph  L. 
McKenna,  Edward  P. 
McKenna,  Francis 
McKeon,  Thos.  Jos. 
McKernon,  Chas.  H. 
McLaughlin,  John 
McLean,  George 
McMackin,  John  J. 
McMahon,  John  P. 
McMenamin,  P.  J. 
McNamara,  J.  J. 
McNeamey,  John 
McNellis,  John  J. 
McPeak,  Frank  J. 
McPolin,  John  J. 
McSharry,  Francis  P. 
McTuillan,  Edward 
McVey,  Joseph  A. 
MacArthur,  John  S. 
Machette,  Kirk  W. 
Macken,  Charles 
Madden,  Frank  A. 
Madenford,  Walter 
Magarahan,  James 
Magee,  John  J. 
Maguire,  Francis  A. 
Maher,  Edward  F. 
Mahler,  Leslie  James 
Maleahoka,  Samuel 
Maleczerski,  Louis 
Malloy,  John  L. 
Malloy,  Thomas  B. 
Malone,    Charles  F. 
Malone,  Edward  J. 
Malone,  Roy  W. 
Maloney,  Raymond 
Mancine,  Lawrence 
Mancusi,  Frank 


Manger,  Henry  B. 
Marano,  Frank 
Marauer,  Charles 
Marchesano,  Carl 
Martin,  Edward  T. 
Martin,  John  P. 
Martin,  Robert  J. 
Martin,  Vincent 
Martin,  William 
Maruchella,  Ferdinando 
Massey,  Thomas 
Mastropiese,  Palo 
Matthews,  Arthur  W. 
Mayer,  Andrew  W. 
Maylie,  Jacob  L. 
Mazkewiz,  Louis 
Meaney,  Harry 
Meell,  Geo.  Winfleld 
Meisle,  John 
Melick,  PhiUip  G. 
Mellon,  James  M. 
Mellory,  Hazzare 
Melvin,  Frank  J. 
Mengel,  Harry 
Mentz,  Morris  B. 
Mercer,  Wilbert 
Mericke,  Stephen 
Merkle,  Wilham  J. 
Merrian,  Frank 
Merz,  Harold  B. 
Mesteyky,  Josel 
Meyers,  Harvey  F. 
Meyers,  Wilham 
Michalski,  Stephen 
Michell,  Henry  F. 
Mickaylik,  Metrofan 
Midili,  Angelo 
Mikilkiewich,  Joseph 
Milano,  Joseph  A. 
Milgram,  Nathan 
Miller,  Charles 
Miller,  Charles  S. 
Miller,  Charles  W. 
Miller,  David 
Miller,  Frederick  E. 
Miller,  Frederick  J. 
Miller,  Herbert 
Mingle,  Roy  C. 
Mirarchi,  Frank 
Miszeikis,  V. 
Mlodorzenec,  Joseph 
Mock,  Frank 
Moebius,  Alvin  H. 
Moeckel,  John  E. 
Moffa,  Louis 
Mogerman,  Abraham 
Monaghan,  Charles  P. 


Monahan,  Edward 
Mondelli,  James 
Mondress,  Harry 
Monroe,  Shadrick 
Moonan,  James  F. 
Mooney,  John  P. 
Mooney,  Peter  E. 
Mooney,  Wilham 
Moore,  Clarence  P. 
Moore,  Peter 
Moore,  Russell  H. 
Moore,  Salmage  H. 
Moore,  Samuel 
Moore,  Thomas 
Moore,  Wilham  J. 
Morage,  Joseph  L. 
Morgan,  Ernest  P. 
Morgan,  Walter  P. 
Moriarty,  John  Henry 
Morman,  Milton  J. 
Morris,  Franz 
Morris,  Howard  L. 
Morris,  John  F. 
Morris,  John  T. 
Morris,  Raymond  T. 
Morris,  Robert  R. 
Mose,  Oscar  C. 
Mosier,  Everett  B. 
Moss,  G. 

Mount,  Richard  E. 
Moy,  Hugh 
Mulch,  Joseph  Daniel 
Mullerschiven,  A.  M. 
Mullhizer,  James  A. 
Mulrine,  W.  J. 
Mulrine,  Wm.  Joseph 
Munusevitz,  Harry 
Murphy,  Charles 
Murphy,  James  E. 
Murphy,  John  Henry 
Murphy,  John  R. 
Murphy,  Joseph  F. 
Murphy,  Joseph  M. 
Murphy,  Michael 
Murphy,  Thomas 
Murphy,  Thomas 
Murray,  James 
Murray,  John  A. 
Murray,  John  W. 
Murray,  Thomas 
Murtagh,  Michael 
Murtha,  George  B. 
Musto,  Angelo 
Myers,  Harry 
Myers,  John 
Myers,  John 
Myers,  John  E. 


Myers,  Wilham  D. 

Naegle,  Richard  C. 
Nagel,  Harry  T. 
Naimo,  Phillip 
Natale,  Michael 
Nau,  Piers  J. 
Neal,  Thaddeus  P. 
Neiman,  Wilham 
Nehs,  Edward 
Nelson,  Harvey  C. 
Netherington,  Wm. 
Neumann,  Jr.,  William 
Neurath,  Ernest  C. 
Newell,  Harry  G. 
Newman,  Edward 
Newman,  Nelson 
Newman,  William  F. 
Newns,  James  D. 
Nice,  Eugene 
Nichol,  Clark  B. 
Nicholls,  George  M. 
Nickerman,  George  E. 
Nickles,  W. 
Nickman,  Sylvan 
Noel,  Wilham  L. 
Nolan,  Wilham  P. 
Noonan,  Thomas  P. 
Noran,  E.  C. 
Norris,  David  J. 
Norton,  Wilham  H. 
Norton,  Wilham  J. 
Novak,  Ike 
Nowak,  Edwin  A. 
Nuffer,  Ernest  G. 
Nusbickel,  John 

O'Brien,  Wilham  A. 
Ochinto,  Joseph 
O'Donnell,  Daniel  J. 
O'Donnell,  James  F. 
O'Donnell,  Peter 
Oerlemans,  Louis 
Ogden,  Elmer 
Ogilvie,  Wilham  A. 
O'Hara,  Oliver 
O'Hearn,  Wilham 
O'Leary,  Charles  X. 
O'Leary,  Wilham  J. 
Olive,  Antonio 
Olhvier,  Alfred 
O'Neill,  Edward 
O'Neill,  Francis  E. 
O'Neill,  James 
O'Neill,  Thomas 
O'Riordon,  Jas.  Francis 
Orlicka,  Paul 


254 


Orr,  Jr.,  William  C. 
Osmond,  Raymond  T. 
Ott,  George  H. 
Otto,  Herbert  J. 
Otto,  John  H. 

Pahl,  Carl  0. 
Pahler,  Walter 
Pahls,  Harold  W. 
Painter,  Harold  W. 
Pancoast,  Clarence  S. 
Pangbur,  Irwin 
Pantley,  Wm.  Collins 
Pardini,  Quinto 
Parker,  Howard  E. 
Paroonagian,  I.  T. 
Pasant,  Joseph 
Patterson,  Elmer  E. 
Patterson,  Francis 
Patterson,  John  E. 
Patterson,  Phillip 
Paul,  Archibald  S. 
Paul,  Ellwood  G. 
Payne,  Samuel  J. 
Paynter,  William  M. 
Pearl,  Harold 
Peel,  William  C. 
Pegg,  William  J. 
Pegram,  Frederick 
Peiffer,  Percival  H. 
Pepper,  Benjamin  F. 
Perine,  Nelson  W. 
Perkins,  William  J. 
Persichetti,  Leonard 
Peslin,  William 
Pessin,  Kolman 
Peters,  Frederick 
Peterson,  Ralph  E. 
Pfeifer,  Francis  J. 
Pflieger,  A.  F. 
Pfrommer,  Wm.  B. 
Phillips,  Robert  J. 
Pickering,  Clifford 
Pickett,  Norman  0. 
Picone,  James 
Picot,  Herman  M. 
Pilling,  Thomas  J. 
Pleate,  John  A. 
Plews,  William 
Plosky,  Harry 
Plunkett,  Benjamin 
Polenski,  Mike 
Polinski,  Harry 
Polito,  Joseph 
Pollock,  Robert  H. 
Popple  well,  John  D. 
Porco,  Dominico 


Portens,  Francis  I. 
Porter,  Edward  M. 
Potter,  William  A. 
Potts,  John 
Prandie,  Frank  E. 
Prediger,  Henry  G. 
Price,  Aaron  0. 
Prince,  Harry  W. 
Pritchard,  H.  E.  P. 
Proctor,  George  W. 
Promondoni,  G. 
Proszez,  John 
Przestselski,  Wolph 
Ptaskiewicz,  S. 
Pudlock,  Joseph 
Pugh,  Jr.,  John 
Purcell,  William  A. 
Putz,  Frederick 

Quinn,  Jr.,  James  J. 
Quinn,  John  H.  R. 
Quinn,  William  F. 
Quintard,  Alfred  L. 

Rados,  Castos 
Raebiger,  Adolph 
Raffo,  Joseph 
Rahhill,  William  J. 
Raistrick,  William  A. 
Ranson,  William  F. 
Rasmussen,  H.  P. 
Ratajack,  Ignacy 
Rath,  George  R. 
Raylould,  Daniel  W. 
Read,  John  J. 
Reale,  Angelo 
Reape,  William  J. 
Redding,  James 
Redman,  Charles  H. 
Redner,  Howard  B. 
Reese,  Edward  Henry 
Reif,  Harry  Phillip 
Reilly,  Joseph  John 
Reinhart,  Frank  W. 
Reis,  Byron  C. 
Reitz,  Joseph 
Reivich,  Herman  M. 
Rende,  Gennaro 
Revell,  Edward  J. 
Reveney,  John  W. 
Reynolds,  Stephen  W. 
Reynolds,  Stevens 
Rex,  Albert  C. 
Richard,  George  F. 
Richards,  Thomas  M. 
Richardson,  Stephen 
Richter,  Frank  C. 


Riley,  John 
Risso,  Theophilio 
Ritchie,  Robert 
Rizzo,  Charles 
Roach,  Walter 
Robbins,  Gordon  E. 
Roberts,  John  E. 
Roberts,  Leon 
Robertson,  Claude  R. 
Robinson,  Robert 
Robinson,  Walter 
Roche,  Edward 
Roche,  Jr.,  Wm.  F. 
Rochelman,  Alphonse 
Rock,  William  C. 
Roetz,  Stephen 
Rogers,  Rernard  F. 
Rogers,  Harry  Tuttle 
Roivelto,  Secore 
Ronser,  Charles  0. 
Rooney,  William  A. 
Rorke,  Richard  J. 
Rosenfeld,  James 
Ross,  James  S. 
Ross,  John  N. 
Rote,  Charles 
Rothman,  Charles  H. 
Rothman,  G.  G. 
Ruchola,  Walter 
Ruff,  Frank  A. 
Russell,  Leo  R. 
Ryan,  Harold  A. 
Ryan,  Stephen  F. 
Ryder,  Thomas  A. 

Saalfrank,  F.  W. 
Sabari,  R. 
Sabulis,  A. 
Sack,  Kabe 
Sadler,  Albert  H. 
Sailer,  John 
Salatsky,  M. 
Salesky,  M. 
Sallese,  G. 
Saltman,  Abraham 
Salvador,  W.  H. 
Salzee,  William  W. 
Sampson,  George 
Samules,  David 
Sandora,  J. 
Sandrow,  Harry 
Sandy,  M.  W. 
Sargen,  M. 
Sargosky,  Harry  M. 
Sarnkowski,  J. 
Sattler,  Walter  L. 
Sauberblatt,  D. 


Sauer,  Spencer  H. 
Sault,  David 
Saunders,  F.  D. 
Savage,  Arthur  W. 
Saylor,  Herman  P. 
Sayre,  Frank  D. 
Scanlon,  John  A. 
Schaaf,  Otto  F. 
Schanbaur,  August  C. 
Sehase,  Jesse  E. 
Schaub,  Charles  E. 
Scher,  Joseph  A. 
Schiavi,  Pasquale 
Schiavone,  Charles  A. 
Schick,  Charles  A. 
Schiking,  Albert 
Schindler,  William  C. 
Schlossberg,  David 
Schlossberg,  Max 
Schmidt,  Alfred  J. 
Schmidt,  William  H. 
Schmitt,  Harry  B. 
Schneid,  Frank 
Schneider,  P.  A. 
Schnell,  C.  H. 
Schommer,  Frank  T. 
Schontz,  Fred  S. 
Schoonover,  Edward  J. 
Schully,  J.  T. 
Schumaker,  George  B. 
Schun,  Joseph  A. 
Schwartz,  Benjamin 
Schwartz,  E.  D. 
Schwartz,  S. 
Schwartzman,  Harry 
Schweiker,  Wm.  H. 
Sciloi,  M. 
Scott,  C.  B. 
Scott,  Joseph  T. 
Seeger,  C. 
Segal,  Jacob 
Segal,  Samuel 
Segall,  Arthur  R. 
Seiberlich,  L.  W. 
Seifert,  Frank  E. 
Seltzer,  Joseph 
Servinski,  Stanislaw 
Shagren,  Andrew  C. 
Shamoff,  Alexander 
Shanton,  Donald  T. 
Sharkey,  Frank 
Shawn,  Samuel  C. 
Sherman,  Max 
Shepherdson,  Geo.  P. 
Sheppman,  John  R. 
Sherlock,  William  D. 
Shetzline,  W.  T. 


255 


Shiver,  Charles  H. 
Shulman,  S. 
Shute,  Nathan 
Sibel,  W. 
Sibel,  William 
Sievers,  William  A. 
Simcoe,  John  J. 
Simcox,  Howard  L. 
Simmons,  C.  H. 
Simon,  D. 
Simon,  H.  G. 
Simpson,  Charles  M. 
Simpson,  George  L. 
Simpson,  John  O. 
Simpson,  Paul  H. 
Siner,  F.  C. 
Siner,  G.  Wesley 
Singer,  Henry  F. 
Sinlowitz,  Morris 
Skinker,  Alexander  B. 
Skivmont,  A. 
Slander,  Felix 
Slane,  Francis  Joseph 
Slatcher,  C.  S. 
Slater,  H. 

Sloan,  Benjamin  H. 
Sloan,  David  A. 
Slook,  G.  H. 
Slugman,  Max 
Smalley,  Alfred  P. 
Smalley,  Jr.,  A.  P. 
Smith,  Albert 
Smith,  B.  V. 
Smith,  Charles  C. 
Smith,  Charles  W. 
Smith,  E. 
Smith,  E.  A. 
Smith,  E.  F. 
Smith,  Frank 
Smith,  Frank 
Smith,  H.  P. 
Smith,  James 
Smith,  James  M. 
Smith,  P.  J. 
Smith,  W. 
Smith,  W.  E. 
Smith,  W.  M. 
Snyder,  Wm.  Miller 
Solly,  Robert  W. 
Solomon,  Samuel 
Somma,  R. 
Souder,  E.  R. 
Spare,  E.  D. 
Speck,  Gerald 
Sperling,  H. 
Spielberg,  H. 
Spirite,  Peter 


Spiro,  J. 
Spitzer,  B.  H. 
Stahl,  J.  W. 
Stange,  Leonard  J. 
Stanley,  W.  H. 
Starkey,  W.  Harold 
Stasuk,  S. 
Stead,  E.  Z. 
Steever,  S.  K. 
Stein,  Jacob 
Stein,  Louis 
Steinmetz,  H.  M. 
Stellar,  Vincent 
Stengel,  Daniel  S. 
Stern,  Milton 
Stevens,  Joseph 
Stevenson,  Elmer  H. 
Stewart,  Clark 
Stewart,  J.  T. 
Stinson,  J.  T. 
Stoe,  A.  J. 
Stone,  John 
Stork,  James  L. 
Stratson,  John 
Straugh,  Fred  R. 
Street,  Abram 
Sturma,  Jr.,  William 
Sukalsky,  Samuel 
Suplee,  Charles 
Suplee,  Edward  F. 
Suplee,  Howard  R. 
Susson,  Samuel 
Sutton,  Marshall  H. 
Swank,  Tebley  T. 
Swartley,  Rolland  W. 
Swiaski,  Alexander 
Swobod,  William  J. 
Swolboda,  W.  J. 
Sykes,  Gomer 

Tadlock,  Ray  H. 
Tamborella,  Michael 
Tarbett,  John  M. 
Taylor,  Amos  R. 
Taylor,  George  M. 
Taylor,  Lewis  A. 
Taylor,  Richard  S. 
Taylor,  Samuel  J. 
Taylor,  William  E. 
Tenanova,  Samuel 
Teter,  Horace  E. 
Thai,  Morris 
Thomas,  Bernard 
Thomas,  Harry  H. 
Thompson,  Albert  L. 
Thompson,  William 
Thompson,  William  C. 


Tiedeken,  Theodore  F. 
Tiefentaylor,  Jas.  J. 
Tighe,  James  T. 
Tindley,  John 
Tinline,  James  H. 
Tirico,  T. 
Tisot,  Rene 
Toramano,  Dominic 
Torco,  John 
Townsend,  David  G. 
Tracy,  Leroy  S. 
Trafficano,  Benjamin 
Trautman,  Gustave  J. 
Travers,  William  H. 
Trebino,  Frank  M. 
Trengrove,  Raymond 
Triplett,  Norman 
Trojan,  Peter 
Trotta,  Samuel  J. 
Trotter,  Thomas  J. 
Truss,  Jules  J. 
Tuck,  Ernest 
Tumas,  Anthony  F. 
Turkan,  Albert  A. 
Turner,  George  A. 
Turner,  W.  J. 

Uleary,  Edward  H. 
Ulrich,  John  A. 
Updike,  John 
Upton,  William 
Urnanis,  Francis 

Vail,  Neal 
Vandergrift,  Jesse 
Vandiver,  Thomas  Del 
Van  Dusen,  E.  Thorpe 
Vandyke,  Edward  J. 
Van  Luvanee,  Jos.  A. 
Vasello,  Joseph 
Ventura,  Michael  C. 
Venziele,  John 
Vere,  Frank  J. 
Veton,  Jacob 
Vetrona,  Michaelo 
Viscusi,  Girolama 
Volpe,  Alexander 

Wagner,  Alfred 
Wagner,  John 
Walker,  Harry 
Walker,  Jacob  C. 
Wallace,  Samuel 
Walls,  J. 
Walsh,  J. 
Walsh,  John  F. 
Walthour,  Taylor  E. 


Waltman,  Norman 
Wankmiller,  Frank 
Wanner,  Alfred  H. 
Waples,  J.  Douglass 
Ward,  Andrew  J. 
Warren,  Arthur  J. 
Warrick,  Linwood 
Warrick,  Thomas 
Warriner,  Herbert 
Warushok,  John 
Wasser,  Charles  R. 
Waterhouse,  Chas.  M. 
Waters,  George  James 
Watson,  Charles  E. 
Watson,  James  C. 
Watson,  John  S. 
Watson,  Joseph  J. 
Watt,  Graham  B. 
Weber,  Alfred 
Weber,  George  J. 
Weber,  Joseph  H. 
Weber,  Stillwell  E. 
Webster,  Thomas  S. 
Weer,  Milton  R. 
Weight,  Charles  E. 
Weisbrod,  Harry 
Weiss,  Richard  G. 
Weiss,  Richard  J. 
Wells,  Andrew  J. 
Wells,  Walter 
Welsh,  Jr.,  John  H. 
Welsh,  John  Williams 
Wentz,  Lemuel  K. 
Wernikove,  Louis 
West,  Dennis 
West,  Gordon  B. 
Wetherstine,  Harry  H. 
Weyersburg,  Walter 
Whaley,  Bobert  A. 
Wheatley,  Richard 
White,  Albert  B. 
White,  James 
White,  John 
White,  William  T. 
Whitehurst,  William 
Whiteside,  Gus 
Whitson,  George  F. 
Whorowski,  Zigmont 
Wiegand,  Walter  J. 
Wilkinson,  Edward 
Wilkinson,  John  B. 
Wilkinson,  Joseph  M. 
Willowitch,  Frank 
Wilson,  Arthur 
Wilson,  Arthur  H. 
Wilson,  David 
Wilson,  John  P.  C. 


256 


Wilson,  Louis  M. 
Wilson,  William  C. 
Wine,  William  E. 
Winnals,  Walter  E. 
Winston,  Erskin 
Witsil,  Earle 
Wolf,  George  R. 
Wolf,  Horace  J. 


Wolfe,  Frederick  P. 
Wolpert,  John  J. 
Wood,  T.  E. 
Wood,  William 
Work,  Jr.,  John  W. 
Worthington,  Frank  E. 
Wright,  Reuben  0. 
Wright,  William  M. 


Wrigley,  Charles  E. 
Wyborski,  Charles  C. 
Wyoitka,  Antonio 

Yannuzzi,  Guiseppe 
Yarak,  John 
Yearsley,  Edward  F. 
Yekle,  Joseph  0. 


Young,  Adolph  L. 

Zack,  Peter 
Zakaroska,  Paul  P. 
Zaun,  Jacob 
Zeissing,  Dan 
Ziegler,  Conrad  W. 
Zuendel,  William  H. 


Memorial  Wreaths,  28th  Division  Parade. 


257 


REPORT  ON  WAR  ACTIVITIES  FOURTH  NAVAL  DISTRICT 
April  6,  1917  to  February  1,  1919 

George  F.  Cooper,  Captain,  U.  S.  N. 

James  A.  Campbell,  Jr.,  Lieutenant-Commander,  U.  S.  N.  (Ret.) 

Frank  J.  Gorman,  Ensign,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F. 

=^5^^^^]  MBUED  with  the  spirit  of  patriotism  which  inspired  the 
founders  of  the  nation  assembled  nearly  a  century  and 
a  half  ago  in  this  city,  the  history  of  the  Fourth  Naval 
District  reads  true  to  the  high  ideals  of  Americanism 
enunciated  when  this  nation  was  born  and  upholds  to 
the  fullest  the  best  traditions  of  the  naval  service. 

From  a  civilian  population,  peace-loving  by  Quaker 
teachings,  there  was  created  a  commissioned  and  enlisted 
personnel  second  to  none,  representatives  of  which  found 
their  way  by  the  ever-changing  needs  of  the  service 
into  every  branch  of  its  activities,  afloat  and  ashore,  at  home  and  abroad.  There 
were  given  to  the  Navy  without  stint  man  power,  money  and  possessions,  that  the 
war  might  be  prosecuted  to  a  successful  conclusion.  Even  industrial  activity 
which  had  its  inception  and  its  existence  in  peaceful  pursuits  was  converted  to 
war-time  needs  and  the  Navy  was  the  recipient  of  this  bounty  and  cooperation. 

On  the  Atlantic  Coast,  from  Barnegat  on  the  north  to  Assateague  on  the 
south  and  backward  into  the  great  industrial,  mining  and  manufacturing  cities, 
and  from  the  largest  to  the  smallest  centers  of  population,  the  people  stood  staunchly 
behind  the  Navy;  no  call  was  unanswered. 

Men  in  every  walk  of  life  dropped  their  normal  pursuits  and  the  flower  of 
young  manhood  forsook  institutions  of  education  to  don  the  Navy  blue.  And 
wherever  assigned  and  to  whatever  duty,  they  acquitted  themselves  honorably, 
ably  and  without  flinching. 

The  intensive  activities  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District  may  be  properly  said 
to  have  had  their  origin  in  the  promulgation  to  the  naval  service  of  the  President's 
Neutrality  Proclamations  of  August  4  and  5,  1914.  These  were  contained  in  the 
Navy  Department's  General  Order  No.  113  of  August  7th,  of  the  same  year. 

The  necessity  for  subdivision  of  control  of  naval  activities  naturally  prompted 
the  system  of  district  organization.  In  making  the  territorial  limitations  of  naval 
districts,  the  established  navy  yards  were  considered  in  conjunction  with  the 
natural  water-ways,  the  ports  that  were  to  be  defended,  and  that  were  to  be  utilized 
for  offensive  military  purposes. 

The  careful  study  and  investigation  made  of  the  subject  were  embodied  in 
concrete  form  in  the  regulations  for  the  government  of  the  naval  districts  of  the 
United  States,  which  were  made  effective  by  the  promulgation  to  the  naval  ser- 
vice of  the  Department's  General  Order  No.  36  on  August  20,  1909.  As  far  as  it 
was  possible,  each  district  contained  one  port  of  recognized  importance,  and  one 
established  navy  yard. 

258 


The  Fourth  District  embraced  the  coast-line  from  Barnegat  Light,  N.  J., 
south  to  Chincoteague  Inlet  in  Virginia,  and  the  Delaware  Bay  and  River.  At  the 
junction  of  the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill  rivers,  and  at  the  southernmost  extremity 
of  the  city  of  Philadelphia  was  located  the  important  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard, 
protected  from  attack,  as  was  the  city  itself,  by  land  forts  on  both  banks  of  the 
Delaware,  manned  by  the  Coast  Artillery  Corps  of  the  United  States  Army. 

The  Fourth  Naval  District's  northern  boundary  extended  in  a  general  north- 
westerly direction  from  Barnegat  to  Trenton,  where  it  intersected  the  boundary 
line  of  Pennsylvania,  which  line  became  the  boundary  of  the  district,  so  that  the 
entire  State  was  included  with  the  exception  of  a  small  section  bordering  on  Lake 
Erie. 

The  district  was  made  to  include  also  the  entire  State  of  Delaware  and  a 
rectangular  portion  of  Maryland  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  southern  boundary 
of  Delaware,  on  the  east  by  the  coast-line,  and  on  the  southwest  by  a  line  drawn 
from  the  southwestern  corner  of  the  State  of  Delaware  southeastward  to  Assa- 
teague.  These  boundaries  remained  fixed,  with  slight  changes,  until  the  end  of 
the  war. 

Before  there  was  even  an  intimation  of  the  great  European  conflict,  and  many 
years  before  there  was  any  thought  that  the  United  States  would  be  engaged  in  it, 
preliminary  information  and  tentative  plans  were  formulated  by  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment for  the  utilization  of  properties  ashore  and  equipment  afloat  as  auxiliaries  to 
the  regular  naval  establishment. 

The  several  commandants  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District,  prior  to  the  war, 
had  in  their  possession  descriptions  of  coast-guard  stations  and  of  lighthouses, 


Photo  by  Replogle. 


Delaware  River  Front. 
259 


Photo  by  Replogle. 


Navy  Yard,  looking  east,  October,  1917. 


with  comments  as  to  their  availability  in  time  of  war  as  naval  patrol  bases  and 
as  visual  signal  and  reporting  stations. 

Data  were  collected  and  corrected  from  time  to  time  as  to  the  vessels  habitually 
found  in  the  district  with  a  view  to  their  conversion  and  employment  in  harbor 
entrance  and  off  shore  patrol  duties,  in  mine-sweeping  and  in  other  necessary 
naval  purposes.  Plans  for  arming  these  auxiliaries,  for  strengthening  their  decks 
for  gun  mounts,  for  fitting  magazines  and  necessary  other  incidental  changes  in 
their  construction  and  equipment  were  perfected  and  standardized. 

Later  on,  when  logical  preparedness  dictated  more  advanced  steps  in  this 
direction,  owners  of  power-boats  constructed  craft  along  the  standard  lines  as 
indicated  by  the  Navy  Department.  In  fact,  the  ultimate  utilization  of  pleasure 
boats  in  the  event  of  war  had  a  marked  effect  upon  the  designs  of  large  sized  power- 
boats constructed  within  recent  years. 

Inland  water  routes  were  investigated  and  charted  and  their  availability  in 
war  times  reported  upon.  The  resources  of  local  ship  repair  yards,  and  particularly 
those  equipped  with  docking  facilities,  ship  chandleries,  wrecking  companies  and 
the  locations  of  wharves  and  docks,  with  depths  of  approaches  thereto,  were  care- 
fully catalogued  for  ready  reference  in  war  time. 

Undefended  harbors  and  possible  landing  places  were  surveyed  with  a  view 

260 


to  their  defense  by  mines  and  mobile  forces.  Anchorages  suitable  for  the  use  of 
district  patrol  vessels  of  deeper  draft  were  gone  over,  while  minor  inlets  and  refuges 
for  small  craft  that  might  serve  an  enemy  purpose  were  not  neglected.  Most 
careful  consideration  was  given  to  the  telephone  and  telegraph  facilities  within  the 
naval  district,  and  what  changes  would  be  necessary  to  adapt  these  systems  to 
strategic  naval  use  with  particular  reference  to  the  extensions  necessary  to  cover 
outlying  points  adequately. 

The  collection  of  information  as  to  privately  owned  and  amateur  operated 
radio  stations  proved  to  be  a  considerable  task,  as  it  was  not  realized  until  this  in- 
vestigation was  concluded  how  widespread  the  amateur  interest  had  become  in  radio 
telegraphy.  It  was  found  that  hundreds  of  these  stations  with  small  antennae  were 
scattered  through  the  district,  not  any  of  them  of  a  considerable  range,  but  all  of 
them  a  detriment  to  the  smooth  and  perfect  operation  of  war-controlled  radio,  and 
capable  of  being  of  service  to  the  enemy  if  operated  by  alien  enemies. 

Statistics  as  to  pilots,  tug  captains  and  local  mariners,  information  as  to 
hospitals,  both  municipal  and  private,  and  their  availability  for  treatment  of 
navy  personnel,  all  found  a  place  in  the  comprehensive  pre-war  data. 

Last,  but  most  important,  as  the  plans  of  the  district  took  shape,  there  were  ap- 
proved tentative  complements  of  personnel  and  plans  for  its  distribution  through- 
out the  Fourth  Naval  District  in  connection  with  possible  war-time  requirements. 

So  that  there  might  be  a  minimum  of  duplicated  defensive  effort,  the  Com- 
manding Officer  of  the  Artillery  District  of  the  Delaware,  comprising  the  fortifica- 
tions at  Fort  DuPont,  Delaware;  Fort  Mott,  New  Jersey;  and  Fort  Delaware, 
Delaware,  furnished  the  Commandant  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District  with  charts, 
plans,  and  data  indicating  the  arcs  of  gun  fire,  the  areas  covered  by  searchlights, 
and  other  necessary  information  concerning  the  defensive  and  offensive  characteris- 
tics of  the  posts  under  his  command. 

The  presence  in  the  port  of  Philadelphia  of  the  interned  German  ships  Prinz 
Oskar  and  Rhaetia,  and  of  the  Austrian  steamship  Franconia,  and  the  operations 
of  the  commercial  radio  stations  at  Cape  May  and  on  the  Wanamaker  Building, 
and  of  the  transatlantic  station  at  Tuckerton,  N.  J.,  imposed  upon  the  Navy 
the  necessity  of  carrying  out  the  instructions  contained  in  the  orders  of  the  Secre- 
tary dated  January  1,  1915,  and  as  subsequently  modified  April  21,  1915  and 
March  3,  1916. 

These  instructions  prohibited  the  transmission  of  any  information  by  radio 
that  might  be  considered  as  unneutral  in  character.  It  prohibited  the  receipt  or 
transmission  of  cipher  or  code  messages  from  ship  stations  of  belligerent  nations 
by  any  radio  shore  station.  Communication  of  any  character  with  warships 
or  belligerent  nations  was  prohibited  except  calls  of  distress,  messages  relating  to 
weather,  or  hydrographic  information.  Operating  companies  were  charged  with 
the  responsibility  for  the  enforcement  of  these  regulations  where  such  companies 
were  neutral,  but  in  the  case  of  the  transatlantic  station  at  Tuckerton  which 
operated  with  certain  other  commercial  stations  in  Germany,  navy  censors  were 
stationed  to  prevent  the  transmission  of  unneutral  matter  between  that  country 
and  the  United  States.  Lieutenant  E.  A.  Lichtenstein,  U.  S.  N.,  was  assigned  to 
this  duty. 

The  first  officer  ordered  to  duty  in  the  Fourth  Naval  District  in  connection 
with  the  enforcement  of  the  President's  Neutrality  Proclamation  was  Lieutenant 

261 


Charles  H.  Bullock,  U.  S.  N.,  who  reported  January  12, 1916.  This  officer  was  made 
responsible  for  the  inspection  and  sealing  of  radio  outfits  on  board  belligerent  and 
neutral  vessels  arriving  at  the  port  of  Philadelphia,  and  for  the  suppression  of 
unneutral  activities  of  the  amateur  and  commercial  stations  in  the  district.  Of 
the  latter  there  were  two,  one  on  the  Wanamaker  Building,  Philadelphia,  the  other 
the  Marconi  Station  at  Cape  May,  N.  J.  In  addition,  he  was  charged  with  the 
inspection,  at  least  once  a  week,  of  the  German  steamers  Prinz  Oskar  and 
Rhaetia,  and  the  Austrian  steamer  Franconia. 

The  work  rapidly  assumed  larger  proportions  and  [inasmuch  as  Lieutenant 
Bullock  was  also  in  charge  of  the  Hydrographic  Office,  Lieutenant  H.  H.  Porter, 
U.  S.  N.  (Ret.),  and  Ensign  Earl  W.  Jukes,  U.  S.  N.  (Ret.),  were  assigned  to  the 
duties  of  the  neutrality  enforcement,  and  made  their  headquarters  at  the  branch 
hydrographic  office. 

In  1916  Captain  Robert  L.  Russell,  U.  S.  N.,  was  Commandant  of  the  Fourth 
Naval  District,  and  of  the  Navy  Yard,  Philadelphia,  as  well.  In  October  of  that 
year  the  district  pre-war  activities  became  so  numerous  that  Ensign  Jukes  was 
detached  from  the  branch  hydrographic  office,  and  was  ordered  as  aide  to  the  com- 
mandant of  the  Fourth  Naval  District.  George  W.  Carney,  who  had  previously 
been  designated  as  Chief  Clerk  to  the  Commandant  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District, 
assisted  materially  in  the  preparation  of  the  revised  plans  and  the  statistics  found 
necessary  by  the  changed  conditions  due  to  later  developments.    The  necessary 


'-WflPW.*--'*''     ' 


Photo  by  Replogle 


A  Dry  Dock  at  the  Navy  Yard,  October,  1917. 
262 


clerical  assistance  at  that  time  did  not  keep  pace  with  the  rapid  increase  of  work 
and  John  Heisler,  chief  clerk  to  the  Commandant  of  the  Navy  Yard,  cooperated 
with  the  district  force  by  placing  his  clerical  organization  at  its  disposal  whenever 
possible. 

The  plans  for  the  use  of  physical  property  and  floating  equipment  were 
practically  completed,  and  toward  the  end  of  the  year  the  war  slate,  which 
embraced  the  assignment  of  reserve  and  retired  officers  to  war  duty  was  com- 
pleted after  frequent  conferences  with  Captain  G.  R.  Marvell,  U.  S.  N.,  who  was 
then  Director  of  Naval  Districts,  with  headquarters  in  Washington. 

Utilization  of  coast-guard  stations  was  the  subject  of  considerable  correspon- 
dence between  the  Commandant  and  Captain  F.  S.  Boskerch,  U.  S.  C.G.,  with  head- 
quarters at  Atlantic  City,  and  who  was  in  charge  of  the  coast-guard  stations  located 
within  the  district. 

The  necessity  for  control  over  and  censorship  of  radio  activities  was  early 
recognized,  and  plans  were  formulated  for  taking  over  the  commercial  radio 
stations  in  the  district,  and  for  the  dismantling  of  amateur  stations.  This  followed 
the  appointment  in  December,  1916,  of  Ensign  Jukes  as  Aide  for  Information  and 
District  Communication  Superintendent  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District.  On  April 
11,  1917,  Lieutenant  James  A.  Campbell,  Jr.,  was  assigned  to  duty  as  Communica- 
tion Officer  at  the  Navy  Yard  and  on  June  13th  relieved  Ensign  Jukes  as  District 
Communication  Superintendent. 

In  the  early  part  of  1917  the  expedient  of  borrowing  yeomen  from  the  receiving 
ship  to  perform  the  necessary  clerical  duties  in  connection  with  the  district  proved 
unsatisfactory.  Effort  was  made  to  enroll  yeomen  in  the  naval  reserve  force,  but 
with  no  definite  prospect  of  war,  the  reserve  force  did  not  prove  attractive.  Finally 
on  March  2,  1917,  Clarence  G.  Supplee,  the  first  man  enrolled  in  the  reserve  force 
of  the  Fourth  Naval  District,  was  accepted  and  reported  for  active  duty  the  follow- 
ing day.  He  was  later  commissioned  as  ensign  in  the  reserve  force,  and  performed 
valuable  duty  at  the  District  Headquarters.  Captain  Harrison  A.  Bispham,  U.  S.  N. 
(Ret.),  reported  for  duty  in  the  Fourth  Naval  District  on  March  15,  1917.  On 
March  28th,  on  the  eve  of  the  declaration  of  war,  Captain  George  F.  Cooper, 
U.  S.  N.,  reported  as  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District,  and  immediately 
undertook  with  zeal  the  organization  of  the  forces,  and  the  further  development 
of  the  plans  for  the  establishment  of  the  naval  district  organization  on  a  war 
footing. 

International  developments  followed  rapidly  at  this  time,  and  with  the  war 
but  a  matter  of  formality,  a  recruiting  rally  was  held  in  the  reception  room  of  the 
Mayor  of  Philadelphia  in  City  Hall  on  March  20,  1917.  Publicity  was  given  to 
the  need  for  recruits,  and  citizens  were  requested  to  assist  immediately  in  the 
recruiting  campaign  that  was  opened  in  the  same  room  the  following  day. 

The  plans  previously  formulated  for  the  organization  of  the  naval  reserve 
force  were  outlined  at  the  meeting  by  Captain  Bispham,  representing  the  command- 
ant of  the  Fourth  Naval  District.  The  Mayor  of  Philadelphia,  Thomas  B.  Smith, 
pledged  the  city's  loyalty  and  cooperation  as  did  others  prominent  in  civic  affairs 
and  in  the  activities  of  the  German-American  Society. 

The  publicity  given  at  this  meeting  gave  great  impetus  to  the  work  of  traveling 
recruiting  parties  sent  throughout  the  Fourth  Naval  District. 

While  the  actual  enrolments  were  not  commenced  until  late  in  March,  the 

263 


headquarters  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District,  when  war  seemed  probable,  was  flooded 
with  verbal,  written  and  telephonic  offers  from  men  in  every  walk  of  life,  and  of 
every  occupation.  Owners  of  power-boats  and  of  steam  yachts  hastened  to  ascer- 
tain whether  their  particular  craft  could  be  utilized,  and  whether  they  could  or 
could  not  was  paramount  over  the  conditions  under  which  the  Government  would 
accept  them. 

Palatial  pleasure  craft  were  offered  to  the  .Government  outright,  and  in  order 
to  give  the  acceptance  formality,  a  dollar  a  year  contract  was  formulated,  giving 
the  Government  the  use  of  vessels  that  could  not  have  been  chartered  in  peace 
times  for  thousands  of  times  that  amount.  These  offers  were  carefully  catalogued 
and  their  availability  was  determined  in  advance  by  the  Joint  Board  of  Inspection 
of  Merchant  Vessels,  Commander  C.  P.  Nelson,  U.  S.  N.,  senior  member. 

When  the  declaration  of  war  actually  was  made  it  found  the  district  in  posses- 
sion of  much  auxiliary  material  which  needed  only  the  formality  of  taking  over. 

Coincident  with  the  perfection  of  organization  of  the  district,  and  while  the 
nation's  activities  were  restricted  to  those  of  purely  a  defensive  nature,  merchant 
ships  were  equipped  with  guns  for  defense  against  German  submarines  if  attacked. 

The  first  of  the  armed  guard  crews  which  manned  and  operated  these  defense 
batteries  was  commanded  by  commissioned  officers  of  the  United  States  Navy.  As 
the  armed  guard  crews  became  thoroughly  drilled  in  their  duties,  command  was 
given  to  warrant  officers  and  to  chief  petty  officers.  The  mounting  of  these  guns, 
the  preparation  of  suitable  ammunition  rooms,  the  installation  of  fire  control, 
the  fitting  out  of  augmented  crews'  quarters  on  the  ships  that  cleared  from  this  port 
and  the  training  and  assignment  of  gun  crews,  constituted  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant of  the  pre-war  activities. 

During  the  entire  period  of  the  war,  due  to  the  large  number  of  ships  building 
on  the  Delaware,  and  by  the  large  increase  in  shipping  entering  and  clearing  the 
ports  of  Philadelphia,  Chester  and  Wilmington,  this  continued  to  be  a  most  im- 
portant function  of  the  district. 

As  international  complications  might  be  precipitated  at  any  time  by  the  actions 
of  these  crews,  the  men  assigned  were  carefully  selected  with  regard  to  their  train- 
ing and  dependability. 

The  first  ships  so  outfitted  that  cleared  the  Fourth  Naval  District  were  the 
steamships  Polarine  and  Petrolite  on  March  14,  1917. 

The  training  of  armed  guard  crews  was  carried  on  at  the  Navy  Yard,  Phila- 
delphia, under  the  direction  of  Commander  H.  T.  Kays,  U.  S.  N.,  and  later 
Lieutenant  C.  H.  Stoer,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.  In  all  120  such  crews  were  trained.  Of 
this  number  forty-three  guards  were  placed  on  merchant  vessels,  twenty-six  were 
sent  to  vessels  of  the  Naval  Overseas  Transportation  Service  for  manning  the 
batteries  of  those  vessels;  twenty-seven  were  transferred  overseas  and  to  other 
stations,  and  twenty-four  complete  armed  guards,  thoroughly  trained,  and  ready 
for  immediate  assignment  to  merchant  vessels  were  awaiting  orders  at  the  time 
the  armistice  was  signed.  Batteries,  necessary  fire  control  apparatus  and  am- 
munition stowage  facilities  were  installed  on  thirty-three  merchant  vessels  touching 
atthispoii. 

After  preying  upon  Allied  commerce  in  the  Western  Atlantic  the  German 
raiders,  Prinz  EM  Friedrich  and  Kronprinz  Wilhelm,  made  port  at  Norfolk,  and 
as  they  remained  there  beyond  the  time  prescribed  by  international  law,  they 

264 


were  interned  at  the  Navy  Yard.  Temporary  living  quarters  were  established 
ashore,  wooden  huts  being  constructed  for  the  accommodation  of  the  officers  and 
crew.  The  necessity  for  room  at  the  Norfolk  Navy  Yard  and  the  advantage  of 
having  the  hulls,  while  idle,  rest  in  fresh  water,  caused  the  transfer  of  these  two 
ships  from  Norfolk  to  the  Navy  Yard,  Philadelphia.  They  were  moored  in  the 
reserve  basin.  The  huts  were  transferred  and  reerected  within  the  Government 
Reservation  on  the  south  shore,  and  these  quarters  were  afterwards  generally 
referred  to  as  the  "German  Village." 

As  the  relations  with  Germany  became  more  delicate  it  was  felt  that  the 
presence  of  the  men  and  officers  of  the  ships  constituted  a  menace  to  the  large 
industrial  and  naval  establishment  at  the  Navy  Yard.  Accordingly  they  were 
interned  at  Fort  Oglethorpe,  Georgia. 

Until  the  actual  declaration  of  war  made  it  possible  for  the  United  States 
Government  to  take  physical  possession  of  these  ships,  which  had  the  status  of 
men-of-war,  it  was  not  possible  to  prevent  the  crews  from  doing  serious  damage 
to  the  machinery. 

Formal  notice  that  a  state  of  war  existed  between  the  United  States  and 
Germany  was  received  here  at  4  p.m.  on  April  6,  1917.  Three  words  flashed  over 
the  telegraph  wires  from  Washington  simultaneously  to  every  Naval  District 
started  the  war. 

It  had  been  understood  in  advance  that  upon  receipt  of  these  three  words 
"Mobilize  war  slate,"  all  prearranged  war  activities  should  be  set  in  motion. 
Following  the  receipt  of  this  message  telegrams  were  sent  immediately  to  all 
officers  on  the  retired  list  ordering  them  to  report  for  duty  at  their  predetermined 
stations. 

All  naval  reservists  who  had  been  enrolled  were  ordered  to  report  at  the 
Receiving  Ship,  Navy  Yard.  The  Navy  Yard  was  closed  to  the  public,  guards 
doubled,  and  everything  placed  upon  a  war  footing. 

It  became  necessary  immediately  to  establish  a  Communication  Office  at  the 
Navy  Yard,  and  on  the  night  of  the  day  that  the  President  declared  that  a  state  of 
war  existed  between  Germany  and  the  United  States  of  America,  the  following 
officers  reported  for  communication  duty:  Lieutenant  Joseph  L.  Tinney, 
U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  Ensign  Frank  J.  Gorman,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  Ensign  William  H. 
Morse,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  and  Ensign  William  S.  Baker,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.  These 
officers  were  immediately  placed  upon  a  continuous  communication  watch. 

Lieutenant  H.  R.  Leonard,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  had  reported  some  days  previous  to 
the  outbreak  of  the  war,  and  had  been  given  duty  in  connection  with  the  mobiliza- 
tion of  what  was  then  the  National  Naval  Volunteers  and  Naval  Militia.  Lieu- 
tenant Leonard  formulated  plans  for  the  quartering  of  these  bodies  of  men,  but 
the  number  that  actually  came  to  Philadelphia  subsequently  was  so  far  in  excess 
of  anything  that  had  been  anticipated  that  it  was  found  necessary  to  use  the 
battleships  Iowa,  Indiana  and  Massachusetts  as  tenders  to  the  receiving  ship. 

The  headquarters  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District  were  originally  located  in  the 
old  Board  Room  Building  No.  6,  Navy  Yard,  and  the  small  private  office  belonging 
to  the  inspection  officer  was  occasionally  used. 

The  business  of  the  district  grew  by  leaps  and  bounds.  To  meet  the  increased 
demand  for  accommodations,  the  Commandant  directed  that  the  entire  northern 

265 


end  of  Building  No.  7  should  be  outfitted  as  the  headquarters  of  the  Fourth  Naval 
District. 

The  conditions  concerning  administrative  work  there  were  anything  but 
ideal.  Partitions  separated  one  office  from  another,  hastily  constructed  of  un- 
matched boards.  Yard  locomotives  hauling  stores,  traveling  cranes,  liberty 
parties,  companies  leaving  ships  for  drill,  wagons  and  automobiles  contributed 
to  the  medley  of  noise  that  characterized  the  initial  days  of  activity  around  the 
district  offices. 

With  but  little  improvement  in  surroundings  the  headquarters  continued  in 
this  building  until  March  of  1918,  when  they  were  moved  to  the  S.  S.  White  Build- 
ing, 12th  and  Chestnut  streets.  The  constant  growth  and  the  diversity  of  the 
activities  of  the  district  were  recognized  by  the  Department  on  April  27,  1917, 
when  Captain  George  F.  Cooper,  U.  S.  N.,  was  appointed  Commandant  of  the 
Fourth  Naval  District,  relieving  Captain  Bobert  L.  Bussell,  U.  S.  N.  Captain 
Bussell,  as  Commandant  of  the  Navy  Yard,  was  relieved  shortly  there  after  by 
Bear-Admiral  Benjamin  Tappan,  U.  S.  N.  (Bet.),  leaving  the  activities  of  the  yard 
and  the  district  under  separate  administrative  control,  where  previously  it  had 
been  concentrated  in  the  hands  of  one  command. 

Captain  Cooper  continued  as  Commandant  until  February  9,  1918,  when 
Bear- Admiral  James  M.  Helm,  U.  S.  N.,  reported  as  Commandant.  This  change 
was  the  result  of  the  policy  outlined  by  the  Navy  Department  to  have  flag  officers 
as  Commandants  of  all  the  Naval  Districts. 

The  declaration  that  a  state  of  war  existed  immediately  released  for  action 
all  pre-war  plans,  and  with  a  district  organization  that  was  only  in  process  of  forma- 
tion the  initial  steps  to  carry  them  out  were  undertaken.  On  the  day  preceding 
the  actual  declaration,  the  President  of  the  United  States,  in  his  capacity  as  Com- 
mander-in-Chief of  the  Army  and  Navy,  published  an  executive  order  establishing 
defensive  sea  areas.  The  area  defined  in  the  proclamation  had  as  its  outer  limit 
a  line  drawn  east  and  west  through  the  north  end  of  Beedy  Island,  and  as  its  inner 
limit  a  line  drawn  east  and  west  through  Finns  Neck  Bear  Bange  Light.  At  the 
same  time  regulations  were  promulgated  for  carrying  into  effect  the  executive  order 
of  the  President.  It  was  ordered  that  any  vessel  desiring  to  cross  the  defensive 
sea  area  should  proceed  to  the  vicinity  of  the  entrance  of  the  proper  channel, 
flying  her  national  colors  and  displaying  identification  signal  letters,  and  "there 
await  communication  with  the  harbor  entrance  patrol."  The  entrances  to  defen- 
sive sea  areas  referred  to  in  the  Fourth  Naval  District  were  designated  as  follows: 
for  incoming  vessels  the  channel  below  Beedy  Island,  and  for  outgoing  vessels 
the  channel  off  Newcastle,  Pa. 

The  promulgation  of  this  order  immediately  imposed  upon  the  district  the 
establishment  of  a  harbor  entrance  patrol.  To  carry  out  this  order,  the  U.  S.  S. 
Beak  was  ordered,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  to  duty  as  senior  patrol  ship  in  the 
defensive  sea  area.  She  took  up  a  mooring  on  the  east  side  of  the  channel  on 
Newcastle  Bange  abeam  of  the  wharf  at  Fort  Delaware,  on  Peapatch  Island. 
At  this  time  a  submarine  net  was  placed  across  the  Delaware  Biver  from  Peapatch 
Island  to  shoal  water  on  the  east  side.  This  net  had  a  movable  gate  600  feet  long, 
which  was  closed  at  sundown  and  opened  at  sunrise,  ship  traffic  being  suspended 
after  nightfall.  The  net  was  placed  by  the  United  States  Army  and  operated  by 
the  Navy.    To  open  the  gate  the  end  was  swung  up  or  down  stream  according  as 

266 


tide  conditions  favored,  by  the  tugs  Indian,  Bernard  and  Visitor,  and  moored  to  buoys. 
This  net  was  destroyed  by  ice  in  the  winter  of  1917-18  and  was  not  replaced. 

The  war  had  been  in  progress  but  one  day  when  two  scout  patrol  vessels 
were  placed  in  commission,  the  U.  S.  S.  Arawan,  S.P.  No.  1,  and  the  U.  S.  S.  Petrel, 
S.  P.  No.  59.  On  April  11th  the  Commandant  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District  ordered 
the  S.  P.  Arawan  to  duty  in  connection  with  the  patrol  of  the  submarine  net. 
After  reporting  to  the  U.  S.  S.  Beale  she  took  station  below  Finns  Point,  Delaware, 
where  she  was  used  for  boarding  purposes.  The  U.  S.  Coast  Guard  Tender  Guthrie 
about  the  same  time  was  ordered  to  similar  duty. 

The  Delaware  River  section  was  organized  April  17,  1917,  under  the  command 
of  Commander  F.  W.  Hoffman,  N.  N.  V. ;  his  jurisdiction  was  defined  to  extend 
from  Fourteen  Foot  Light  to  Trenton,  N.  J. 

Cooperative  efforts  between  the  army  authorities,  charged  with  the  land 
defenses  of  the  Delaware,  and  the  naval  authorities  were  early  developed.  The 
codes  in  use  in  each  branch  of  the  service  were  interchanged,  so  that  secrecy  of 
communication  might  be  safeguarded.  Reedy  Island  was  subsequently  established 
as  the  headquarters  of  the  Delaware  River  section  afloat,  and  recognition  signals 
of  all  incoming  vessels  were  demanded  at  Fort  Delaware  and  also  by  the  Harbor 
Defense  Area  Patrol  Squadron,  which  was  constantly  in  touch  with  Reedy  Island, 
located  five  miles  below  the  fort.  Direct  telephone  communications  between  this 
station  and  Fort  Delaware  were  established  and  from  the  reporting  station's 
outpost  position  it  was  possible  to  notify  the  fort  long  in  advance  of  the  approach 
of  any  hostile  craft.  Actual  tests  proved  that  this  information  could  be  trans- 
mitted, the  batteries  manned  and  fire  drawn  within  three  seconds.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  in  actual  operations  during  the  entire  war,  the  Harbor  Defense  Area  Patrol 
intercepted  all  shipping  and  satisfied  itself  of  its  friendly  intent  before  it  was 
allowed  to  proceed  to  within  range  of  the  forts.  Ships  not  equipped  with  the 
recognition  signals  issued  by  the  Navy  were  boarded  and  made  subject  to  the 
process  of  port  examination.  When  German  submarines  commenced  operations 
off  the  coast,  the  Army  authorities  were  immediately  apprised  of  their  proximity, 
and  throughout  the  entire  war  the  closest  cooperation  existed  between  the  Army 
authorities  and  the  Naval  forces. 

The  immediate  defensive  needs  of  the  great  water  course  having  been  cared 
for,  plans  were  hastened  for  the  extension  of  the  military  control,  both  offensively 
and  defensively,  for  the  entire  district.  It  was  recognized  at  once  that  the  strategi- 
cal points  on  the  north  and  south  ends  of  the  entrance  to  the  Delaware  Ray  should 
be  the  centers  of  activity  for  the  forces  afloat.  Cold  Spring  Inlet,  Cape  May, 
furnished  an  ideal  mooring  for  patrol  vessels  and  larger  craft  drawing  up  to  eighteen 
feet.  The  Delaware  Rreakwater,  with  its  sheltered  harbor  of  refuge,  similarly 
recommended  itself  as  a  base  for  district  vessels.  To  the  north  of  Cape  May  as 
far  as  Rarnegat  and  to  the  south  of  Cape  Henlopen  as  far  as  Assateague  the  coast- 
guard stations  were  immediately  brought  under  naval  control.  Connected  by  an 
intercommunicating  telephone  system  and  furnishing  at  once  a  personnel  trained 
in  observation  and  in  action,  the  two  flanks  of  the  Delaware  Ray  were  thus  at 
once  guarded  by  observation.  The  value  of  Cape  May  was  further  enhanced 
by  established  means  of  rail,  telephone  and  telegraphic  communications,  and  by 
the  presence  and  immediate  availability  of  the  Marconi  Radio  Station,  which  was 
at  once  taken  over  and  manned  by  Navy  personnel. 

267 


Ten  days  after  the  declaration  of  war,  Lieutenant  Commander  F.  A.  Savage, 
N.  N.  V.,  and  his  Aide,  Ensign  Julius  Zieget,  N.  N.  V.,  were  ordered  to  proceed  to 
Cape  May  to  organize  the  section.  Upon  arrival  the  following  day  they  were  met 
by  Assistant  Paymaster  H.  W.  Peacock,  Jr.,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  and  Pay  Clerk  D.  N. 
Miller,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  and  headquarters  were  established  in  room  137,  Columbia 
Hotel.  A  group  of  buildings  bordering  on  Cold  Spring  Inlet  and  known  as  "  Sewell's 
Point  Amusement  Pavilion, "  was  determined  upon  as  the  site  for  the  section  base. 
About  the  middle  of  May,  1917,  the  contractual  formalities  were  concluded  and 
the  Navy  undertook  the  conversion  of  what  had  been  a  fun  factory  into  an  adequate 
headquarters  for  naval  operation.  With  an  adaptability  that  was  most  commend- 
able, the  so-called  "Fun  Factory"  was  demolished  so  that  its  housing  might 
constitute  a  barracks.  The  "Barrel  of  Fun,"  a  cylindrical  structure  weighing  about 
five  tons,  was  jacked  up  on  skids  and  rolled  out  of  the  building,  where  an  iron 
door  was  fitted,  this  completing  its  conversion  into  a  brig.  The  "Human  Roulette 
Table"  was  converted  into  a  scrub  table,  and  the  "Cave  of  the  Winds"  became 
the  guardhouse.  Most  of  this  conversion  was  done  by  ship's  force,  and  it  was 
typical  of  the  "  Win-the-War  "  spirit  that  college  graduates  became  pick  and  shovel 
men,  architects  and  draftsmen  became  carpenters  and  every  kind  of  skilled  force 
turned  to  with  the  will  to  assist  in  the  labor. 

Commander  Savage  continued  as  Commanding  Officer  of  the  Section  Base 
until  April  4, 1918.  On  December  5,  1917,  Captain  F.  J.  Haake,  U.  S.  C.  G.,  was 
ordered  to  duty  in  command  of  the  forces  afloat.  In  April,  1918,  Captain  Haake 
was  also  ordered  as  Commander  of  Cape  May  section,  relieving  Commander 
Savage. 

During  the  continuity  of  the  operations  of  enemy  submarines,  Captain  Har- 
rison A.  Bispham,  U.  S.  N.  (Ret.),  was  detailed  as  Commander  of  the  district  patrols, 
with  his  headquarters  at  the  Cape  May  Section  Base.  He  was  succeeded  by 
Commander  J.  B.  Patton,  U.  S.  N.  (Ret.),  when  Captain  Bispham  was  detailed  as 
Commandant  of  the  naval  unit  of  the  student  army  training  corps  at  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania. 

The  expeditious  results  accomplished  in  the  establishment  of  a  section  base  at 
Cape  May  were  duplicated  at  Lewes,  Delaware,  it  being  intended  that  this  base 
should  guard  the  southern  entrance  to  the  Bay,  while  Cape  May  protected  the 
north  end. 

Shortly  after  noon  on  April  12,  1917,  a  board  consisting  of  Paymaster  R.  T. 
Jellet,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  Lieutenant  F.  F.  Boyd,U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  and  Pay  Clerk 
M.  A.  Hunt,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  met  in  Lewes  with  James  Thompson,  the  Mayor 
of  the  city,  and  considered  the  availability  of  properties  located  about  one  mile 
west  of  Cape  Henlopen,  Delaware,  as  a  base  for  mine-sweeping  operations. 
Lieutenant  Commander  Earl  Farwell,  N.  N.  V.,  Lieutenant  (j.g.)  H.  T.  Williams, 
Assistant  Surgeon  J.  T.  White,  Ensign  J.  L.  Murray  and  Ensign  S.  H.  McSherry, 
U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  were  the  first  officers  to  arrive,  and  headquarters  were  immedi- 
ately established  in  the  Federal  Building,  at  Lewes. 

The  outfitting  of  vessels  for  district  service  progressed  rapidly  at  the  Navy  Yard, 
and  as  these  vessels  became  available,  they  were  manned  by  naval  reservists  fresh 
from  civil  life  and  with  little  training  or  experience  in  naval  affairs,  except  what  had 
been  secured  in  amateur  yachting  or  in  previously  organized  auxiliary  training 
schools.      In   this  connection  mention  might  be  made  of  the  training  cruise 

268 


made  by  naval  reservists  during  the  preceding  summer,  when  through  the  efforts 
of  Thomas  Newhall  and  W.  Barklie  Henry,  both  of  whom  subsequently  became 
Lieutenant  Commanders  in  the  reserve  force,  regular  naval  vessels  were  made 
available  for  training  purposes.  The  needs  of  the  service  brought  into  active 
service  many  of  those  who  had  taken  advantage  of  this  short  course.  The  need  for 
commissioned  personnel  was  immediate,  and  it  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  give  a 
commissioned  rank  to  those  whose  knowledge  of  navigation  had  been  obtained  on 
navigational  cruises  conducted  under  the  direction  of  officers  detailed  from  the 
regular  service  to  regular  yachting  organizations,  among  which  were  the  associations 
embraced  in  what  was  known  as  the  Delaware  River  Yacht  Racing  Association. 
Many  of  those  who  entered  the  service  as  enlisted  men  were  subsequently  com- 
missioned, after  the  completion  of  courses  at  training  schools  established  at  the 
various  bases;  they  constituted  a  considerable  contribution  to  the  service  corps  of 
commissioned  officers,  and  saw  duty  far  outside  the  confines  of  the  Fourth  Naval 
District. 

The  department  originally  planned  class  four  of  the  reserve  force  for  duty 
within  naval  districts,  but  the  plan  of  confining  the  activities  of  such  promising 
personnel  within  naval  district  boundaries  was  soon  recognized  to  be  not  feasible 
and  to  be  restrictive  of  the  opportunities  of  these  men.  All  who  had  so  enrolled 
were  given  an  opportunity  to  volunteer  for  general  service  without  restriction  as  to 
territorial  limits,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  pride  that  the  personnel  in  this  class  in  the 
Fourth  District  volunteered  almost  without  exception. 

The  mobilization  of  what  were  then  the  National  Naval  Volunteers  and  the 
tremendous  recruiting  that  was  under  way  at  the  outset  of  the  war  soon  exhausted 
the  receiving  ship's  facilities  at  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard.  It  was  felt  that  the 
activities  at  the  section  bases,  both  offensively  and  defensively,  would  be  interfered 
with  by  paralleling  their  well-defined  purposes  with  a  training  station  of  sufficient 
size  to  take  care  of  the  incoming  raw  recruits. 

The  activities  of  the  receiving  ship  at  the  Navy  Yard  were  concentrated  largely 
toward  meeting  drafts  for  personnel  for  duty  abroad  and  for  the  replacement  of 
personnel  aboard  vessels  of  the  fleet;  and  it  was  constantly  transferring  trained 
personnel  overseas  and  to  armed  guard  details.  A  distributing  barracks  and 
receiving  ship  for  the  Fourth  Naval  District  were  early  found  to  be  essential  to  the 
district  activities;  the  Municipal  Pier,  No.  19  North  Wharves,  Delaware  River, 
which  was  opened  May  28,  1917,  as  the  District  Supply  Department,  was  later  also 
used  as  a  distributing  barracks  for  district  forces. 

Through  the  District  Supply  Department  the  various  bases  were  outfitted  as 
they  were  established,  and  during  the  war  the  entire  district  organization  and  its 
outlying  activities,  together  with  the  district  vessels,  were  supplied. 

The  Massachusetts,  Indiana  and  Iowa  were  supplied  when  stationed  here  as 
tenders  to  the  receiving  ship,  as  were  the  U.  S.  S.  Savannah,  as  flagship  of  the  Com- 
mander, Division  Eight,  Submarine  Force,  and  the  destroyers  and  subchasers  that 
constituted  the  several  hunt  squadrons. 

A  total  of  165,161  items  was  handled  aggregating  12,257,664  pounds. 

Out  of  the  Naval  Emergency  Fund  "for  the  purpose  of  training  members  of  the 
Naval  Reserve  Force  for  vessels  of  the  coast  patrol"  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  on 
May  22,  1917,  allotted  $780,000  for  the  construction  of  training  stations.  The 
Naval  Training  Association  of  the  United  States,  which  was  the  result  of  the 

269 


battleship  cruise  in  1916,  greatly  aided  in  the  establishment  of  these  naval  training 
stations.  That  the  Fourth  Naval  District  received  so  generous  a  share  of  the 
total  amount  available  was  largely  through  the  untiring  efforts  of  Lieutenant- 
Commander  Thomas  Newhall,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  who,  prior  to  his  enrolment  in  the 
service,  worked  indefatigably  to  secure  a  large  training  station  for  this  district. 

Six  days  after  the  larger  fund  was  set  aside,  $300,000  was  apportioned  for  the 
establishment  of  proper  facilities  in  this  district.  Later  an  additional  sum  of 
$30,000  was  added.  It  was  understood  that  none  of  this  money  was  to  be  expended 
for  the  purchase  of  ground  and  it  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  secure  a  contribution 
of  a  site.  Professor  William  Easby,  Jr.,  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
H.  S.  Farquhar,  a  civil  engineer,  volunteered  their  services  as  a  selection  board,  and 
after  considering  the  suitability  of  three  sites  from  the  standpoint  of  health  and 
accessibility  to  naval  centers,  determined  upon  a  farm  near  Cape  May  owned  by 
Messrs.  Henry  Ford  and  James  Cuzens  of  Detroit,  Mich.  This  ground,  which 
became  the  site  of  Wissahickon  Barracks,  was  leased  to  the  Government  for  the  sum 
of  one  dollar  per  annum.  The  original  purpose  of  Wissahickon  Barracks  was 
broadened  by  the  necessities  of  the  service,  and  it  contributed  trained  personnel  to 
the  Navy  without  regard  to  any  consideration  except  its  needs.  There  were  estab- 
lished at  Wissahickon  Barracks  an  officers'  material  school  and  schools  for  training 
coxswains,  quartermasters,  gunners'  mates,  yeomen,  hospital  corpsmen  and  armed 
guard.  1,529  men  were  received  from  other  stations  and  6,577  recruits  were 
received,  making  a  total  of  8,106.  Of  this  number  897  graduated  from  the  armed 
guard  school  and  saw  duty  in  this  capacity  afloat.  The  remainder  were  transferred 
throughout  the  district  to  meet  the  needs  of  its  activities  and  to  the  listeners'  school 
at  New  London,  Conn.,  signal  school,  Hampton  Roads,  Va.,  and  engineering 
school  for  officers  at  Pelham  Bay,  and  elsewhere. 

The  outfitting  of  district  vessels  kept  pace  with  the  other  rapidly  expanding 
activities  of  the  district,  and  at  the  end  of  April,  but  three  weeks  after  war  was 
declared,  eight  district  patrol  craft  were  in  commission.  The  first  scout  patrol 
vessel  to  pass  out  the  Delaware  Capes  during  war  time  was  the  U.  S.  S.  Nevada, 
S.  P.  64,  which  patrolled  the  waters  of  the  district  north  of  Cape  May  to  Barnegat. 
This  cruise  served  a  double  purpose,  in  encouraging  recruiting  in  coast  towns.  The 
promptness  of  the  response  to  calls  for  pleasure  boats  for  conversion  as  scout  patrol 
vessels  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  during  the  month  of  May  eighteen  additional 
vessels  were  placed  in  commission.  The  rapidly  increasing  district  forces  afloat 
made  it  possible  to  establish  harbor  entrance  patrols  to  the  northward  and  to  the 
southward,  so  that  any  hostile  craft  might  be  intercepted. 

Similarly  expeditious  results  were  accomplished  in  the  commencement  of 
mine-sweeping  operations  in  the  Fourth  Naval  District. 

On  June  14,  1917,  but  two  months  after  commencement  of  hostilities,  the 
channel  from  Brown's  Shoal  buoys  to  Overfalls  Light  Vessel  was  swept  by  the 
U.  S.  S.  McKeever  Brothers,  S.  P.  684,  the  U.  S.  S.  McKeever,  S.  P.  683  and  the  U.  S.  S. 
Rehoboth,  then  known  as  M.  S.  No.  1,  which  was  subsequently  ordered  overseas 
and  foundered  off  the  English  coast.  Mine-sweeping  operations  were  continued 
with  vigor,  thoroughness  and  without  cessation,  being  interrupted  only  when  the 
severest  weather  conditions  and  floating  ice  made  them  absolutely  impossible.  The 
fact  that  no  vessel  engaged  in  this  arduous  work  sustained  damage  by  contact 
with  an  enemy  mine  merits  comment.    The  U.  S.  S.  Kingfisher,  however,  did  strike 

270 


a  mine  while  sweeping  off  Barnegat  in  the  fall  of  1918,  but  it  failed  to  explode  and 
the  mine  was  destroyed. 

The  carefully  thought-out  pians  for  the  control  of  the  operation  of  radio  in 
war  time  were  but  a  skeleton  of  the  activities  that  centered  about  the  communica- 
tion service.  Instantaneous  service  was  essential  between  district  headquarters 
by  land  wire  and  by  radio,  so  that  instructions  and  information  might  be  trans- 
mitted with  secrecy  and  despatch. 

The  first  step  was  the  suppression  of  all  amateur  radio  stations,  and  a  circular 
letter  was  sent  to  all  those  of  record  as  operating  such  apparatus.  With  but  a  lew 
exceptions,  the  request  of  the  department  for  the  dismantling  of  the  stations  and 
the  taking  down  of  the  antennae  was  complied  with.  Such  as  doubted  the  earnest- 
ness of  the  Government  were  rapidly  convinced  by  the  inspectors  who  traveled 
from  one  end  of  the  district  to  the  other.  Leased  telephone  lines  and  leased  tele- 
graph wires  emanated  from  the  communication  office  at  the  Navy  Yard,  and  sub- 
sequently from  the  headquarters  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District  to  every  sectional 
point  of  activity. 

A  perfect  system  of  radio  communication  was  established  between  district 
vessels  afloat  and  the  Naval  Radio  Station  at  Philadelphia,  and  the  Marconi 
Station  that  was  taken  over  and  operated  as  Navy  Radio,  Cape  May. 

The  establishment  of  a  district  radio  station  to  communicate  with  patrol 
vessels  was  authorized  at  Lewes,  and  in  advance  of  the  equipment  designated  by 
the  bureau,  a  set  designated  for  a  district  vessel  was  temporarily  placed  in  opera- 
tion until  replaced  by  the  navy  standard  apparatus. 

As  an  effective  check  upon  the  unauthorized  operation  of  radios  two  listening- 
in  stations,  not  used  for  transmission,  were  established,  one  in  the  Parkway  Build- 
ing, Philadelphia,  and  the  other  in  the  West  Philadelphia  High  School. 

A  second  district  radio  station  was  established  on  the  Million  Dollar  Pier  at 
Atlantic  City  which  subsequently  proved  to  be  a  most  reliable  outpost. 

Navy  Radio,  Philadelphia,  continued  as  the  transmitting  station  until  the 
office  of  the  district  communication  superintendent  was  moved  to  the  district  staff 
headquarters  in  October,  1918.  Shortly  after  this  date  a  distant  control  station 
was  established  in  the  White  Building. 

Distant  control  of  Navy  Radio,  Cape  May,  was  established  about  the  same 
time,  the  control  station  being  operated  from  the  section  base.  To  expedite  the 
transmission  of  routing  instructions  lightships  were  equipped  with  radio.  Five 
Fathom  Bank  Lightship  was  put  in  operation  July  25th,  and  Fenwick  Island 
Light  Vessel  was  equipped  November  1,  1918. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Falcon,  which  was  already  equipped  with  radio,  was  stationed, 
after  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  fifty-two  miles  due  east  of  Five  Fathom  Bank 
Lightship  as  a  route  ship  for  incoming  troop  transports. 

A  strict  censorship  was  imposed  to  prevent  the  movements  of  naval  ships  or 
of  naval  units  becoming  known  to  the  enemy.  The  transaction  of  virtually  all 
Navy  business  was  in  confidential  codes.  As  a  further  safeguard  the  transmission 
of  personal  messages  to  personnel  on  major  ships  as  well  as  on  district  ships  was 
handled  through  the  department,  and  although  this  caused  much  inconvenience, 
it  was  recognized  by  the  Navy  personnel  as  a  necessary  war  measure  and  was 
rigidly  adhered  to. 

The  big  transatlantic  station  at  Tuckerton,  which  was  seized  at  the  outbreak 

271 


of  the  war,  was  operated  under  naval  control,  and  a  substantial  force  of  marines 
detailed  to  protect  and  safeguard  this  property  were  at  the  same  time  a  formidable 
outpost  force  on  land  in  the  northern  end  of  the  district. 

This  station,  in  charge  of  Lieutenant  0.  F.  Haslar,  U.  S.  N.,  operated  continu- 
ously as  an  important  factor  in  the  transatlantic  communication  service. 

The  radio  service  contributed  directly  to  the  safety  of  ships  in  many  ways 
during  the  war.  During  the  entire  course  of  the  submarine  activities  off  the  At- 
lantic coast,  war  warnings  were  sent  broadcast  through  the  air  to  all  ships,  in 
English,  and  for  ships  passing  within  range  of  the  radio  stations  at  Philadelphia 
and  Cape  May,  this  service  enabled  them  to  avoid  the  immediate  locality  of 
danger.  In  addition  there  was  sent  out  nightly  by  the  broadcast  method,  hydro- 
graphic  information  concerning  lightships  off  stations,  gas  buoys  that  were  not 
lighted  and  positions  of  derelicts  and  obstructions  that  were  a  menace  to  navigation 
as  well  as  information  in  regard  to  mine  fields. 

For  ships  of  the  Navy  more  detailed  and  more  confidential  information  was 
sent  in  code,  so  that  every  fighting  unit  was  promptly  apprised  of  the  latest  develop- 
ments in  the  submarine  campaign. 

Naval  radio  operators  were  assigned  to  vessels  of  the  Naval  Overseas  Trans- 
portation Service,  United  States  Army  transports,  all  merchant  vessels  operated 
by  the  United  States  Shipping  Board  and  all  other  United  States  merchant  vessels 
of  2,500  tons  or  greater. 

In  connection  with  the  daylight  saving  bill,  which  was  effective,  as  far  as 
clock  changes  were  concerned,  at  2  a.m.  Sunday,  March  31,  1918,  care  was  exer- 
cised to  prevent  confusion  in  convoy  meetings  and  in  clock  times  used  in  con- 
nection with  dispatches  by  radio.  The  daylight  saving  bill  set  the  clocks  at  ah 
naval  stations  and  on  all  ships  in  the  territorial  waters  of  the  United  States  ahead 
one  hour  at  the  time  before  mentioned.  Greenwich  mean  time  was  employed,  how- 
ever, in  designating  the  times  of  radio  broadcastings  of  radio  watch  keeping  on 
ships  having  one  or  two  operators.  In  communication  between  Allied  naval  vessels 
and  shore  stations  and  Allied  merchant  vessels,  Greenwich  mean  time  was  con- 
tinued to  be  employed.  Greenwich  meridian  summer  civil  time  was  employed  on 
the  North  Atlantic  Ocean  in  all  communications  between  United  States  naval 
forces  concerning  contact  between  forces  passing  designated  positions  at  sea  and 
rendezvous,  when  such  forces  were  east  of  the  40th  meridian;  when  west  of  the 
40th  meridian,  75th  meridian  summer  civil  time  was  employed  between  the  dates 
prescribed  in  the  daylight  saving  bill. 

The  seizure  by  the  United  States  of  all  vessels  belonging  to  Holland,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  executive  order  of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  resulted 
in  the  taking  over  of  the  Dutch  ship  Themisto,  then  in  the  port  of  Philadelphia. 
A  guard  was  placed  aboard  the  steamer  at  Pier  28,  South  Wharves,  Delaware 
River,  March  20,  1918.  On  March  27th  the  commandant  was  directed  to  release 
the  ship  to  the  shipping  board,  as  the  vessel  was  to  be  manned  by  a  shipping  board 
crew.  This  was  done.  The  seizure  was  carried  out  without  incident,  and  the 
several  regulations  prescribed  to  be  followed  under  the  circumstances  were  executed. 

During  the  early  months  of  the  war  the  district  forces  had  no  actual  contact 
with  the  enemy.  The  rigid  discipline  and  training  and  the  actual  experience  afloat 
and  ashore  welded  together  a  formidable  district  force  at  the  same  time  as  the 
district  contributed  its  full  quota  in  every  other  direction. 

272 


Photo  by  Replogle. 

U.  S.  S.  "DeKalb,"  at  Navy  Yard,  September,  1918,  showing  Paravane  Skeg. 


Major  ships  were  repaired,  placed  in  commission  and  manned  at  the  Navy 
Yard.  The  big  interned  German  raiders,  the  Kronprinz  Wilhelm  and  the  Prinz 
Eitel  Friedrich,  afterwards  bearing  the  names  of  two  revolutionary  heroes  of  Ger- 
man birth,  sailed  from  Philadelphia  as  the  U.  S.  S.  DeKalb  and  U.  S.  S.  Von  Steuben 
for  overseas  ports  crowded  with  the  first  complements  to  leave  this  section. 

The  losses  suffered  by  our  Allies  made  the  need  for  mine-sweeping  vessels  in 
European  waters  imperative.  The  District  was  requested  to  furnish  its  quota  of 
such  vessels,  and  the  City  of  Lewes,  S.  P.  No.  383,  and  the  Behoboth  (sunk),  S.  P. 
No.  384,  intended  for  district  use,  were  designated  for  duty  overseas. 

In  addition,  the  U.  S.  S.  Alcedo  was  placed  in  commission  on  April  20th,  and 
was  sent  to  the  war  zone,  where  she  was  later  torpedoed  and  sunk.  The  U.  S.  S. 
Chipper,  S.  P.  1049,  and  two  scout  patrol  vessels,  the  U.  S.  S.  Elf,  S.  P.  81,  and  the 
U.  S.  S.  Little  Aie,  S.  P.  60,  were  fitted  out  and  transferred  to  the  Fifth  and  Seventh 
Naval  Districts,  respectively.  The  U.  S.  S.  Sialia  and  the  U.  S.  S.  Lyndonia  were 
also  fitted  out  and  assigned  to  duty  elsewhere,  the  latter  returning  some  months 
later,  renamed  the  U.  S.  S.  Vega. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Henderson,  a  navy  transport,  built  at  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard, 
was  completed  with  despatch,  and  sailed  on  her  maiden  voyage  with  no  trial  trip, 
except  that  between  Philadelphia  and  New  York.  Everything  proved  so  satis- 
factory that  she  was  immediately  employed  in  transport  duty.  About  the  same 
time  that  the  U.  S.  S.  Henderson  sailed,  the  5th  Regiment  of  Marines,  commanded 

273 


by  Colonel  C.  A.  Doyen,  U.  S.  M.  C,  embarked  at  the  Navy  Yard.  This  contingent 
was  distributed  on  the  U.  S.  S.  St.  Louis,  U.  S.  S.  Charleston,  U.  S.  S.  Hancock  and  the 
U.  S.  S.  DeKalb,  which  was  making  her  maiden  voyage  under  American  colors.  At 
New  York,  the  marines  on  the  U.  S.  S.  St.  Louis  and  the  U.  S.  S.  Charleston  were 
transferred  to  the  U.  S.  S.  Henderson,  which  transported  them  to  France. 

Every  available  piece  of  ground  at  the  Navy  Yard  was  utilized,  and  there 
sprung  up  in  record  time  a  seaman's  barracks,  a  well-organized  hospital,  and  a 
naval  aircraft  factory  that  was  destined  to  turn  out  naval  air-fighting  machines 
for  duty  at  home  and  abroad.  Such  open  spaces  as  were  available  were  piled  high 
with  stores  destined  for  overseas,  and  gigantic  storehouses  supplemented  those  at 
the  Navy  Yard,  which  were  soon  found  to  be  totally  inadequate  for  the  demands 
made  upon  them.  Every  available  docking  space  was  crowded  with  ships  under 
repair,  being  outfitted,  or  loading  with  stores. 

The  imperative  necessity  for  the  maximum  number  of  destroyers  to  operate 
in  European  waters  gave  precedence  at  the  Navy  Yard  to  work  done  on  this  class 
of  vessels. 

When  the  U.  S.  S.  Stewart,  U.  S.  S.  MacDonough,  U.  S.  S.  Hull  and  U.  S.  S.  Hopkins 
arrived,  on  the  last  day  of  the  year  of  1917,  at  the  Navy  Yard,  they  were  immediately 
inspected  and  a  conservative  estimate  was  made  of  the  time  necessary  to  place 
these  vessels  in  condition  for  offensive  operations  abroad,  and  for  the  transatlantic 
cruise  necessary  for  them  to  reach  their  base  of  operations.  It  was  found  that  at 
least  two  months  would  be  required  to  complete  the  repairs  thought  necessary 
according  to  pre-war  standards.  The  reception  of  this  report  by  the  chief  of  naval 
operations  brought  from  him  a  characteristic  reply  as  follows: 

"Delay  of  two  months  in  fitting  out  destroyers  of  Divisions  A  and  B  may 
defeat  object  of  present  orders,  as  the  need  of  our  destroyers  in  European  waters 
is  immediate.  (Thirty-six  hours  after  receipt  of  orders,  U.  S.  S.  Alywin  sailed  for 
distant  service,  and  the  department  hopes  to  receive  a  similar  hearty  reply  from 
Divisions  A  and  B.)  It  is  the  desire  of  the  department  that  as  many  of  the  de- 
stroyers of  these  divisions  as  possible  proceed  to  the  Azores  within  one  week  and 
with  the  assistance  of  the  U.  S.  S.  Prometheus,  to  equip  there  for  duty  in  French 
waters.  The  U.  S.  S.  Stewart  shall  inform  the  department  of  the  destroyers  that 
can  sail  from  Philadelphia  as  soon  as  the  ice  clears,  and  also  of  the  dates  that  the 
remaining  destroyers  can  follow." 

This  compelling  appeal  caused  an  immediate  revision  of  the  plans  that  had 
been  made,  with  the  result  that  on  the  following  day  the  chief  of  naval  operations 
was  advised  that  the  U.  S.  S.  Stewart,  the  U.  S.  S.  Hopkins,  the  U.  S.  S.  Paul  Jones, 
the  U.  S.  S.  Worden,  and  the  U.  S.  S.  MacDonough  would  be  ready  to  sail  from  the 
Navy  Yard  on  January  15th,  two  weeks  after  the  majority  of  them  had  arrived  for 
overhaul.  He  was  advised  that  the  U.  S.  S.  Hull  would  follow  on  the  1st  of  Feb- 
ruary and  the  Preble  on  February  15th. 

Considerable  of  the  time  required  for  the  overhaul  was  consumed  by  repairs 
of  damage  sustained  from  ice,  during  the  passage  of  these  vessels  from  Hampton 
Roads  to  Philadelphia. 

The  same  speed  demanded  in  the  outfitting  of  combat  ships  was  also  expected 
in  the  conversion  of  merchant  vessels  to  naval  auxiliaries.  On  the  last  day  of  the 
year  1917,  the  department  outlined  its  policy  in  this  particular,  as  follows: 

"The  conversion  of  merchant  vessels  to  naval  auxiliaries  and  their  upkeep 

274 


shall  be  considered  of  the  greatest  importance,  and  every  energy  and  resource  shall 
be  used  to  obtain  this  end.  Vessels  must  not  be  unnecessarily  delayed  and  only 
repairs  that  are  demanded  by  sanitation,  safety  and  efficiency  of  vessels  should  be 
undertaken  for  immediate  accomplishment.  Desirable  alterations  should  be  laid 
out  so  that  they  may  be  undertaken  while  vessels  are  in  port  between  cruises." 

This  policy  prevailed  in  the  taking  over  and  the  outfitting  of  ships  subsequently 
operated  by  the  Navy  for  the  several  governmental  accounts,  and  vessels  that  were 
taken  over  and  operated  directly  by  the  Navy.  To  this  end  the  resources  of  the 
Navy  Yard  and  of  the  large  shipyards  were  utilized  to  the  fullest.  At  the  same 
time  this  work  was  so  arranged  as  not  to  interfere  with  the  new  construction  so 
urgently  needed. 

The  urgency  of  repair  and  outfitting  work  at  the  Navy  Yard  and  other  causes 
resulted  in  the  suspension  of  actual  construction  work,  for  a  time,  on  the  program 
of  combat  vessels.  Resumption  of  work  on  the  necessary  ways,  buildings,  etc., 
for  this  purpose  was  as  prompt  as  circumstances  would  permit. 

The  Fourth  Naval  District  assisted  in  and  was  responsible,  to  a  great  extent, 
for  the  assembling,  organization  and  shipment  of  the  material  and  personnel  for 
the  Northern  Bombing  Group,  a  naval  aviation  unit  which  operated  in  the  northern 
part  of  France,  near  Calais,  and  which  bombed  the  German  U-boat  bases  at  Zee- 
brugge,  Bruges  and  Ostend. 

This  group  had  a  personnel  in  the  field  of  about  2,000  men,  marines  and  blue- 
jackets, and  nearly  all  of  the  latter  were  selected  and  assembled  on  the  receiving 
ship  in  the  Navy  Yard.  The  material  for  the  group  was  also  assembled  on  the 
docks  of  the  Yard.  This  included  about  200  planes,  DH-4  type,  equipped  with 
Liberty  motors  which  were  constructed  in  the  United  States,  assembled  and  boxed 
for  shipment  from  Philadelphia. 

This  group  operated  under  the  general  direction  of  Vice- Admiral  R.  Keyes, 
R.  N.,  commander  of  British  Naval  Forces  operating  against  the  Belgian  coast; 
headquarters,  Dover. 

The  late  fall  and  early  winter  of  1917  saw  many  ships  actually  engaged  in 
overseas  transportation,  both  of  troops  and  supplies,  and  on  December  27th,  at 
1  p.m.,  the  U.  S.  S.  Stockton,  the  first  of  the  new  type  of  destroyers  to  be  delivered 
during  the  war,  arrived  at  the  Navy  Yard  from  the  William  Cramp  &  Sons  Ship 
and  Engine  Building  Company,  where  she  was  constructed.  She  was  placed  in 
commission  immediately  and  sailed  three  days  later. 

The  contribution  made  to  depleted  world  shipping  by  the  yards  bordering  on 
the  Delaware  River,  and  the  construction  of  various  types  of  war  vessels,  constitute 
one  of  the  most  effective  coincident  war  efforts  prosecuted  in  the  District.  The 
early  establishment  of  the  Hog  Island  Plant  of  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation 
on  the  Delaware  River,  south  of  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard,  and  the  governmental 
control  exercised  over  every  other  yard,  made  necessary  cooperation  easy.  There 
was  at  all  times  a  close  weave  of  interdependency  that  made  the  prompt  and 
efficient  performance  of  the  responsibilities  imposed  upon  the  Commandant  a  matter 
of  prime  importance.  The  taking  over,  outfitting  and  manning  of  the  ships,  the 
inspection  and  testing  of  their  radio  equipment,  the  movement  of  hulls  before 
they  were  able  to  operate  under  their  own  power,  might  be  enumerated  as  among 
the  most  important. 

The  successful  operations  of  enemy  submarines  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Azore 

275 


Islands  prompted  the  Government  to  secure  from  the  Portuguese  Government  a 
concession  which  enabled  this  Government  to  establish  naval  bases  on  these  islands. 

The  first  shipment  of  stores  and  personnel  for  the  new  naval  bases,  established 
at  Ponta  Delgada  and  Horta  Fayal,  were  transported  from  the  Navy  Yard,  Phila- 
delphia, aboard  the  U.  S.  S.  Hancock.  When  the  Hancock  sailed,  she  flew  the  flag 
of  Rear- Admiral  Herbert  0.  Dunn,  who  was  assigned  to  command  the  naval  forces 
operating  in  the  Azores. 

On  December  24,  1917,  the  department  directed  the  loading  of  the  Hancock 
and  instructed  that  she  should  proceed  to  Ponta  Delgada,  where  stores  and  personnel 
for  that  base  were  to  be  unloaded.  Upon  completion  of  the  discharge  the  Hancock 
was  directed  to  proceed  to  Hampton  Roads,  Va. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Beak  and  the  U.  S.  S.  Terry  were  detailed  as  escort  for  the  U.  S.  S. 
Hancock  and  were  further  directed  upon  arrival  to  report  to  Vice-Admiral  Sims 
for  duty. 

At  11  a.m.,  January  9th,  the  Hancock,  escorted  by  the  U.  S.  S.  Beale  and  the 
U.  S.  S.  Terry,  sailed  from  the  Navy  Yard,  Philadelphia,  to  the  Azores,  under  escort. 

The  majority  of  the  ships  attached  to  Detachment  3,  Squadron  5,  Patrol  Force, 
was  outfitted  at  the  Navy  Yard  for  duty  overseas.  The  detachment  was  command- 
ed by  Commander  David  F.  Royd,  U.  S.  N.,  with  the  U.  S.  S.  Nokomis  as  his  flag- 
ship. The  detachment  was  made  up  in  its  entirety  of  vessels  that  had  been  con- 
verted for  this  duty,  and  at  various  times  between  December  17,  1917,  and 
December  22,  1917,  the  detachment  sailed  from  the  Navy  Yard  for  the  Azores. 
The  ships  included  the  following: 

U.  S.  S.  Nokomis,  U.  S.  S.  Concord,  U.  S.  S.  Gypsum  Queen,  U.  S.  S.  Nahanl, 
U.  S.  S.  Mariner,  U.  S.  S.  Nokomis  II,  U.  S.  S.  Barnegat,  U.  S.  S.  Montauk,  U.  S.  S. 
Penobscot,  U.  S.  S.  Lyndonia  and  U.  S.  S.  Venetia. 

Changes  in  the  characteristics  of  certain  battle  cruisers  made  available  for 
other  service  a  number  of  14-inch,  50  caliber  naval  guns. 

The  plan  of  converting  these  into  land  batteries  by  placing  them  upon  railway 
mountings  resulted  in  the  organization  of  this  unit,  under  the  command  of  Rear- 
Admiral  Charles  P.  Plunkett,  U.  S.  N.  And  the  United  States  Railway  Ratteries 
in  France  subsequently  did  terrific  execution  at  an  effective  range  of  thirty  miles 
and  contributed  largely  to  the  demoralization  and  interruption  of  communication 
far  in  the  rear  of  the  German  fines.  In  action  these  guns  threw  a  heavier  projectile 
with  greater  accuracy  and  to  a  greater  distance  than  any  guns  previously  placed 
on  mobile  shore  mounts. 

The  gun  mounts  were  constructed  in  Philadelphia  by  the  Raldwin  Locomotive 
Works,  and  the  material  and  personnel  were  assembled  in  the  Fourth  Naval  Dis- 
trict, and  shipped  from  here  to  St.  Nazaire,  France,  at  which  port  the  material 
was  assembled  and  promptly  put  into  action. 

The  history  of  this  project  from  its  inception  in  America  until  the  first  shots 
were  fired  into  German  defended  territory  is  an  example  of  the  speed  that  won  the 
war. 

The  project  was  first  discussed  in  November,  1917.  On  December  26th  the 
Rureau  of  Ordnance  instructed  the  naval  gun  factory  to  prepare  plans  and  speci- 
fications for  the  gun  mounts,  locomotives,  cars  and  other  necessary  equipment. 
The  work  was  finished  in  thirty  days. 

The  equipment  included  five  14-inch  railway  mounts,  six  locomotives  and 

276 


five  complete  trains  of  cars — seventy-five  in  all.  Bids  were  opened  February  6th, 
but  were  rejected  because  of  the  time  of  delivery  demanded.  On  February  13th 
new  bids  were  submitted  and  the  awards  made  the  same  day.  The  Baldwin 
Locomotive  Works  undertook  the  delivery  of  the  gun  cars  by  June  15th. 

The  first  mount  was  completed  and  moved  from  the  Baldwin  Shops  on  April 
25th,  seventy-two  days  from  the  day  of  the  award,  and  the  last  of  them  one 
month  later  or  ten  days  ahead  of  the  contract  time.  All  the  cars  and  special 
equipment  were  delivered  June  1st,  only  155  days  from  the  time  the  project  was 
conceived. 

General  Pershing  directed  the  shipments  of  the  expedition  to  St.  Nazaire. 
The  first  shipment  was  made  June  20th.  Trained  personnel  had  been  assembled 
and  preceded  the  material.  The  first  shipment  arrived  overseas  July  8th,  and  the 
last  of  it  on  July  21st.  Erection  work  began  July  20th,  and  the  first  gun  train 
left  for  the  front  August  17th. 

The  first  gun  fired  was  on  September  5th,  and  continued  in  action  until  the 
signing  of  the  armistice. 

The  guns  weighed  ninety-eight  tons  each  and  fired  a  projectile  weighing  1,470 
pounds  with  a  range  of  twenty-eight  miles. 

The  mobility  of  the  guns  heightened  the  impression  of  the  Germans  that  the 
Allies  were  equipped  with  hundreds  of  them.  They  were  extremely  effective  in 
interrupting  vital  supply  railroads  and  main  lines  of  communication. 

The  winter  of  1917-18  was  the  most  severe  in  more  than  a  decade,  and  despite 
ice  conditions  in  the  Delaware  River  that  were  almost  unprecedented,  the  steady 
progress  of  navy  ships  and  of  transports  was  uninterrupted. 

But  few  of  the  district  vessels,  however,  were  able  to  operate,  and  many  of 
those  of  wooden  construction  were  of  necessity  laid  up  out  of  reach  of  the  ice  packs 
that  extended  for  miles  to  seaward.  Such  vessels  as  could  possibly  be  expected 
to  operate  under  these  conditions  were  kept  in  service  and  it  is  worthy  of  mention 
that  despite  the  rigors  of  the  winter,  patrols  were  maintained  in  the  defensive 
area,  at  the  harbor  entrance  and  well  off  shore,  without  interruption.  This  work 
was  carried  on  by  the  following  scout  patrol  vessels:  U.  S.  S.  Emerald,  S.  P.  177; 
U.  S.  S.  Susanne,  S.  P.  510;  U.  S.  S.  Absegami,  S.  P.  371;  U.  S.  S.  Gaivota,  S.  P.  436; 
U.  S.  S.  Edorea,  S.  P.  549  and  U.  S.  S.  Victor,  S.  P.  1995.  The  severest  test  was 
imposed  upon  the  vessels  detailed  to  the  offshore  patrol.  The  U.  S.  S.  Emerald, 
S.  P.  177,  and  the  U.  S.  S.  Susanne,  S.  P.  510,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Maxwell 
Wyeth  (j.g.),  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  and  Ensign  Samuel  Wetherill,  U.  S.  N.  F.,  respectively, 
are  deserving  of  high  commendation  for  the  maintenance  of  this  duty,  which  re- 
quired them  at  times  to  proceed  to  their  stations  through  ice  floes  extending  eight 
miles  to  seaward.  The  mine-sweeping  fleet,  consisting  for  the  main  part  of 
converted  fishing  boats,  swept  the  entrance  to  Delaware  Bay  throughout  the 
winter,  whenever  weather  conditions  made  it  possible. 

The  vessels  depended  upon  for  offensive  and  defensive  action  were  of  great 
variety  both  as  to  size,  construction  and  power  plants.  At  the  outbreak  of  hostili- 
ties any  vessel  that  could  be  utilized  was  taken  over.  These  included  steam  yachts, 
steam  tugs,  steam  fishing  boats  and  pleasure  craft,  with  almost  every  make  of 
gasoline  motor  represented.  The  upkeep  of  this  machinery  constituted  one  of  the 
greatest  problems.     It  was  impracticable  to  keep  in  stock  repair  parts  for  every 

277 


make  represented,  and  in  this  connection  a  machine  and  repair  shop  established 
at  Cape  May  did  excellent  work. 

Later,  when  subchasers  were  made  available,  it  was  possible  to  standardize 
repair  work  for  them.  Considering  the  demands  made  upon  all  the  vessels,  the 
consistency  of  performance  is  remarkable,  and  is  a  tribute  to  the  engine  room 
forces  of  this  fleet.  That  some  of  them  weathered  conditions  that  they  were  forced 
to  meet  was  a  surprise  to  even  those  who  manned  them  and  a  tribute  at  the  same 
time  to  the  efficient  manner  in  which  they  were  handled.  But  one  vessel,  the  Annie 
Gallup,  a  mine  sweeper,  was  totally  lost  out  of  the  entire  fleet  that  operated  for 
a  period  of  nearly  twenty  months. 

The  durability  and  cruising  of  the  subchasers  are  also  worthy  of  note.  Nearly 
all  of  those  attached  to  this  district  have  covered  over  12,000  miles  since  they  were 
commissioned. 

A  coastal  air  station  was  established  at  Cape  May  early  in  the  war  and  manned 
by  the  United  States  Marine  Corps.  On  December  4,  1917,  it  was  taken  over  by 
the  Navy,  and  operated  as  a  patrol  station  for  the  protection  of  the  coast  against 
depredations  by  hostile  submarines.  At  this  time,  Cold  Spring  Inlet  was  com- 
pletely frozen  over  so  that  no  flying  could  be  done,  and  this  condition  prevailed 
until  the  latter  part  of  the  month  of  February,  1918. 

As  soon  as  the  weather  conditions  became  at  all  favorable  for  flying,  ten 
additional  pilots  were  ordered  to  the  station  and  the  complement  was  raised  to 
238  men.  Twelve  R-type  seaplanes  were  at  the  station  and  in  operation.  Syste- 
matic patrols  were  established  when  definite  information  was  received  that  enemy 
submarines  might  be  expected  off  the  coast.  These  machines  were  equipped  with 
Mark-3  bombs  for  offensive  purposes.  The  patrols  normally  consisted  of  two 
machines,  although  at  times  four  traveled  in  company. 

Paralleling  the  District  activities,  but  in  a  sense  separate  from  them,  were 
what  might  be  considered  the  overseas  contributions.  Philadelphia,  the  district 
headquarters,  was  one  of  the  ports  of  embarkation,  and  through  it  during  the  entire 
progress  of  the  war  there  flowed  personnel  and  a  vast  quantity  of  stores  and  supplies 
manufactured  in  Philadelphia  and  its  environs.  The  systematic  and  efficient 
handling  of  these  stores  and  the  outfitting  and  commissioning  of  the  ships  taken 
over,  constructed  or  operated  for  the  army  and  navy  account,  brought  into  being 
the  Naval  Overseas  Transportation  Service.  This  service  was  created  by  chief  of 
naval  operations,  January  9,  1918.  Commander  F.  W.  Hoffman,  N.  N.  V.,  was 
ordered  as  District  Supervisor  on  January  21,  1918,  and  continued  as  such  until 
relieved  by  Commander  M.  H.  Simons,  U.  S.  N.,  on  September  2,  1918. 

The  safe  routing  of  ships  overseas  required  secrecy  and  the  closest  cooperation 
between  this  country  and  the  forces  abroad,  and  it  was  early  recognized  that  this 
was  an  activity  that  required  the  cooperation  between  naval  district  and  naval 
forces  abroad  so  that  the  locality  of  every  navigation  menace  might  be  avoided 
and  every  system  of  safeguarding  overseas  convoys  might  be  utilized.  This 
prompted  the  creation  of  routing  offices  in  each  naval  district.  On  June  2,  1917, 
Captain  F.  S.  Van  Boskerck,  U.  S.  C.  G.,  was  appointed  American  Routing  Officer. 

All  vessels  leaving  port  were  required  to  report  to  the  ship  routing  office, 
prior  to  putting  to  sea.  From  the  day  of  its  creation  until  the  submarine  activities 
commenced  along  the  coast,  the  routing  officer's  functions  were  limited  to  the 
dissemination  of  information  to  outbound  shipping,  and  until  the  distribution  of 

278 


confidential  publications  was  taken  over  in  its  entirety  by  the  issuing  officer  acting 
under  the  direction  of  the  district  communication  superintendent,  the  routing 
officer  issued  to  American  vessels,  other  than  commissioned  navy  ship.,  such 
confidential  instructions  as  the  department  desired  them  to  receive.  The  actual 
routing  of  ships  overseas  was  done  by  the  British  routing  officer  of  this  port, 
Lieutenant-Commander  R.  H.  Reade,  R.  N.  R. 

All  vessels  bound  overseas,  however,  were  given  such  information  as  was  in 
the  possession  of  the  district  authorities  relative  to  enemy  raiders,  movements  of 
submarines,  locations  of  mines,  and  obstructions  to  navigation.  AH  ship  owners, 
masters,  customs  officials  and  shipping  agencies  were  advised  of  the  contents  of 
the  circular  letter  of  instructions  issued  May  4,  1918,  by  the  chief  of  naval  opera- 
tions, relative  to  the  steps  to  be  taken  for  the  protection  of  shipping  in  the  event 
of  enemy  submarine  activity  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  The  British  routing  officer 
was  invited  into  conference,  and  when  it  became  necessary  for  the  district  authori- 
ties to  assume  control  of  coastwise  shipping  to  save  it  from  the  danger  of  enemy 
mines  or  from  contact  with  enemy  submarines  a  perfect  system  of  coastal  routing 
had  been  devised. 

On  June  3,  1918,  the  department  directed  the  Commandant  to  assume  control 
of  coastwise  shipping,  and  handle  traffic  in  accordance  with  the  instructions 
previously  given. 

Coastal  routings  were  made  effective  immediately  and  continued  until  October 
16,  1918,  when  routing  instructions  were  revoked.  Subsequent  to  this  date,  how- 
ever, shipping  was  routed  so  as  to  avoid  known  mined  areas. 

Supplementing  the  system  of  coastal  routings  were  the  speaking  stations 
established  on  Five  Fathom  Bank  Lightship  and  Fenwick  Island  Shoal  Lightship. 
These  light  vessels  were  equipped  with  radio,  and  necessary  day  and  night  signaling 
apparatus  gave  routing  directions  to  passing  ships.  These  signals  were  put  in 
effect  September  16,  1918.  In  addition,  a  vessel  was  constantly  stationed  at 
McCries'  Shoals  Buoy  on  the  same  duty.  This  vessel  gave  information  to  ships 
proceeding  inbound  on  courses  that  would  not  take  them  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
lightships  previously  mentioned. 

Winter  Quarter  Shoal  Light  Vessel  was  equipped  with  a  special  large  size 
light  for  distance  signaling,  thus  enabling  ships  to  pass  well  inside  of  the  light  vessel. 

The  policy  carried  out  in  the  main  was  as  follows:  First,  that  shipping  was 
not  to  be  delayed  by  the  activity  of  submarines.  Second,  that  they  should  be 
directed  through  areas  that  had  been  swept,  and  which  were  reasonably  certain 
to  be  free  of  mines.  Third,  that  shipping  should  not  be  unduly  alarmed  by  unau- 
thenticated  reports  of  enemy  activity,  and  fourth,  that  they  should  be  given  the 
maximum  protection  possible  by  convoys. 

The  sinking  of  the  Diamond  Shoal  Light  Vessel  by  a  submarine  led  to  the 
belief  that  light  vessels  in  this  district  would  share  the  same  fate,  and  during  the 
entire  submarine  activity  these  ships  were  afforded  as  much  protection  as  was 
consistent  with  the  other  military  necessities  of  the  district,  and  with  the  com- 
plement of  vessels  that  was  available.  Submarine  patrols  were  established  for  a 
time  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  lightships,  upon  the  assumption  that  such 
location  would  be  the  likely  one  to  make  contact. 

It  is  worthy  of  mention  that  no  ship  routed  out  of  the  district  suffered  any 
mishap,  and  the  only  sizable  ship  that  was  lost  inbound  after  routing  instructions 

279 


were  effective  was  the  U.  S.  S.  Saetia,  which  at  the  time  was  out  of  the  routed 
channels. 

As  soon  as  it  was  definitely  determined  that  enemy  submarines  were  operating 
in  this  district  shipping  was  afforded  the  protection  of  convoys. 

Convoys  proceeding  south  were  escorted  by  the  vessels  of  the  Third  Naval 
District  to  the  vicinity  of  Barnegat  Light,  where  these  craft  were  relieved  by  vessels 
of  the  Fourth  District,  and  in  turn  escorted  to  the  vicinity  of  Winter  Quarter 
Lightship,  where  the  escort  was  in  turn  assumed  by  ships  attached  to  the  Fifth 
Naval  District. 

The  same  practice  prevailed  for  northbound  convoys.  The  commandant 
of  the  district  in  which  the  convoy  was  made  up  arranged  with  the  next  adjacent 
district  for  the  relief  of  his  escort,  and  each  succeeding  district  arranging  in  turn 
for  its  relief.  These  arrangements  were  made  through  the  communication  service, 
details  of  the  convoy,  the  meeting  places,  and  other  matters  of  a  confidential 
nature  being  transmitted  in  code. 

The  successful  consummation  of  this  work  meant  that  a  considerable  fleet 
of  escorting  vessels,  usually  subchasers  of  fair  speed  and  fair  armament,  should  be 
available  at  all  times,  and  in  many  cases  it  meant  that  they  had  no  sooner  returned 
to  the  base  for  fuel  and  supplies  than  they  were  ordered  out  on  new  duty.  The 
escorts  were  furnished  under  all  circumstances,  except  in  the  most  violent  weather, 
when  the  navigation  of  these  small  ships  was  impossible. 

The  successful  meeting  of  convoys,  one  relieving  the  other,  was  a  good  test 
of  the  seamanship  of  the  men. 

The  use  of  radio  to  make  contact  was  seldom  resorted  to,  and  the  fact  that 
both  the  escorted  vessels  and  the  convoying  chasers  ran  without  running  lights 
made  these  meetings  in  absolute  darkness  doubly  difficult. 

It  is  a  matter  of  congratulation  that  no  ship  escorted  through  the  waters  of 
the  Fourth  Naval  District  suffered  any  mishap,  and  while  no  convoy  was  attacked, 
it  can  be  safely  said  that  the  presence  of  these  miniature  men-of-war  meant  security 
to  the  very  essential  cargoes,  both  in  men  and  material,  that  were  frequently  being 
transported  up  and  down  the  coast. 

From  the  day  that  the  escort  system  was  inaugurated  until  the  day  it  was  no 
longer  felt  to  be  needed,  convoys  were  escorted  through  the  waters  of  the  Fourth 
Naval  District  northward  and  southward. 

The  spring  of  1918  found  the  Fourth  Naval  District  thoroughly  organized  for 
offensive  and  defensive  purposes.  In  November,  1917,  two  subchasers,  the 
No.  209  and  the  No.  211,  were  added  to  the  District  forces,  and  these  were  the  first 
vessels  especially  built  for  submarine  work  available  in  the  District  to  date.  In  the 
months  that  had  elapsed  the  section  base  at  Cape  May  and  at  Lewes,  Delaware, 
had  been  thoroughly  organized  and  equipped.  The  training  camp  at  Wissahickon 
Barracks  was  finished  and  a  steady  flow  of  trained  personnel  was  furnished  to 
ships  both  in  and  out  of  the  district.  There  were  attached  to  the  District  forty-two 
scout  patrol  vessels,  a  great  variety  of  craft  of  varying  sizes,  most  of  which  were 
equipped  with  gasoline  motors.  In  addition,  there  were  ten  vessels  used  as  mine- 
sweepers. On  March  19,  1918,  the  coast  guard  cutter  Itasca  was  assigned  to  the 
District  and  she  was  followed  on  April  25th  by  the  coast  guard  cutter  Morrill.  In 
addition  there  was  the  lighthouse  tender  Iris  and  the  lighthouse  tender  Woodbine. 
In  March  the  subchasers  71,  72,  73,  74  and  144  reported  for  duty,  and  in  June 

280 


the  subchasers  180,  210  and  212  were  added  to  the  District  complement.  As  soon 
as  weather  permitted,  all  the  wooden  section  patrol  vessels  were  restored  to  duty, 
having  been  overhauled  during  the  winter.  A  strong  harbor  entrance  patrol 
was  maintained  off  the  mouth  of  the  Delaware  Bay.  A  listening  patrol  established 
July  19, 1918,  was  maintained  daily  by  two  vessels  until  the  signing  of  the  armistice. 
The  normal  war  activities,  including  investigations  of  mines  sighted,  of  submarines 
reported  and  assistance  to  vessels  in  distress,  kept  the  larger  vessels  constantly 
on  the  go.  The  end  of  the  winter  of  1917-18  found  the  section  bases  thoroughly 
equipped  to  keep  the  floating  equipment  in  operation.  Efficient  personnel  had 
been  assembled  to  operate  machine  shops  and  repair  shops  at  Cape  May,  and 
throughout  the  war  the  district  forces  based  at  Lewes  and  Cape  May  found  their 
facilities  sufficient  for  all  purposes  except  where  extraordinary  repairs  were  neces- 
sary. The  district  forces  had  participated  in  target  practice  and  squadron  ma- 
neuvers and  proficiency  in  signaling  and  radio  communication  was  brought  to 
a  high  standard  of  efficiency.  The  personnel  engaged  in  the  operation  and  upkeep 
of  the  engines  became  highly  proficient  in  their  several  duties. 

Realization  of  what  had  been  accomplished  by  intensive  training  and  ex- 
perience inspired  the  confidence  that  these  forces  would  rise  to  any  emergency  with 
which  they  might  be  confronted.  When  the  war  had  been  in  progress  six  months, 
reports  that  German  submarines  were  on  their  way  to  bombard  the  American 
coast  were  received  with  credence.  As  early  as  October  2,  1917,  the  office  of 
naval  intelligence  advised  that  twenty  submarines  of  the  Deutschland  type  were 
reported  to  be  leaving  Germany  early  in  October  in  two  divisions.  The  informa- 
tion then  had  indicated  their  objective  to  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  Hampton 
Roads,  Va.,  and  Pensacola,  Fla.  At  that  time  it  was  believed  necessary 
for  enemy  submarines  to  be  refueled  on  this  side  and  the  information  further 
indicated  that  shortly  after  their  arrival  they  would  proceed  to  a  Mexican  port 
for  oil  and  then  northward  to  engage  in  military  operations.  The  necessity  of 
a  mother  ship  was  also  assumed,  and  it  was  believed  that  a  vessel  of  neutral  register 
would  assist  the  submarines  at  a  prearranged  rendezvous.  This  plan  was  not  put 
into  operation  by  the  German  naval  authorities,  but  every  possible  precaution 
was  taken,  and  the  receipt  of  this  information  prompted  the  establishment  of 
land  batteries  at  Cape  May.  The  army  authorities  mounted  six-inch  coast  defense 
guns  at  Cape  May  and  at  Lewes,  and  the  jetties  at  Cold  Spring  Inlet  were  fortified 
by  a  six-inch  naval  gun. 

In  December  of  1917  the  District  was  warned  that  if  enemy  submarines 
attempted  to  operate  off  the  Atlantic  Coast  efforts  might  be  made  to  decoy 
merchant  ships  by  false  S.  0.  S.  calls,  and  the  District  authorities  were  cautioned 
to  determine  the  authenticity  of  all  such  messages  received.  Although  no  enemy 
activity  developed  at  this  time,  the  vigilance  of  patrols  was  maintained  and  every 
shore  radio  station  was  constantly  on  the  alert  to  intercept  any  message  that 
might  indicate  enemy  submarine  activity.  On  May  16,  1918,  the  department 
advised  that  enemy  cruising  submarines  might  be  encountered  anywhere  west  of 
the  40th  degree  ol  longitude,  and  stated  that  this  information  was  based  upon 
contact  that  had  been  made.  Immediately  upon  receipt  of  this  information  the 
section  bases  at  Cape  May  and  at  Lewes  were  advised  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout 
and  be  on  the  alert.    Admiral  William  S.  Benson,  chief  of  naval  operations,  made 

281 


a  flying  tour  of  inspection  of  the  outlying  bases  of  the  District  and  of  the  Navy  Yard, 
Philadelphia,  on  May  16,  1918. 

On  the  same  day  the  department  advised  that  a  United  States  submarine 
had  been  ordered  to  the  Fourth  Naval  District. 

The  first  definite  information  of  the  activity  of  the  German  raider  was  received 
by  radio  on  May  19th  at  12.14  p.m.  Atlantic  City  Radio  intercepted  an  S.  0.  S. 
from  the  British  steamship  Nyanza,  advising  that  she  was  being  chased,  and  gave 
her  position  as  latitude  38  degrees  28  minutes  north,  longitude  70  degrees  west. 
That  the  submarine  was  proceeding  westwardly  into  the  waters  of  the  Fourth  Naval 
District  was  indicated  by  information  received  on  May  20th  from  the  master  of  the 
ship,  J.  C.  Donnell,  who  upon  his  arrival  at  Lewes,  Delaware,  on  that  day,  reported 
that  his  ship's  radio  intercepted  a  message  from  the  American  steamship  Jonancy 
on  May  19th,  advising  that  she  was  being  torpedoed  and  giving  her  position  as 
150  miles  east  of  Winter  Quarter  Shoals.  On  May  21st  at  11.15  a.m.  the  Canadian 
Government  steamship  Montcalm  relayed  to  Cape  May  Radio  a  radio  received 
from  the  steamship  Crenella  advising  that  a  submarine  had  been  sighted  in  latitude 
37  degrees  50  minutes  north,  longitude  73  degrees  50  minutes  west.  At  1  p.m. 
on  the  same  day  the  same  ship  advised  that  the  Crenella  had  escaped.  All  of  this 
information  was  immediately  disseminated  to  the  section  bases  and  to  the  forces 
afloat,  and  the  commanding  officer  of  the  coast  defenses  of  the  Delaware  advised 
that  merchant  vessels  had  reported  a  German  submarine  proceeding  towards 
the  coast. 

In  addition  to  the  regular  patrols  maintained  at  all  times,  several  searching 
patrols  of  subchasers  were  ordered,  whenever  practicable,  to  the  several  positions 
given  in  S.  0.  S.  messages  received.  Subsequent  information  indicates  that  as  the 
submarine  approached  the  coast  she  picked  as  her  prey  sailing  vessels  not  likely 
to  have  radio.  That  this  was  the  policy  of  the  commanding  officer  of  the  enemy 
submarine  was  confirmed  by  information  subsequently  received  and  by  inter- 
views had  with  the  cre»v  of  the  American  schooner  Edna.  That  schooner  cleared 
Philadelphia  on  May  17th  and  sailed  from  the  Delaware  Breakwater  on  May 
24th,  passing  Fenwick  Island  Lightship  about  noon.  At  about  1.30  p.m.  on 
May  25th  the  schooner  was  fired  on  by  a  German  submarine,  which  afterwards 
proved  to  be  the  U-151.  The  enemy  vessel  overhauled  her,  removed  the  crew 
to  their  vessel,  bombed  the  schooner,  and  after  leaving  her  in  an  apparently  sinking 
condition,  submerged  and  went  in  quest  of  other  vessels.  The  Edna  did  not 
sink,  but  was  taken  in  tow  by  the  Clyde  Line  steamer  Mohawk  near  Winter 
Quarter  Shoal  Lightship.  The  schooner's  towing  bitts  carried  away  and  she 
was  abandoned  by  the  Mohawk  and  subsequently  picked  up  by  the  tug  Arabian 
and  towed  into  Philadelphia,  arriving  May  29th.  Investigation  made  by  the  aide 
for  information  disclosed  that  there  were  two  holes  in  the  vessel's  hold,  twenty 
to  thirty  inches  in  diameter,  above  the  turn  of  the  bilge,  evidencing  an  external 
explosion.  A  time  fuse  was  found,  the  extreme  end  of  which  was  shattered  by 
an  explosion.  On  June  6th  the  master  of  the  Edna  arrived  in  Philadelphia  and 
was  examined  by  the  aide  for  information.  From  him  it  was  learned  that  the 
damage  to  the  schooner  was  inflicted  by  the  crew  of  the  U-151.  Upon  reaching 
the  U-151  the  master  of  the  Edna  found  already  aboaid  her  the  masters  and 
crew  of  the  schooners  Hattie  Dunn  and  Hauppauge.  Both  of  these  schooners 
had  been  sunk  and  the  crews  taken  prisoners.     It  was  learned  that  the  Hauppauge 

282 


had  been  bombed  and  sunk  in  latitude  37  degrees  46  minutes,  longitude  75  degrees 
5  minutes.  On  June  2d  at  10.30  a.m.,  they  were  placed  in  a  boat  taken  from 
another  vessel  just  sunk,  and  set  adrift  seventy  miles  east  of  Atlantic  City, 
N.  J.,  and  allowed  to  make  their  way  to  land.  The  description  of  the  submarine 
as  given  by  Captain  Gilmore  was  most  complete  and  proved  that  the  U-151  was 
armed  with  two  15-centimeter  Krupp  guns,  each  about  twenty-seven  feet  long, 
and  that  the  vessel  was  also  equipped  with  mines.  Valuable  information  as 
to  the  submarine's  dimensions,  her  personnel,  her  movements  and  destination 
were  obtained  and  forwarded  to  the  department.  The  Fourth  District,  therefore, 
was  the  first  to  establish  definitely  the  identity,  characteristics  and  other  important 
information  as  to  the  first  German  submarine  to  operate  off  the  Atlantic  coast. 

This  information  was  disseminated  to  all  naval  forces  by  the  department  on 
June  7th  and  the  military  characteristics  of  the  German  submarine  U-151  were 
given  as  follows:  length,  213  feet;  breadth,  29  feet;  surface  draft,  14  feet;  dis- 
placement, surface,  1,700  tons;  submerged,  2,100  tons;  engine,  1,200  horsepower; 
speed,  eleven  and  a  hall  knots  an  hour,  surface;  eight  knots  submerged;  fuel 
storage,  250  tons;  endurance,  17,000  miles  at  speed  of  six  knots  an  hour  on  the 
surface,  fifty  miles  at  speed  of  seven  knots  an  hour  submerged;  armament,  two 
six-inch  guns,  two  twenty-two  pounders;  one  machine  gun,  six  torpedo  tubes, 
four  in  the  bow  and  two  in  the  stern;  complement,  eight  officers,  sixty-five  men; 
type,  Deutschland,  vessel  converted  merchantine  submarine  type;  ammunition 
capacity,  limited  number  of  torpedoes,  maximum  twelve,  may  be  equipped  to 
carry  and  lay  forty  mines;  400  rounds  of  ammunition  for  each  gun. 

On  May  28th,  Cape  May  Radio  received  radio  information  from  the  steam- 
ship Adelheid,  that  she  had  sighted  a  submarine  in  latitude  36  degrees  45  minutes 
north,  longitude  73  degrees  38  minutes  west. 

The  depredations  of  the  enemy  raider  continued,  the  ship  making  its  appearance 
at  first  one  place  and  then  another.  The  Isabella  B.  Wylie,  a  schooner  of  775  tons 
gross  was  bombed  on  June  2d  in  latitude  39  degrees  10  minutes  north,  longitude 
73  degrees  7  minutes  west,  and  the  same  day  the  schooner  Winneconne,  of  1,869 
tons  gross,  was  destroyed  in  the  same  manner  in  latitude  39  degrees  26  minutes 
north,  longitude  72  degrees  50  minutes  west.  The  following  day  the  schooner 
Jacob  Haskell,  1,778  tons  gross,  was  sunk  by  bombs  fifty  miles  east  true  of  Barnegat 
Light. 

The  American  Steamship  Texel,  operated  by  the  United  States  Shipping 
Board,  encountered  the  enemy  at  4.21  p.m.,  Sunday,  June  2d,  in  latitude  38 
degrees  58  minutes  north,  longitude  73  degrees  13  minutes  30  seconds  west.  The 
submarine  announced  her  presence  in  the  vicinity  by  a  solid  shot  fired  over  the 
vessel.  The  ship  was  immediately  manoeuvered  in  the  manner  prescribed  in  war- 
time instructions  and  the  aggressor  was  brought  directly  from  the  stern  of  the 
Texel,  headed  full  speed  ahead.  A  shrapnel  shell  was  next  fired  which  exploded 
on  the  water  to  the  starboard  of  the  vessel.  The  first  and  second  shots  were  fired 
at  a  range  of  approximately  2,000  yards. 

The  Master  of  the  steamer  K.  B.  Lowrie  reported  subsequently  that  a 
second  submarine  came  to  the  surface  directly  ahead  of  the  Texel,  1,500  yards 
distant.  With  two  enemy  vessels,  one  on  his  bow  and  the  other  astern,  the  Master 
decided  to  heave  to,  rather  than  expose  his  crew  to  injury  or  loss  of  life.  Two 
additional  shots  were  fired  by  the  submarine  engaged  in  the  stern  chase,  the  first 

283 


hitting  a  lifeboat  on  the  starboard  side  under  the  bridge,  carrying  it  away  and 
shattering  the  starboard  wing  of  the  upper  bridge.  The  second  shot  passed  about 
100  yards  forward  of  the  bow  and  exploded.  Twenty-five  minutes  after  the  sub- 
marine was  first  sighted  an  under-lieutenant  and  three  German  seamen  boarded 
the  vessel  and  demanded  the  ship's  papers.  All  papers  and  Navy  instructions 
had  been  thrown  overboard  during  the  attack.  The  ship  was  abandoned  with 
Absecon  Light  bearing  295  degrees  true,  distance  fifty-eight  and  one-half  miles. 
Three  bombs  were  set  at  the  base  of  each  mast  and  others  in  the  engine  and 
fire  rooms.  The  master  left  the  ship  with  a  German  naval  officer  of  the  rank  of 
lieutenant  at  5.10  p.m.,  the  passengers  and  crew  previously  having  shoved  off  in 
the  ship's  boats.  At  5.18  p.m.  the  bombs  exploded  and  the  ship  sank  rapidly  by 
the  stern,  listing  to  starboard  and  going  under  the  surface  completely  three  minutes 
afterwards. 

The  submarine  disappeared  in  the  haze,  running  on  the  surface,  taking  a 
course  east-southeast. 

The  Master  adrift  in  one  of  the  ship's  boats  heard  firing  at  6.20  p.m.  and  again 
at  7.20,  but  had  no  knowledge  of  what  had  transpired.  No  vessel  was  encountered 
by  the  boats  of  the  Texel  as  they  proceeded  toward  the  shore.  On  June  3d  the 
boats  were  beached  at  Absecon  Light  and  the  survivors,  thirty-six  in  number,  were 
landed  at  Atlantic  City,  where  they  were  met  by  coast  guards,  and  arrangements 
made  for  their  accommodation  during  the  night.  The  description  of  the  sub- 
marine tallied  in  general  with  that  given  by  previous  victims.  This  was  the  first 
instance  of  where  two  submarines  were  reported  acting  in  company.  All  of  the 
passengers  and  crew  of  the  vessel  were  saved. 

The  firing  heard  by  the  survivors  of  the  Texel  at  6.20  p.m  was  in  all  probability 
the  shots  fired  at  the  steamship  Carolina,  proceeding  from  San  Juan,  Porto  Rica, 
to  New  York.  The  steamer,  which  belonged  to  the  Porto  Rican  Steamship  Com- 
pany, was  halted  by  three  shots  fired  over  her  bow  and  by  two  shots  over  the  stern 
at  about  6.15  p.m.  the  same  day.  At  the  time  of  the  attack  the  ship  was  in  latitude 
39  degrees  10  minutes  north,  longitude  73  degrees  7  minutes  west.  When  the  ship 
hove  to  the  submarine  came  alongside  and  ordered  that  the  ship  be  abandoned  im- 
mediately. Captain  Barber,  the  Master,  disembarked  the  women  and  children  who 
were  passengers  in  the  first  boats.  As  each  boat  was  loaded  it  was  directed  by 
the  submarine  to  lay  astern  of  the  Carolina.  Three  shells  were  fired  into  the  ship 
amidships  and  others  into  the  bow  at  short  range.  She  immediately  began  to 
settle,  going  down  bow  first  at  8.15  p.m.  The  crew  of  the  German  raider  lined 
the  decks,  waved  a  farewell  and  disappeared  in  the  mist.  The  ship's  motorboat 
took  the  lifeboats  in  tow,  but  after  a  short  run  the  towing  line  parted  and  the 
lifeboats  became  separated  from  the  motorboat  in  the  fog.  Twenty-nine  survivors 
landed  through  the  surf  at  the  foot  of  South  Carolina  Avenue,  Atlantic  City,  N.  J., 
at  1.45  p.m  on  June  4th.  This  number  included  eight  women  passengers  and  ten 
men  passengers  and  eleven  of  the  crew.  Sixteen  men  and  two  women  were  picked 
up  by  the  British  Steamer  Appleby  and  brought  into  Lewes,  Del.  Sixteen 
were  lost  from  one  lifeboat  that  capsized  at  12.15  a.m.,  Monday,  June  3d.  The 
other  boats  that  reached  land  survived  a  violent  summer  storm  that  tossed  them 
about  during  the  early  hours  of  the  morning  of  June  3d. 

While  the  ship's  boats  were  making  their  way  to  land  they  were  sighted,  on 
June  3d,  twenty  miles  southward  off  Barnegat,  steering  westward  by  the  S.  S. 

284 


Mexico.  Late  that  night  the  Carolina,  before  being  sunk,  reported  by  radio  that 
she  was  attacked  and  that  she  had  stopped.  Unfortunately,  however,  the  ship 
failed  to  give  her  position,  and  a  request  for  this  information  from  Navy  Radio, 
Cape  May,  evidently  reached  the  ship  after  her  capture.  The  commanding 
officer  at  the  Section  Base  at  Lewes  was  directed  to  stop  all  outgoing  vessels,  and 
the  Commander  of  Cape  May  Section  reported  that  all  men  away  from  base  had 
been  recalled,  and  all  vessels  at  the  base  had  been  ordered  to  stand  by  for  imme- 
diate sea  duty. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Rathburne  was  ready  to  proceed  on  her  trial  trip  the  following 
day.  That  the  ship  might  be  equipped  for  offensive  and  defensive  purposes,  even 
before  she  was  commissioned,  one  hundred  rounds  of  four-inch  ammunition  was 
placed  aboard  of  her  together  with  depth  charges,  and  the  officer  detailed  to  com- 
mand her  was  instructed  to  use  his  own  judgment  as  to  taking  command  in  an 
emergency. 

The  port  of  Philadelphia  was  closed  temporarily  on  June  4th,  until  such  time 
as  all  outgoing  ships  could  be  afforded  the  protection  of  convoys,  and  until  the 
Commandant  was  assured  that  the  channels  to  sea  were  safe  and  free  from  mines. 

The  schooner  Samuel  C.  Mengel  was  destroyed  by  bombs  in  latitude  38  degrees 
8  minutes  north,  longitude  73  degrees  38  minutes  west  on  June  3d.  The  Norwegian 
Steamship  Vinland  was  sunk  June  5th,  in  latitude  36  degrees  32  minutes  north 
and  longitude  73  degrees  58  minutes  west.  On  the  same  day  the  Carpathian  was 
chased  in  latitude  36  degrees  16  minutes  north  and  longitude  74  degrees  west  and 
the  Eidswold  was  bombed  and  sunk  in  latitude  37  degrees  12  minutes,  longitude 
73  degrees  55  minutes. 

On  June  8th  an  underseas  craft  was  reported  in  latitude  36  degrees  2  minutes 
north,  longitude  71  degrees  20  minutes  west,  and  on  the  same  day  it  sunk  the 
steamer  Pinar  del  Rio  in  latitude  37  degrees  42  minutes  north,  longitude  73  degrees 
56  minutes  west.  Subsequent  to  this  date,  for  a  time,  the  enemy  raider  pursued 
her  activities  in  other  waters.  The  alarm  given  to  shipping  gave  rise  to  many 
false  rumors  that  were  amusing  except  for  the  fact  that  it  involved  ceaseless  activ- 
ity on  the  part  of  patrol  vessels  in  running  them  down.  A  dead  whale,  sighted 
two  miles  north  of  McCries  Shoals  Buoy,  was  once  reported  as  a  well-authenticated 
submarine. 

The  Commandant  was  warned  that  the  enemy  might  resort  to  the  old  trick 
of  scattering  dummy  periscopes  at  sea,  and  in  certain  instances  it  was  believed 
that  mines  might  be  attached  to  these  false  periscopes  in  the  hope  of  attracting 
a  ship  into  a  danger  zone  in  an  attempt  to  ram  the  supposed  submarine.  To 
heighten  the  interest  in  the  search  for  a  submarine  base,  if  such  did  exist,  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  on  June  19th,  offered  a  reward  of  a  thousand  dollars  to  any 
person  who  might  furnish  authentic  information  which  would  lead  to  its  location. 

The  Department  received  information  which  led  to  the  belief  that  a  submarine 
base  existed  in  the  back  sound  north  of  Cape  May.  This  report  was  investigated 
on  August  23,  1918,  and  found  to  be  without  foundation.  The  entire  vicinity 
of  Cape  May  was  so  thoroughly  patrolled  that  the  establishment  of  such  a  base 
would  have  been  impossible  even  had  there  been  water  sufficient  and  it  had  been 
possible  to  elude  the  naval  patrol  maintained. 

Up  to  this  time  the  district  was  without  the  services  of  a  vessel  of  the  destroyer 
type.    On  June  the  4th  the  U.  S.  S.  Walke  was  instructed  to  take  up  patrol  on  a 

285 


line  adjoining  the  following  limits:  Latitude  39  degrees  north,  longitude  74  degrees 
10  minutes;  latitude  34  degrees  20  minutes  north,  longitude  74  degrees  35  minutes. 
The  Walke  was  detailed  to  escort  the  steamer  Czar  and  the  U.  S.  S.  Matsonia  from 
the  Delaware  Breakwater  to  Winter  Quarter  Shoals  on  June  5th,  and  subsequently 
she  was  attached  to  the  district  and  operated  under  the  direction  of  the  Com- 
mandant in  prosecuting  searches  for  submarines. 

A  capital  ship  of  the  Navy  was  only  once  attacked  within  the  waters  of  the 
Fourth  Naval  District  by  an  enemy  submarine.  At  5.15  a.m.  on  June  9th  the 
U.  S.  S.  South  Carolina  was  in  latitude  38  degrees  26  minutes  north,  longitude 
74  degrees  40  minutes  west,  when  a  periscope  was  sighted  and  fired  upon.  The 
South  Carolina  was  escorted  by  subchaser  234,  which  immediately  headed  for 
the  periscope,  discharging  depth  bombs  from  her  "Y"  guns  over  the  spot  where 
it  had  submerged.  The  South  Carolina  proceeded  at  full  speed  and  made  her 
escape.  The  position  of  attack  was  fixed  as  110  degrees  true  from  Fenwick  Island 
Lightship,  distant  five  miles.  The  submarine  sighted  was  evidently  proceeding 
south  at  the  time  of  the  attack,  as  the  Norwegian  Steamer  Luna  reported  at  the 
Delaware  Breakwater,  the  same  morning,  that  she  had  sighted  a  submarine  at 
2  a.m.  ten  miles  east-southeast  from  Winter  Quarter  Shoal  Lightship.  Every  pre- 
caution had  been  taken  to  insure  the  safety  of  the  ship  in  approaching  the  Delaware 
Breakwater.  The  approach  channels  had  been  swept  and  subchasers  had  been 
detailed  to  escort  the  battleship  in,  and  mine  sweepers  sent  out  to  meet  the  ship 
and  sweep  ahead  of  her  as  she  proceeded.  She  was  further  warned  by  radio  to 
avoid  the  vicinity  of  Overfalls  Lightship. 

These  precautionary  measures  against  mines  were  dictated  by  the  fact  that 
six  days  previous  the  steamship  Herbert  L.  Pratt,  an  oil  tanker,  struck  a  mine  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Overfalls  Light  Vessel  while  proceeding  toward  the  Delaware 
Breakwater.  The  damage  to  the  Pratt  was  the  first  occasioned  by  enemy  mines 
laid  in  the  waters  of  this  district.  The  vessel  was  proceeding  to  the  shelter  afforded 
by  the  Harbor  of  Refuge  at  the  Delaware  Capes  in  accordance  with  radio  warnings 
sent  broadcast,  advising  that  enemy  submarines  were  operating  off  the  coast, 
and  directing  all  ships  to  make  the  nearest  port. 

When  Overfalls  Lightship  was  bearing  N.  by  E.,  %  E.  and  Cape  Henlopen 
W.  by  N.,  %  N.,  both  magnetic,  at  3.35  p.m.,  the  ship  suffered  severe  vibrations 
from  a  slight  explosion.  At  first  it  was  believed  that  she  had  been  torpedoed, 
but  the  Boards  of  Investigation  appointed  to  determine  the  cause  of  the  damage 
determined  from  the  character  of  the  damage  done  and  from  all  other  facts  in  its 
possession  that  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  a  submarine  to  have  operated 
with  success  in  the  character  of  water  through  which  the  ship  was  proceeding  at 
the  time. 

The  belief  that  the  damage  was  from  a  torpedo  was  heightened  for  the  time 
by  a  report  made  by  the  Commanding  Officer  of  the  S.  P.  591,  Miramar,  a  patrol 
vessel  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District,  that  was  in  the  vicinity  immediately  after 
the  ship  struck.  The  Commanding  Officer  of  the  Miramar  reported  having  sighted 
a  periscope  wake.  He  gave  chase,  firing  several  shots,  after  which  the  surface 
disturbance  disappeared. 

The  Pratt  sailed  from  Mexico  on  May  26,  1918,  commanded  by  H.  H.  Bennett, 
Master  Mariner,  with  a  full  cargo  of  crude  oil  in  bulk  and  a  crew  of  thirty-eight  men. 

At  8.00  a.m.  on  June  3d,  when  off  Winter  Quarter  Shoal,  radio  warnings  of 

286 


the  operation  of  enemy  submarines  were  received  on  board  ship  by  wireless.  Every 
precaution  was  taken  and  a  sharp  lookout  kept  while  proceeding  toward  the 
Delaware  Capes.  Immediately  following  the  explosion  the  ship  was  headed  toward 
the  beach.  The  life  boats  were  manned  and  S.  0.  S.  calls  sent  by  radio  that  the 
ship  had  been  either  mined  or  torpedoed.  In  the  fifteen  minutes  that  the  ship 
was  able  to  retain  steerage  way  she  proceeded  far  enough  into  shallow  water  so 
that  when  she  went  down  by  the  head  her  bow  rested  in  ten  fathoms,  and  her 
stern  remained  afloat.    The  ship  was  then  abandoned. 

As  evidencing  the  thorough  patrol  that  was  maintained  the  Master  of  the  Pratt, 
in  his  statement  made  subsequent  to  the  occurrence,  may  be  quoted  as  follows: 

"We  then  left  the  ship.  Just  previous  to  this  I  hailed  a  guard  boat,  I  don't 
know  her  name  or  number,  and  ordered  her  to  stand  by,  that  I  was  sinking.  This 
guard  boat  was  approximately  2,000  feet  on  my  port  side.  He  signalled  me 
'All  right.'  They  stood  by  until  we  left  in  the  boats.  I  was  placed  aboard  the 
guard  boat  and  the  crew  was  placed  aboard  the  pilot  boat.  On  the  return  to  Cape 
May  we  met  another  guard  boat  and  hailed  him.  We  then  turned  around  and 
started  for  Cape  Henlopen." 

At  3.45  p.m  the  following  S.  0.  S.  was  received  at  Cape  May  from  the  Pratt: 
"Overfalls  Lightship  Delaware  Breakwater  have  struck  a  mine  or  am  torpedoed." 

The  patrol  vessels  referred  to  by  the  Master  of  the  Pratt  were  the  S.  P.  591  Mir- 
amar,  the  S.  P.  Georgiana  HI,  and  the  S.  P.  Edorea.  These  vessels  were  on  patrol  in 
that  vicinity  and  themselves  intercepted  the  S.  O.  S.  and  proceeded  to  the  scene. 
Mine  sweepers  engaged  in  sweeping  from  Overfalls  Light  Vessel  to  Five  Fathom 
Lightship,  and  for  a  distance  of  five  miles  beyond  were  ordered  to  return  imme- 
diately and  sweep  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mined  steamer. 

At  6.45  p.m.  an  object  resembling  a  mine  was  swept  up  and  the  Coast  Guard 
Cutter  Morrill  stood  back  to  examine  it.  A  boat  was  lowered  and  the  mine  photo- 
graphed by  Third  Lieutenant  Von  Paulson.  It  was  subsequently  sunk  by  a  shot 
from  a  six  pounder  at  a  range  of  one  hundred  yards.  It  did  not  explode.  A  sea- 
plane patrolling  in  the  neighborhood  signaled  another  mine  two  miles  to  the 
southward.  This  was  reported  by  the  commanding  officer  of  the  S.  P.  683  as  a 
moored  mine.     It  was  sunk  by  rifle  fire. 

The  following  day  the  S.  P.  684  swept  up  another  mine  of  the  same  type, 
which  exploded  when  hit  by  a  shot  from  a  six  pounder.  It  was  located  one  and 
four-tenth  miles  southeast  of  Overfalls  Light  Vessel. 

On  June  9th,  while  sweeping  between  McCries  Shoal  Buoy  and  Overfalls 
Light  Vessel,  a  mine  was  swept  up  and  sunk  by  a  shot  from  a  six  pounder  at  a  range 
of  600  yards.     A  partial  explosion  occurred  and  the  mine  disappeared. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Wisconsin,  which  was  about  to  proceed  to  sea  from  the  Delaware 
Breakwater,  was  ordered  back,  in  view  of  the  imminence  of  danger,  and  instructed 
to  anchor  at  Brandy  wine  Shoals.  A  thorough  search  in  the  vicinity  failed  to 
show  any  evidence  of  the  presence  of  a  submarine,  other  than  that  seen  by  the 
lookout  on  the  Miramar. 

The  following  day,  due  to  the  efforts  of  Naval  Constructor  Davis,  the  Pratt 
was  taken  in  tow  by  the  Navy  Tug  Tasco  and  brought  into  the  Delaware  Break- 
water. Naval  Constructor  Davis  happened  to  be  at  Lewes,  Del.,  engaged  in 
salvage  operations,  and  his  effort  and  the  equipment  at  his  disposal  was  imme- 
diately applied  to  salvaging  the  Pratt.    Steam  had  been  kept  up  on  the  Pratt  and 

287 


Courtesy  of  the  Atlantic  Refining  Co. 

Repairing  Damage  to  the  "Herbert  L.  Pratt." 

her  pumps  were  set  to  work  to  empty  the  forward  tanks.  She  was  subsequently 
righted  and  ran  to  the  Navy  Yard,  Philadelphia,  under  her  own  steam,  where 
she  was  placed  in  dry  dock  and  where  the  following,  who  were  appointed  as  a 
Board  of  Inquiry  to  determine  the  cause  of  the  damage,  viewed  the  ship :  Armistead 
Rust,  Captain,  U.  S.  N.  (Ret.),  Senior  Member;  Maurice  G.  Belknap,  Lieutenant, 
U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  Member  and  Recorder;  Ernest  L.  Bass,  Assistant  Naval  Constructor 
of  Engineers,  U.  S.  C.  G.;  F.  C.  Wells,  Third  Lieutenant,  Member;  and  Joseph  J. 
Tibbetts,  U.  S.  N.  Member;  Carpenter,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  Member. 

The  conclusions  of  the  board  were  as  follows:  A  submarine  to  have  fired  a 
torpedo  would  have  had  to  be  operating  between  the  Pratt  and  the  Hen  and  Chicken 
Shoals.  The  ten-fathom  curves  show  a  sort  of  funnel-like  entrance  of  deep  water 
from  the  sea  from  the  southeast  to  the  locality  between  Overfalls  Light  Vessel 
and  Hen  and  Chicken  Shoals.  This  is  plainly  the  channel  in  which  ships  enter 
the  bay.  For  that  reason  it  is  plainly  a  place  where  mines  would  be  planted  by 
an  enemy  who  had  the  opportunity  to  do  so.  On  the  other  hand,  the  fact  that 
it  was  a  locality  where  war  vessels  of  the  United  States  might  be  expected,  would 
present  grave  elements  of  danger  to  the  operation  of  a  submarine  in  the  day  time, 
the  water  being  too  shoal  to  permit  diving  without  danger  in  case  of  pursuit. 
Mines  planted  in  the  locality  would  serve  as  a  menace  for  a  long  period  unless 
they  were  suspected  and  dragged  for.  The  use  of  a  torpedo  would  be,  of  course, 
more  certain,  but  the  operation  of  a  submarine  in  such  a  locality  at  that  time  of 
day  would  present  almost  prohibitive  risks  which  would  make  it  unlikely  that 

288 


such  a  course  would  be  taken.  For  these  reasons  the  board  is  of  the  opinion  that 
the  damage  to  the  Pratt  was  caused  by  a  mine  and  not  by  a  torpedo  fired  from  a 
submarine. 

Therefore,  the  most  intensive  mine-sweeping  operations  were  carried  on. 
Approach  channels  were  laid  out  and  swept  and  the  regulations  for  the  local 
control  and  safeguarding  of  shipping  as  set  forth  in  the  instructions  of  operations, 
under  date  of  May  18th,  and  as  amended  by  further  instructions  received  on  June 
5th,  were  rigidly  adhered  to.  The  Department  enjoined  upon  all  commandants 
the  heartiest  cooperation,  especially  between  districts  that  were  adjacent,  in  the 
dissemination  of  proper  information,  control  of  coastwise  shipping  and  in  offensive 
actions  against  the  enemy.  These  instructions  were  carried  out  to  the  letter, 
S.  0.  S.  calls  received  by  radio  were  immediately  transmitted  to  adjacent  districts 
by  telephone  and  subsequently  confirmed  by  dispatch  over  the. leased  telegraph 
lines.  The  districts  were  constantly  in  touch  with  each  other  by  telephone,  so 
that  their  activities  might  not  conflict  or  overlap.  Information  as  to  the  move- 
ments of  coastwise  shipping  was  given  and  every  fact  of  possible  value  or  of  possible 
assistance  in  the  conduct  of  the  campaign  was  forwarded  to  adjoining  districts 
for  their  information.  While  offensive  action  was  prosecuted  to  the  limit  of 
the  resources  of  the  district  in  the  destruction  of  mines,  defensive  action  was  taken 
so  that  mines  should  not  be  planted  by  vessels  operating  under  neutral  flags. 
Neutral  vessels  were  boarded  and  inspected,  so  as  to  make  absolutely  certain  that 
no  mine-laying  equipment  was  aboard,  and  the  further  direction  that  neutral 
vessels  were  to  be  followed  in  and  out  by  patrol  boats,  and  their  actions  observed, 
was  complied  with  in  certain  instances. 

It  was  the  opinion  of  the  department  at  this  time  that  possibly  two  sub- 
marines were  operating  on  the  Atlantic  coast  and  the  widely  separated  reports 
of  activities  seemed  to  confirm  this  possibility.  The  department's  views  were 
expressed  as  follows:  "From  the  character  of  these  enemy  operations,  the  enemy's 
mission  is  estimated  to  be  primarily  political  with  the  object  of  causing  us  to  in- 
augurate such  an  offensive  campaign  as  to  prevent  us  placing  our  naval  forces 
where  they  will  operate  to  best  military  advantage.  If  this  estimate  of  the  enemy's 
primary  mission  is  correct,  it  is  reasonable  to  expect  the  enemy  submarines  to 
shift  their  base  of  operations  frequently,  both  to  gain  added  victims  and  also  to 
create  the  impression  that  more  submarines  are  on  this  coast  than  are  really  here." 

The  mine-sweeping  squadron  which  carried  out  these  operations  at  this  time 
was  organized  early  in  the  war,  and  among  the  first  vessels  taken  over  were  a 
number  of  steam  powered  wooden  hulls  which  had  heretofore  engaged  in  the  so- 
called  Menhaden  fishing  operations  in  waters  adjacent  to  the  Delaware  Breakwater. 

The  vessels  originally  taken  over  were  the  Delaware,  S.  P.  467;  Breakwater, 
S.  P.  681;  Garner,  S.  P.  682;  McKeever  Brothers,  S.  P.  683;  E.  J.  McKeever,  S.  P. 
684;  S.  W.  McKeever,  S.  P.  1169;  Fearless,  S.  P.  724;  Annie  Gallup,  S.  P.  694; 
Vester,  S.  P.  686;  Brown,  S.  P.  1050.  The  vessels  were  purchased  outright  and 
rapidly  converted  at  the  Navy  Yard  to  the  purpose  intended.  The  latter  two 
after  some  months'  service  were  detached  from  this  duty,  after  their  unsuitability 
had  been  demonstrated. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Teal,  mine  sweeper  23,  and  the  U.  S.  S.  Kingfisher,  mine  sweeper 
25,  were  added  to  this  fleet  on  August  20, 1918,  the  former  being  constructed  at  the 
Sun  Shipbuilding    Company,  and  the  latter1  at  the  Puget  Sound  Navy  Yard. 

289 


These  vessels  were  specially  constructed  for  this  purpose  and  their  power,  sea- 
worthiness and  adaptability  constituted  a  considerable  contribution  to  the  fleet. 

The  coast  defense  cutters  Morrill  and  Itasca  were  at  various  times  assigned 
as  flagships  of  the  mine-sweeping  squadron. 

Exclusive  of  the  flagships,  the  U.  S.  S.  Teal  and  Kingfisher,  the  ships  averaged 
about  200  tons  gross.  They  were  fitted  to  sweep  in  accordance  with  the  English 
system,  in  pairs,  with  wire  between  each  boat,  and  using  one  kite. 

A  mine-sweeping  fleet  was  based  at  Lewes,  Del.,  until  May  6,  1918, 
when  it  was  transferred  to  Cape  May.  The  limited  number  of  vessels  made 
it  necessary  in  the  beginning  to  sweep  prescribed  channels  rather  than  definite 
areas.  This  channel  extended  generally  from  Overfalls  Light  Vessel  to  a  position 
one-half  mile  south  of  Five  Fathom  Bank  Lightship. 

Latterly,  sweeping  operations  were  shifted  and  carried  on  intensively,  as 
information  was  received  indicating  the  probable  location  of  mined  areas.  When 
the  German  submarines  commenced  their  operations  at  the  latter  end  of  May, 
1918,  the  mine-sweeping  fleet  concentrated  its  efforts  upon  clearing  certain  approach 
routes  to  the  Delaware  Bay.  Daily  sweeping  operations  covered  a  distance  of 
from  sixty  to  eighty  miles,  and  to  insure  the  safety  of  ships  a  channel  600  yards 
wide  was  covered. 

The  Department  early  directed  attention  to  the  delayed  action  of  German 
mines,  and  pointed  out  that  "in  connection  with  sweeping  of  channels,  it  is  no 
guarantee  that  the  channel  is  clear  after  having  been  swept  the  previous  day." 
This  involved  continuous  sweeping,  and  it  was  therefore  entirely  possible  that  in 
the  wide  areas  to  be  covered  a  mine  laid  would  rise  after  the  identical  area  had 
been  swept. 

The  next  ship  to  make  contact  with  an  enemy  mine  within  the  waters  of  the 
Fourth  Naval  District  was  the  U.  S.  S.  Minnesota. 

The  ship  was  proceeding  to  the  Navy  Yard,  Philadelphia,  when  she  struck, 
at  5.00  a.m.  on  September  29th,  in  latitude  38  degrees  11  minutes  30  seconds  north 
and  longitude  74  degrees  41  minutes  5  seconds  west.  She  was  convoyed  by  the 
U.  S.  S.  Israel.  The  mine  exploded  on  the  starboard  bow  below  the  water  fine, 
tearing  a  hole  from  thence  downward  to  the  keel.  The  forward  compartments 
were  flooded,  compelling  a  reduction  in  speed  to  ten  knots.  The  ship  proceeded 
under  her  own  steam  and  without  assistance.  Immediately  upon  her  arrival  at 
the  Navy  Yard  at  7.30  p.m.  the  same  day,  she  was  placed  in  drydock  and  tem- 
porary repairs  made,  so  as  to  enable  her  to  be  undocked  at  noon  on  October  2d. 

Upon  receipt  of  information  that  a  mine  had  been  discovered  in  this  locality 
two  seaplanes  from  the  Naval  Air  Station,  Cape  May,  scouted  in  that  vicinity 
without  result,  and  four  mine  sweepers,  including  the  U.  S.  S.  Teal  and  U.  S.  S. 
Kingfisher,  swept  for  a  distance  of  five  miles  around  the  position  without  discovering 
additional  mines. 

The  majority  of  mines  swept  up  conformed  to  the  description  of  those  laid 
out  of  torpedo  tubes  by  the  U-151.  The  dimensions  in  the  main  were  diameter 
1934  inches,  length,  exclusive  of  horns,  4  feet  934  inches,  holding  in  their  center 
a  charge  of  approximately  200  pounds  of  trinitrate  of  toluol.  They  were  usually 
of  the  four-horned  variety  with  a  single  mooring.  The  varying  tactics  employed 
by  the  mine  layers  necessitated  sweeping  of  approach  routes  as  far  as  the  hundred 
fathom  curve,  and  in  order  to  safeguard  the  routes  followed  by  ships  hugging  the 

290 


coast,  to  avoid  submarines,  sweeping  operations  were  necessary  from  Barnegat 
south  to  the  vicinity  of  Winter  Quarter  Shoals.  The  immediate  vicinity  of  North- 
east End  Lightship,  Five  Fathom  Bank  Lightship,  Fenwick  Island  Shoal  Light- 
ship and  Winter  Quarter  Lightship  were  constantly  investigated  by  patrol  vessels. 

Regular  sweeping  operations  were  interrupted  by  the  necessity  of  detailing 
certain  sweepers  to  investigate  localities  where  mines  were  reported.  Such  reports 
rarely  proved  to  be  accurate,  and  in  order  that  mines  sighted  might  be  immediately 
destroyed  by  passing  ships,  the  Department  on  September  18,  1918,  directed 
that  all  vessels  be  instructed  to  sink  floating  mines  by  rifle  fire,  and  that  steps 
be  taken  to  determine  definitely  whether  the  suspicious  object  was  a  mine  or  not. 

Prior  to  the  issuance  of  these  instructions,  it  had  been  customary  for  merchant 
ships  to  report  the  mine  sighted,  leaving  it  as  a  constant  menace  to  any  ship 
that  might  pass  in  its  vicinity  before  mine  sweepers  could  reach  the  locality. 

The  U.  S.  S.  South  Carolina,  proceeding  south  at  1.00  p.m.  on  September  7, 
1918,  cut  off  a  mine  which  came  to  the  surface.  At  the  time  Barnegat  Light  was 
six  miles  distant,  bearing  290  degrees.  The  coast  guard  cutter  Morrill,  with  two 
mine  sweepers,  searched  the  area,  sweeping  twelve  hours  for  a  distance  of  eighty- 
four  miles,  without  encountering  anything.  A  month  later,  the  U.  S.  S.  Teal 
swept  up  and  sunk  by  rifle  fire  a  mine  in  latitude  39  degrees  43  minutes  north, 
longitude  74  degrees  1  minute  west. 

The  loss  of  the  U.  S.  S.  Seatia,  a  cargo  carrier,  operated  for  the  army  account, 
on  November  9,  1918,  concluded  the  damage  done  by  enemy  mines.  The  Seatia 
sailed  from  a  French  port  bound  for  Philadelphia,  and  had  been  given  instructions 
by  the  American  routing  officer  at  the  port  of  clearance,  as  to  the  lines  of  approach 
to  use  when  nearing  the  United  States  coast.  By  reason  of  bad  trim,  foul  weather 
and  an  accompanying  northeast  gale,  the  steamer  found  herself,  on  the  morning 
of  November  9th,  six  miles  to  the  southward  and  westward  of  the  approach  line 
of  the  inner  position,  and  hauled  up  to  make  the  lightship.  At  8.30  p.m.  she 
struck  a  mine  ten  miles  south-southeast  from  Fenwick  Island  Lightship,  one 
of  the  many  that  had  been  laid  by  a  German  submarine  from  and  to  the  south- 
ward and  westward  of  the  lightship.  Although  the  ship  stayed  afloat  but  a  short 
time  all  of  the  crew  were  saved.  A  number  made  their  way  to  the  coast  south 
of  Cape  Henlopen  in  lifeboats,  and  the  remainder  were  picked  up  by  S.  S.  Kennebec 
and  subsequently  transferred  to  district  vessels  hastening  to  the  scene.  These 
latter  survivors  were  landed  at  the  Section  Base,  Cape  May. 

A  total  distance  of  1,085  miles  was  swept  in  the  vicinity  of  Barnegat.  Prior 
to  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  nine  mines  were  accounted  for  in  this  area. 

With  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  information  was  received  from  Vice-Admiral 
William  S.  Sims,  commanding  the  United  States  Naval  Forces  in  European  waters, 
that  charts  showing  the  positions  of  mine  fields  in  this  country  had  been  turned 
over  to  the  Allies.  From  this  information,  it  was  indicated  where  mines  had  been 
laid  in  areas  located  within  the  Fourth  Naval  District. 

The  actual  arrival  of  the  enemy  off  the  coast  was  promptly  followed  by  the 
assignment  by  the  department  of  the  U.  S.  S.  M-l,  an  American  submarine,  which 
took  up  a  periscope  patrol. 

Inasmuch  as  no  suitable  tender  was  available,  it  was  determined  to  base  the 
submarine  at  the  Cape  May  Section  Base  and  she  was  accordingly  transferred  to 

291 


Cold  Spring  Inlet.  After  minor  repairs  had  been  made,  she  was  assigned  to  patrol 
an  area  which  would  cover  the  approach  to  the  Delaware  Bay.  The  value  of 
submarines  for  defensive  purposes  was  realized  and  the  Department  was  requested 
to  detail  two  additional  vessels  of  the  same  type  for  like  duty.  The  duration  of 
the  patrol  was  fixed  as  six  days. 

The  operation  of  the  M-l  early  emphasized  the  tremendous  responsibility 
imposed  by  the  operation  with  safety  of  our  own  submarines.  While  they  were 
instructed  to  remain  submerged  during  the  day  and  to  come  to  the  surface  only 
at  night,  there  was  constant  danger  that  they  might  be  mistaken  lor  an  enemy 
craft  by  patrolling  seaplanes.  Contact  by  district  vessels  was  constantly  made,  and 
to  insure  the  safety  of  our  own  submarines  it  was  necessary  that  most  complete 
and  accurate  information  should  be  disseminated  to  all  naval  vessels  and  to  ad- 
joining districts  so  that  they  might  not  be  mistaken  for  enemy  vessels.  The 
British  steamship  Sovereign,  on  June  19th,  sighted  an  American  submarine  and 
could  have  sunk  her  by  gun-fire.  Fire  was  withheld  when  the  American  flag 
was  displayed,  and  the  fact  that  she  was  friendly  was  confirmed  by  the  action  of 
the  submarine  in  proceeding  away  from  the  merchant  ship  without  further  action. 

On  June  25th,  the  U.  S.  S.  N-7  was  assigned  to  the  Fourth  Naval  District, 
arriving  at  Cape  May  on  July  23d,  at  4  p.m.  She  was  followed  shortly  thereafter 
by  the  U.  S.  S.  N-4,  but  due  to  the  salting  of  her  engine  while  proceeding,  she  was 
not  available  for  patrol  until  repairs  had  been  made. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Savannah,  flying  the  flag  of  the  commander  of  Division  8,  Sub- 
marine Force,  arrived  at  the  Delaware  Breakwater  at  11  a.m.  on  Sunday,  August 
4th.  The  ships  of  this  division  were  rapidly  assembled  at  the  Delaware  Breakwater, 
where  it  was  found  that  the  ground  swell  coming  into  the  Harbor  of  Refuge  from 
seaward  made  that  rendezvous,  in  the  judgment  of  the  commander  of  Division  8, 
not  only  unsuitable  but  also  dangerous  to  the  ships  of  his  division.  Permission 
was  requested  to  shift  the  division's  base  to  Cold  Spring  Inlet,  Cape  May. 

Before  the  U.  S.  S.  Savannah  and  her  accompanying  submarines  were  permitted 
to  enter  Cold  Spring  Inlet,  a  careful  inspection  was  made  and  soundings  taken. 
It  was  found  at  low  water  there  was  a  depth  of  eighteen  feet  with  a  tide  rise  of 
four  feet  six  inches.  The  U.  S.  S.  Savannah  has  a  length  of  416  feet  and  beam  of 
forty-six  and  maximum  draft  loaded  of  twenty-three  feet  six  inches  and  maximum 
draft  light  of  sixteen  feet.  It  was  determined,  therefore,  that  it  was  entirely 
feasible  for  the  Savannah  to  enter  Cold  Spring  Inlet,  as  while  acting  as  tender  her 
maximum  draft  was  eighteen  feet  six  inches. 

The  adaptability  of  Cold  Spring  Harbor  as  an  operating  base  for  submarines 
was  enhanced  by  the  ability  of  the  communication  service  to  run  direct  lines, 
both  telephone  and  telegraph,  from  the  shore  to  the  tender.  The  Savannah 
arrived  at  Cape  May  on  August  30th.  Two  submarines  of  this  division  were 
constantly  on  patrol  in  designated  areas,  while  the  waters  adjacent  were  utilized 
for  target  practice,  torpedo  practice  and  submerging  tests. 

The  U.  S.  S.  0-6,  one  of  the  ships  of  this  division,  was  badly  damaged  by  gun- 
fire when  she  came  to  the  surface  astern  of  a  convoy  she  was  escorting,  being 
mistaken  for  a  hostile  submarine.  She  proceeded  to  the  mother  ship  in  Cold 
Spring  Inlet,  where  repairs  were  completed  August  29th.  It  was  considered  that 
exceptional  work  had  been  done  by  the  tender  in  repairing  the  damage,  and  the 
work  of  the  Savannah's  officers  in  this  particular  was  the  subject   of  a  con- 

292 


gratulatory  letter  from  the  commander  of  the  Submarine  Force  Atlantic,  on 
August  30th. 

The  presence  of  the  Savannah  and  her  division,  the  coincident  flights  and 
landings  of  seaplanes  from  the  coastal  air  station,  and  the  comings  and  goings  of 
district  vessels  made  Cold  Spring  Inlet  one  of  the  busiest  coastal  bases  at  this  time. 
Submarines  exercised  daily,  particularly  in  torpedo  practice  and  submerging 
tests.  One  of  the  latter,  carried  out  on  October  10th  by  the  U.  S.  S.  O-10  was  of 
ninety-six  hours'  duration,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  the  boat  and  crew  were  in 
excellent  condition.  The  operation  of  the  division  from  this  point  proved  highly 
satisfactory,  permitting  the  closest  cooperation  between  district  forces,  and  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  the  submarine  force  commander  the  latest  information  available 
through  the  communication  service  established  at  Cape  May,  as  well  as  the  supply 
and  repair  facilities  of  the  section  base. 

In  the  late  spring  the  hunt  squadrons  were  organized  to  supplement  the  dis- 
trict activities.  On  June  6th  the  Commandant  was  advised  that  the  U.  S.  S. 
Jouett  with  a  force  of  more  than  a  score  of  subchasers  had  been  instructed  to  en- 
deavor to  engage  and  maintain  touch  with  the  enemy  submarine  operating  off  the 
coast  with  the  objects,  first  of  destroying  her,  and  second,  failing  in  that,  to  track 
the  enemy  to  his  base  of  supplies  in  the  western  Atlantic.  To  that  end  the  Jouett 
and  its  force  was  instructed  to  follow  him  to  the  full  extent  of  their  resources. 

Information  received  by  the  Department  when  the  Pinar  Del  Rio  was  sunk 
was  to  the  effect  that  the  submarine  was  accompanied  by  a  freight  steamer,  pre- 
sumably acting  as  a  decoy  and  supply  ship.  This  freighter  was  described  as  being 
450  feet  long,  of  6,000  tons,  painted  gray,  with  a  funnel  amidships  and  two  well 
decks.  After  a  cruise  out  of  Hampton  Roads  to  the  northward,  the  Jouett  and  her 
force  based  at  the  Delaware  Breakwater  until  pursuit  of  the  enemy  took  them  to 
the  northward,  Provincetown,  Mass.,  that  becoming  their  base  of  operation. 
The  basing  of  the  Jouett  and  her  force  at  the  Delaware  Breakwater  placed  upon  the 
Commandant  the  responsibility  of  refueling  and  resupplying  these  ships,  and 
it  should  be  noted  that  upon  their  arrival  there  was  awaiting  them  a  store  of  fuel 
more  than  sufficient  for  the  entire  squadron,  and  this  service  was  maintained  for 
the  Jouett  and  subsequent  hunt  squadrons  that  based  there  and  at  Cape  May. 

The  activities  of  the  German  submarine  practically  ceased  toward  the  end 
of  the  month  of  June,  and  it  was  indicated  that  she  was  proceeding  eastward  by 
the  fact  that  the  U.  S.  S.  Von  Steuben  was  attacked  by  torpedo,  but  escaped  in 
latitude  38  degrees  42  minutes  north  and  longitude  61  degrees  19  minutes  west, 
on  June  18th,  and  by  the  sinking  the  same  day  of  the  steamship  Dwinsk  in  latitude 
30  degrees  30  minutes  north  and  longitude  61  degrees  16  minutes  west. 

Five  days  later  the  Norwegian  steamship  Augvald  was  sunk  by  torpedo  in 
latitude  38  degrees  30  minutes  north  and  longitude  53  degrees  50  minutes  west. 
The  survivors  of  this  ship  were  brought  to  Philadelphia,  and  their  statements 
were  secured  by  the  aide  for  information. 

No  activities  were  recorded  within  the  waters  of  the  District  after  those  above 
mentioned  until  several  weeks  later.  It  should  be  noted  that  the  last  three  of 
which  mention  was  made  were  far  to  the  eastward  of  any  waters  that  might 
reasonably  be  expected  to  be  patrolled  by  the  District  vessels.  The  absence  of 
enemy  activity,  however,  caused  no  relaxation  in  the  vigilance  maintained.  That 
such  might  be  expected  was  evidenced  by  a  dispatch  received  on    June  24th, 

293 


Photo  by  Eeplogle. 


Crew  of  U.  S.  S.  von  Sleuben  on  "Inspection,'"'  August  U,  1917 . 


from  the  chief  ot  naval  operations,  who  desired  that  all  forces  should  be  impressed 
by  the  necessity  of  vigilant  patrols  both  in  the  air,  under  water  and  on  the  surface. 

The  section  commanders  at  Cape  May  and  at  Lewes  and  the  commanding 
officer  of  the  naval  air  station  at  Cape  May  were  enjoined  to  strictly  carry  out 
these  instructions.  Patrol  vessels  were  cautioned  to  be  vigilant,  and  all  possible 
boats  were  kept  on  patrol  and  mine  sweepers  continued  the  sweeping  of  prescribed 
channels. 

That  the  enemy  raider  would  be  promptly  relieved  was  indicated  about  the 
middle  of  July  by  information  received  from  the  Department  to  the  effect  that  the 
U-156  was  proceeding  towards  this  coast,  and  that  a  submarine  cruiser  of  a  possibly 
later  type  would  accompany  her.  Further  information  indicated  that  the  next 
raid  would  be  one  calculated  to  create  terror  along  the  seacoast  by  bombardment. 

Just  prior  to  the  receipt  of  information  that  a  renewal  of  submarine  activity 
might  be  expected,  virtually  all  the  temporary  structures  that  had  constituted 
the  Cape  May  Section  Base  were  destroyed  by  fire  on  Independence  Day,  1918. 
The  fire,  which  was  of  unknown  origin,  started  at  about  10  a.m.  under  the  inside 
corner  at  the  rear  of  the  sleeping  quarters.  The  fire  extinguishers  and  bucket 
brigades  were  unavailing  against  the  rapid  spread  of  the  flames  through  the 
flimsy  wooden  structure,  thoroughly  dried  after  years  of  use.  Over  half  the  com- 
plement of  the  base  was  participating  in  the  Independence  Day  celebration  in 
Cape  May  proper,  and  the  parade  in  progress  was  hastily  disbanded  and  the  men 
returned  to  the  base  for  fire  fighting  by  every  available  conveyance.    A  strong 

294 


wind  blew  from  the  harbor  side,  driving  the  flames  directly  toward  the  magazines, 
and  the  splendid  courage  exhibited  by  the  men  in  removing  the  contents  of  the 
magazine  is  deserving  of  praise.  Within  less  than  half  an  hour  the  structure  was 
in  ruins.  That  the  salvage  work  was  carried  on  thoroughly,  efficiently  and  with 
great  dispatch  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  the  records  of  the  commanding  officer, 
executive  officer,  communication  officer  and  most  of  the  valuable  records  of  the 
paymaster  were  saved.  No  one  was  killed  and  injuries  sustained  by  enlisted 
personnel  were  of  minor  character.  The  total  loss  to  the  Government,  including 
the  amount  expended  in  improvements,  provisions,  clothing  and  small  stores, 
general  stores  issued  and  awaiting  issue,  was  estimated  at  $327,000. 

The  activities  of  the  base  were  continued  without  interruption,  except  for 
the  time  required  in  fire  fighting.  The  ruins  were  still  burning  when  telephonic 
and  telegraphic  communications  had  been  reestablished  with  the  district  head- 
quarters. The  section  base  headquarters  were  established  in  the  Corinthian 
Yacht  Club  adjacent  to  the  original  site.  Personnel  was  quartered  at  Wissahickon 
Barracks  temporarily,  until  a  camp  was  established.  No  vessels  were  damaged, 
and  while  the  routine  of  the  base  was  interrupted  in  minor  details,  offensively  and 
defensively,  until  conversion  of  the  yacht  club  had  been  completed  the  base  was 
in  a  position  to  meet  immediately  any  enemy  submarine  activity. 

During  the  entire  war,  but  one  fire  occurred  outside  of  a  Government  reser- 
vation that  seriously  menaced  the  progress  of  naval  affairs.  This  occurred  shortly 
after  8  p.m.  on  September  12,  1918,  at  the  plant  of  the  New  York  Shipbuilding 
Company  in  Camden.  The  fact  that  the  new  superdreadnought  Idaho  was  at 
that  plant  nearing  completion,  and  the  further  fact  that  a  number  of  destroyers 
were  on  the  ways  in  various  stages  of  completion  caused  prompt  action  to  be  taken 
to  safeguard  the  Government's  interests. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Modoc  and  the  U.  S.  S.  Samoset  from  the  Navy  Yard  were  dispatched 
immediately,  and  every  major  ship  at  the  yard  had  a  detail  of  one  hundred  men 
standing  by  ready  to  place  aboard  the  Idaho,  in  case  it  should  be  found 
necessary  to  move  that  vessel  out  of  the  path  of  the  flames.  Auxiliary  tugs 
were  engaged  and  were  ready.  The  fire  was  controlled,  however,  without 
serious  damage  to  any  of  the  construction  work  under  way,  and  as  additional 
protection  to  the  plant  during  the  excitement,  which  attracted  great  crowds, 
a  detail  of  150  marines  were  placed  on  guard  on  the  shore  side,  and  district  vessels 
patrolled  the  river  front. 

On  July  8th  a  submarine  was  believed  to  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  latitude 
40  degrees  north  and  longitude  50  degrees  west.  The  railway  between  Barnegat 
and  Beach  Haven,  the  fuel  oil  depot  and  the  radio  station  at  Tuckerton,  and  prom- 
inent landmarks  along  the  coast,  such  as  lighthouses,  water  tanks,  etc.,  were 
said  to  be  the  objects  of  bombardment. 

Upon  receipt  of  this  information,  the  guard  at  the  Tuckerton  radio  station 
was  doubled,  as  acts  of  sabotage  in  conjunction  with  these  efforts  were  expected. 
A  constant  patrol  was  ordered  to  be  kept  from  Barnegat  to  a  point  five  miles 
south  of  Atlantic  City,  scout  patrol  vessels  being  assigned  to  this  duty.  The 
patrol  boats  were  instructed  to  attack  submarines  on  sight,  and  although  it  was 
realized  that  they  would  be  no  match  for  the  large  cruising  submarines  in  a  standup 
fight,  Fourth  District  vessels  were  ordered  to  fight  to  a  finish. 

Three  section  patrol  vessels  equipped  with  listening  devices  maintained  a 

295 


constant  listening  patrol,  and  an  additional  vessel  cruised  in  the  vicinity  of  Winter 
Quarter  Light. 

The  commanding  officer  of  the  air  station  at  Cape  May  was  instructed  to  have 
planes  patrol  constantly,  as  far  north  as  Barnegat.  Mine-sweepers  were  instructed 
to  be  particularly  cautious  and  to  perform  their  duties  with  the  utmost  efficiency, 
as  it  was  believed  that  the  activities  of  a  German  submarine  operating  in  the  fore- 
noon of  July  21st,  off  Cape  Cod,  was  for  the  purpose  of  diversion  to  enable  others 
to  lay  mines  at  points  further  south.  That  the  submarine  was  not  confining  its 
activities  to  the  vicinity  of  Cape  Cod,  and  that  another  than  this  one  was  proceed- 
ing to  the  westward  was  indicated  by  the  messages  received  on  July  30th,  by  radio, 
that  the  S.  S.  Kermanshaw  at  5.45  p.m.  was  being  pursued  by  a  submarine,  which 
had  fired  two  torpedoes  at  her  in  latitude  38  degrees  45  minutes  north,  longitude 
68  degrees  west. 

The  presence  of  an  enemy  submarine  in  the  vicinity  of  Fire  Island,  N.  Y., 
prompted  the  Department  to  order  the  U.  S.  S.  Jouett,  then  at  Lewes,  Del.,  to 
proceed  with  her  force  forming  a  scouting  fine  east  and  west  from  the  coast  to 
the  73d  meridian  and  to  scout  northward  covering  the  area  to  Long  Island,  N.  Y. 
She  sailed  on  July  20th  and  from  that  date  until  late  in  August  the  district  was 
without  the  services  of  a  hunt  squadron,  until  the  U.  S.  S.  Patterson,  with  the 
Fifth  District  Hunt  Squadron,  was  ordered  northward  to  search  the  area  from 
the  latitude  of  the  capes  of  Virginia  to  the  capes  of  Delaware  Bay  and  west 
of  the  One  Hundred  Fathom  Curve.  The  Patterson  and  the  squadron  arrived  at 
Delaware  Breakwater  at  4  p.m.  August  23,  1918,  and  carried  on  operations  for 
about  one  month. 

That  the  enemy  submarine  was  again  operating  in  the  waters  of  the  Fourth 
Naval  District  was  evidenced  by  an  S.  O.  S.  message  received  at  8  p.m.  on  August 
13th,  to  the  effect  that  the  steamer  Henry  S.  Kellogg  had  been  torpedoed  thirty 
miles  south  of  Ambrose  Light  Vessel.  As  the  location  given  was  outside  of  the 
boundary  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District,  and  nearer  to  the  headquarters  of  the 
Third  Naval  District,  the  information  was  immediately  telephoned  to  the  comman- 
dant of  that  district.  In  an  endeavor  to  intercept  the  submarine  if  it  proceeded 
southward,  a  listening  patrol  was  immediately  ordered  to  be  established  at  the 
extreme  northern  boundary  of  this  District.  Scout  patrol  vessels  were  ordered 
to  cruise  in  the  vicinity  of  the  wreck  to  locate  any  survivors  and  a  seaplane  patrol 
was  ordered  at  daybreak.  The  U.  S.  S.  Henderson,  which  had  sailed  from  the 
Navy  Yard,  Philadelphia,  proceeding  to  New  York,  was  warned  by  radio  of  the 
presence  of  the  enemy  raider  in  that  vicinity  and  was  advised  that  a  ship  had  been 
sunk  by  it  off  the  north  Jersey  coast.  The  commandant  of  the  Third  Naval 
District  advised  that  thirty-five  survivors  had  been  landed  in  New  York  and  that 
seven  ol  the  crew  had  been  lost. 

On  August  14th,  shortly  after  noon,  information  was  received  that  an  enemy 
submarine  was  shelling  a  schooner  five  miles  southeast  of  Northeast  End  Light- 
ship. This  information  was  contained  in  an  S.  0.  S.  from  the  Schooner  William 
Green,  which  was  proceeding  with  all  speed  toward  the  Delaware  Breakwater. 
The  schooner  attacked  proved  to  be  the  Dorothy  Barrett,  proceeding  from  Norfolk 
to  Boston  with  a  cargo  of  coal.  At  10.00  a.m.  on  August  14th  the  submarine  sud- 
denly appeared  and  fired  a  warning  shot.  The  master  and  crew  abandoned  ship 
in  a  motor  boat,  and  proceeded  toward  the  submarine,  which  submerged,  the  motor 

296 


boat  then  starting  towards  Cape  May.  At  this  time  the  submarine  chasers  71 
and  73  were  exercising  fourteen  miles  southeast  of  Cold  Spring  Inlet  with  the 
U.  S.  S.  N-7.  The  mine-sweeper  Kingfisher  was  in  the  vicinity  but  not  in  sight, 
searching  for  a  wrecked  seaplane.  The  schooner's  boat  sighted  the  Kingfisher 
and  the  master  boarded  her,  while  the  boat  and  survivors  continued  toward  land. 

At  11.50  a.m.  the  Kingfisher  sighted  what  was  thought  to  be  two  submarines 
in  chase  and  she  opened  fire  heavily.  The  submarine  chaser  73  was  attracted 
by  the  firing  and  proceeded  north  and  intercepted  the  S.  O.  S.  sent  two  hours  after 
the  occurrence  from  the  schooner  William  Green.  The  schooner  had  for  self  preser- 
vation kept  her  wireless  silent  until  she  had  passed  out  of  the  danger  zone.  The 
Green  was  intercepted  by  the  submarine  chaser  73  at  12.50  a.m. 

Securing  the  correct  position  of  the  Dorothy  Barrett  she  proceeded  to  the  then 
burning  and  sinking  schooner,  arriving  alongside  at  1.15.  The  receipt  of  the  S.  0.  S. 
at  the  Section  Base,  Cape  May,  was  followed  almost  immediately  by  the  sailing 
of  the  submarine  chaser  144  and  the  seaplane  1859.  Fifteen  minutes  later  sub- 
marine chasers  180,  210  and  three  other  planes  left  for  the  scene.  Scout  patrols 
177  and  372,  returning  but  a  short  time  later  from  escort  and  patrols,  were  dis- 
patched also.  The  seaplane  upon  arriving  detected  bubbles  on  the  surface 
600  yards  south  of  the  wreck.  The  plane  released  bombs  over  the  spot  and 
directed  submarine  chasers  to  it  by  gun  fire.  Depth  charges  were  released  from 
the  chasers  and  sweeping  with  trailing  device  was  resorted  to  without  contact 
being  made.  On  a  radial  line  to  the  southwest  from  Five  Fathom  Lightship  the 
area  was  searched  by  submarine  chasers  71,  210  and  144.  The  U.  S.  S.  N-7  and 
submarine  chaser  72  were  sent  to  patrol  off  Northeast  End  Lightship. 

The  Barrett  sank  six  miles  southeast  by  south  of  Northeast  End  Lightship 
in  fifteen  fathoms.  Her  sails  were  partly  set  and  the  topmast  and  twenty  feet 
of  lower  mast  showed  above  water.  Pending  her  destruction,  which  was  after- 
wards accomplished,  a  buoy  was  placed  to  mark  her  position. 

The  cessation  of  enemy  activity  about  this  time  caused  the  department  to 
call  attention  to  the  fact  that  much  of  the  raiding  on  this  coast  had  occurred  on 
Sundays,  and  that  September  2,  1918,  was  a  legal  holiday  following  a  Sunday. 
All  forces  were  cautioned  to  be  on  the  alert  and  prepared  for  any  emergency. 
In  response  to  these  directions,  shore  leaves  were  withheld  and  liberty  was  not 
granted,  so  that  during  these  two  holidays  the  entire  forces  of  the  District  ashore 
and  afloat  were  ready  for  any  emergency. 

During  the  entire  time  of  the  submarine  activity  described  in  detail  many 
reports  were  received  by  the  section  aide  for  information  of  signaling  by  improvised 
blinkers  from  shore  to  seas.  Flickering  lights  in  rooms  of  seashore  hotels  and 
rocket  signals  sent  up  at  isolated  points  along  the  Jersey  shore  and  along  the 
shore  south  of  Cape  Henlopen  early  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  coast  patrols. 

Land  forces  detailed  from  Cape  May  and  Lewes  augmented  the  regular 
patrols  of  the  coast  guard,  the  navy  personnel  being  stationed  at  the  several  coast 
guard  stations.  No  actual  contact  was  made  with  any  persons  upon  whom 
responsibility  could  be  fixed. 

The  problem  was  a  particularly  difficult  one  and  the  occurrences  reported  so 
widely  scattered  and  of  such  varying  character  as  to  be  almost  beyond  detection. 
These  occurrences  came  to  a  climax  at  11  p.m.  on  August  30th,  when  three 
cream-colored  rockets  were  observed  in  the  air  in  the  neighborhood  of  Coast  Guard 

297 


Station  No.  126,  located  in  the  northern  end  of  Ocean  City,  N.  J.  At  about  the 
same  time,  L.  J.  Meehan,  apprentice  seaman,  on  guard  to  the  north  of  the  station, 
encountered  a  civilian  acting  suspiciously  on  the  beach  in  a  locality  distant  from 
habitation.  The  guard  ordered  him  from  the  vicinity  and  in  order  to  emphasize 
the  military  character  of  his  command,  discharged  his  pistol  into  the  sand.  The 
directions  were  repeated  without  compliance,  and  the  civilian  attempted  to  dis- 
possess the  guard  of  his  sidearm.  In  the  resulting  encounter  the  civilian  was  shot 
and  killed.  Nothing  subsequently  found  upon  his  person  indicated  any  connection 
with  alien  activities,  nor  was  any  explanation  available  for  his  suspicious  action. 

After  a  period  of  inactivity  so  far  as  the  enemy  was  concerned,  information 
was  received  from  the  department  on  September  13th  that  a  large  German  sub- 
marine with  about  forty-five  mines  aboard  might  lay  off  the  important  ports 
along  the  Atlantic,  and  the  commandants  of  all  districts  were  enjoined  to  carry 
on  intensive  sweeping  operations.     This  was  complied  with. 

At  about  this  time  radio  S.  O.  S.  calls  intercepted  indicated  that  the  enemy 
raider  was  operating  in  the  Fifth  Naval  District.  The  Sabine  Sun  reported  on 
September  11th,  at  8.30  a.m.,  that  she  was  being  gunned  south  of  Diamond 
Shoals  Light  Vessel.  The  captain  of  the  American  S.  S.  J.  E.  O'Neill  reported 
having  sighted  a  submarine  on  September  6th,  near  Fenwick  Island  Lightship. 

The  sinking  of  Diamond  Shoals  Light  Vessel,  on  August  6th,  led  to  the  belief 
that  similar  action  would  be  taken  against  one  or  all  of  the  lightships  located  in 
the  Fourth  District.  The  enemy,  however,  failed  to  pursue  the  sinking  of  fight- 
ships  further,  but  in  the  latter  part  of  September  such  operations  within  the 
District  as  were  noted  were  in  the  vicinity  of  fight  vessels. 

Five  Fathom  Bank  Lightship  reported  on  September  23d  that  a  periscope 
and  wake  were  seen  about  three  miles  astern  of  the  U.  S.  S.  Jupiter  and  about 
500  yards  off  the  lightship  itself.  The  Jupiter  had  passed  the  lightship  shortly 
before  1  p.m.  and  sighted  the  periscope  at  the  same  time  as  it  was  sighted  on  the 
lightship.  The  collier  speeded  up  and  the  periscope  disappeared.  During  the 
entire  afternoon,  seaplanes  and  subchasers  scouted  in  the  vicinity  without,  how- 
ever, sighting  anything. 

Seaplanes  1757,  1210  and  1934  were  dispatched  on  special  duty,  and  their 
search  was  augmented  by  seaplanes  1165  and  1733  already  on  patrol  in  that 
neighborhood. 

Two  days  previously  a  submarine  appeared  at  9  a.m.  off  Winter  Quarter 
Shoal  Lightship.  She  signaled  the  lightship  her  identity  as  that  of  the  U.  S.  S. 
Or  pre  and  took  a  course  north-northeast.  Inasmuch  as  no  United  States  sub- 
marine is  identified  by  name  but  by  letters  and  by  numbers,  it  was  thought  that 
this  was  a  case  of  mistaken  signaling,  and  that  the  ship  was  in  reality  the  U.  S.  S. 
0-9,  then  returning  to  her  base  at  Cape  May. 

When  the  U.  S.  S.  0-9  arrived  at  her  base,  the  commanding  officer  reported 
that  he  was  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lightship  at  the  time  mentioned,  but  that  he  had 
not  signaled,  but  had  identified  himself  by  raising  his  standard.  It  was  impossible 
to  reconcile  the  conflicting  facts,  and  the  commandant  was  of  the  opinion  that  the 
vessel  sighted  belonged  to  the  enemy  and  not  to  the  United  States  naval  forces. 

That  there  was  an  enemy  submarine  to  the  north  of  this  vicinity  shortly 
afterward  was  proved  when  contact  was  established  by  the  U.  S.  S.  Patterson 
and  her  hunt  squadron  on  September  25th.     The  Patterson  and  her  squadron 

298 


had  left  Cape  May  a  short  time  previously  and  was  cruising  northward  when  the 
subchaser  234  advised  the  flagship  at  1  a.m.  that  he  had  made  sound  contact 
in  latitude  39  degrees  26  minutes  north,  longitude  73  degrees  46  minutes  west. 
All  listeners  in  the  force  agreed  that  the  sound  was  that  made  by  a  submarine. 
The  prescribed  form  of  attack  was  made  and  depth  bombs  launched. 

After  the  attack  all  sound  ceased  and  the  commanding  officer  of  the  U.  S.  S. 
Patterson  advised  that  in  his  opinion  the  submarine  was  resting  on  the  bottom  in 
sixteen  fathoms.  Doubt  was  expressed  as  to  damage  having  been  done  to  the 
submarine.  The  chasers  anchored  about  the  spot  and  listening  patrols  were 
maintained.  Subchasers  71,  72,  74  and  278,  attached  to  the  district  forces,  co- 
operated with  the  U.  S.  S.  Patterson  and  the  hunt  squadron,  when  the  flagship 
the  following  day  was  compelled  to  return  to  the  Cape  May  Section  Base,  on 
account  of  an  epidemic  of  influenza  aboard.  The  U.  S.  S.  Emerald,  S.  P.  177, 
attached  to  the  Fourth  Naval  District,  relieved  her  as  support  ship.  A  listening 
patrol  was  maintained  for  sixty  hours.  During  a  gale  that  broke  on  the  night  of 
September  26th,  the  District  forces  and  those  of  the  Patterson's  hunt  group  were 
badly  scattered.  Chasers  anchored  on  the  spot  of  contact  broke  adrift  and  lost 
the  position.  For  several  days  subsequent  to  this  event,  the  U.  S.  S.  Philip  relieved 
the  U.  S.  S.  Patterson  as  flagship,  that  ship  being  unable  to  operate  because  of  the 
depletion  of  the  crew  by  influenza. 

Submarine  activities  subsequent  to  this  date  were  negligible.  On  October 
3d  the  Oakley  C.  Curtis  reported  sighting  a  submarine  north  of  Winter  Quarter 
Shoal  Light  Vessel.  An  investigation  of  this  area  by  the  U.  S.  S.  Philip  and  the 
chasers  of  the  hunt  squadron  based  at  Cape  May  failed  to  disclose  its  presence. 

Again  on  October  9th  the  enemy  was  thought  to  be  present  when  reports 
were  received  that  a  merchant  ship  seven  miles  off  Coast  Guard  Station  No.  Ill 
and  headed  south  had  been  firing  her  guns  for  some  time.  The  U.  S.  S.  Philip  and 
her  force  investigated  this  also. 

On  October  17th  the  S.  P.  591  reported  by  radio  that  the  S.S.  Mohican  had 
sighted  a  submarine  off  Winter  Quarter  Shoal  Light  Vessel. 

This  was  the  last  report  received  of  the  presence  of  a  submarine.  It  proved 
to  be  one  of  our  own. 

All  of  the  activities,  both  of  an  offensive  and  defensive  nature,  were  continued 
without  diminution  until  the  signing  of  the  armistice  on  November  11th,  although 
from  the  middle  of  October  until  that  date  there  was  no  indication  of  the  presence 
of  hostile  crafts. 

That  the  menace  was  no  longer  one  that  might  be  regarded  seriously  was 
evidenced  on  October  31st,  when  the  burning  of  dimmed  side  fights  and  stern 
lights  was  permitted  west  of  the  40th  degree  of  longitude,  and  the  following  day 
coastwise  shipping  was  ordered  to  burn  a  single  masthead  light  and  side  lights 
undimmed. 

The  utilization  of  every  sizable  ship  in  war  work  and  the  employment  of 
coast  guard  cutters  as  patrol  vessels  imposed  upon  the  commandants  of  naval  dis- 
tricts the  duty  of  rendering  assistance  with  district  vessels,  wherever  possible,  to 
ships  in  distress.  Where  in  peace  times  the  well-known  signal  of  distress,  the 
S.  0.  S.  was  accepted  without  question,  there  was  ever  present,  especially  during 
the  activities  of  German  submarine,  the  fear  on  the  part  of  every  ship  that  an 
S.  0.  S.,  might  have  been  sent  by  a  German  submarine  to  decoy  the  rescuing  ship 

299 


Photo  by  Replogle. 


Making  repairs  on  U.  S.  S.  Kanawha  and  "Subs. 


to  a  given  point,  where  she  might  be  easily  and  successfully  attacked.  The  fact 
that  these  were  the  only  messages  permitted  to  be  sent  in  English  radio  during 
war  time  made  this  deception  more  easy  of  execution. 

When  it  is  considered  that  many  ships  were  traveling  out  of  regular  channels 
and  that  navigation  was  without  the  conventional  aid  of  running  lights  and  that 
zigzag  courses  were  sailed  for  safety  against  attack  and  that  war  vessels,  troop 
transports  and  cargo  carriers  were  constantly  crossing  the  coastwise  lanes  of  travel 
without  a  glimmer  of  light  to  indicate  their  position,  the  number  of  accidents  from 
the  ordinary  hazards  of  the  sea  was  extraordinarily  few. 

The  most  serious  of  these  was  the  sinking  of  the  steamship  Poseidon  by  the 
United  States  Shipping  Board  steamer  Somerset.  The  Poseidon  sailed  from  Boston 
on  July  30,  1918,  for  Norfolk  in  ballast.  At  11.30  p.m.,  July  31st,  when  about 
five  miles  north  northeast  of  Five  Fathom  Bank  Light  Vessel,  the  collision  occurred. 
The  night  was  rainy  and  misty  and  the  visibility  was  extremely  low.  Both  vessels 
were  running  without  lights.  S.  O.  S.  calls  were  intercepted  at  the  section  base, 
Cape  May,  the  first  being  received  at  11.35  p.m.  The  two  ships  were  in  constant 
radio  communication  for  about  thirty-five  minutes,  when  the  Poseidon  sank. 

The  Somerset,  due  to  weather  conditions  and  fog,  was  unable  to  locate  the 
sinking  ship.  The  coast  guard  cutter  Morrill  sailed  from  the  section  base  at  Cape 
May  at  1.15  a.m.  on  August  1st  and  she  was  followed  by  the  S.  P.  681  and  S.  P. 
467,  the  ships  proceeding  as  rapidly  as  weather  conditions  would  permit,  it  being 
deemed  unsafe  to  send  the  smaller  ships  until  the  weather  had  moderated  after 

300 


daybreak  of  August  1st.  In  addition  to  being  engaged  in  their  regular  duties 
there  were,  minor  calls  for  assistance  due  to  stormy  weather  that  reduced  the  number 
of  available  vessels  at  the  time  of  the  occurrence. 

The  coast  guard  cutter  Morrill  rescued  one  survivor  and  recovered  three 
bodies. 

The  S.  0.  S.  call  was  also  intercepted  by  the  tank  steamer  James  McGee,  en 
route  from  New  York  to  Baton  Rouge.  The  ship  cruised  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
collision  and  at  7  a.m.  August  1st,  while  steaming  back  from  Fenwick  Island 
Light  Vessel  to  Five  Fathom  Light  Vessel  and  when  about  five  and  a  half  miles 
from  the  scene  of  the  collision,  survivors  were  sighted  on  rafts,  clinging  to  upturned 
boats  and  floating  wreckage.  Thirty-two  members  of  the  crew  were  rescued, 
including  the  master,  who  subsequently  died  from  injuries  and  shock,  when  landed 
with  the  others  at  Lewes,  Delaware.  At  9.30  a.m.  the  McGee  spoke  to  the  coast 
guard  cutter  Morrill  and  a  naval  surgeon  was  put  aboard  the  tanker  to  render 
medical  aid. 

The  greatest  loss  of  life  of  navy  personnel  resulted  from  the  foundering  of  the 
U.  S.  S.  Cherokee,  at  8  a.m.,  February  26,  1918,  in  about  latitude  38  degrees  38 
minutes  north,  longitude  74  degrees  38  minutes  west.  This  position  was  twelve 
and  one-half  miles  north  northeast  magnetic  of  Fenwick  Island  Light  Vessel. 
The  crew  consisted  of  thirty-two  men  and  the  ship  had  a  complement  of  six 
officers.  Of  these  but  one  officer  and  nine  men  were  saved.  She  was  originally 
assigned  to  duty  with  Squadron  3,  Division  5,  Patrol  Force,  but  was  diverted  and 
retained  for  coastwise  service. 

On  February  26th  she  sailed  from  Newport  for  Washington,  taking  an  offshore 
course  after  leaving  the  vicinity  of  Barnegat  Inlet.     The  ship  was  hove  to  from 


Photo  by  Replogle. 


U.  S.  S.  ''Kanawha"  in  Dock. 
301 


midnight,  February  26th,  until  she  sank.  Storm  warnings  were  received  aboard, 
but  the  course  was  kept  by  the  commanding  officer.  At  7.30  a.m.  the  ship  sent 
an  S.  0.  S.  call,  giving  her  position  as  fifteen  miles  southwest  of  Fenwick  Island 
Lightship.  At  this  time  she  was  leaking  badly  and  thirty  minutes  before  founder- 
ing the  steering  gear  was  carried  away.  The  weather  was  extremely  cold  and 
although  the  steamship  British  Admiral  was  promptly  on  the  scene,  but  eleven  of 
the  crew  and  Chief  Boatswain  Sennot  were  found  to  be  afloat.  Two  of  these 
died  of  exposure.  The  survivors  and  bodies  were  brought  to  the  Navy  Yard, 
Philadelphia,  aboard  the  rescuing  steamer. 

The  sinking  ol  the  subchaser  209,  and  the  consequent  loss  of  lives,  by  the 
armed  guard  crew  of  the  steamship  Felix  Taussig  at  2.30  a.m.  on  August  27th  was 
a  matter  of  sincere  regret  to  everyone  connected  with  the  Fourth  Naval  District. 
The  subchaser  209  was  placed  in  commission  November  28,  1917,  and  was  attached 
to  the  Fourth  Naval  District  from  that  date  until  June  21,  1918,  when  she  was 
ordered  to  New  London,  Conn.,  to  be  fitted  out  for  distant  service.  Subsequently 
she  was  diverted  from  the  duty  originally  intended  upon  her  detachment 
and  was  attached  to  the  hunt  squadron  of  which  the  U.  S.  S.  Patterson  was  the 
flagship. 

The  officers  and  crew  were  recruited  in  this  district,  and  when  she  was  de- 
tached she  sailed  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  (j.  g.)  Henry  J.  Bowes, 
U.  S.  N.  B.  F.,  her  original  commander.  The  steamship  Felix  Taussig,  a  cargo 
transport,  was  proceeding  from  France  toward  New  York.  She  had  reached  a 
position  some  twenty  miles  south  of  Fire  Island  Lightship,  latitude  40  degrees  8 
minutes  north,  longitude  73  degrees  18  minutes  west,  when  the  unfortunate  chaser 
was  sighted  and  mistaken  for  a  German  submarine.  Five  shots  were  fired  by  the 
armed  guard  crew  aboard  the  Taussig,  four  from  the  forward  gun  and  one  from 
the  after  gun. 

Both  the  commanding  officer  and  Ensign  Bandolph,  the  executive  officer, 
went  down  with  the  ship.  Of  the  crew  eleven  were  lost  with  the  vessel.  The  sub- 
chasers 188  and  270,  also  attached  to  the  hunt  squadron,  were  soon  on  the  scene, 
together  with  the  flagship,  the  U.  S.  S.  Patterson,  and  picked  up  the  survivors. 
The  Felix  Taussig  proceeded  to  her  destination  and  on  August  28th  sailed  from 
New  York  for  Philadelphia,  arriving  at  the  Navy  Yard,  Philadelphia,  at  10  a.m. 
on  August  29th. 

At  various  times  the  dangers  of  inshore  navigation  by  large  ships  was  em- 
phasized by  groundings.  However,  there  were  but  two  District  vessels  that 
suffered  mishap.  The  U.  S.  S.  Gallup,  S.  P.  694,  went  ashore  February  21, 
1918,  on  Cape  Henlopen  during  a  gale.  The  hull  was  a  total  loss.  As  much  of 
her  machinery  as  was  worth  it  was  salvaged,  together  with  the  stores,  supplies  and 
equipment. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Mary  Garner,  S.  P.  682,  went  ashore  on  Broad  Kill  Beach,  about 
five  miles  from  Lewes,  Del.,  on  the  night  of  April  12,  1918,  anchors  dragging 
in  a  heavy  blow.     She  was  salvaged  and  restored  to  service. 

With  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  all  war  activities  ceased.  Convoys,  patrols, 
both  air  and  water,  were  suspended  and  district  vessels  were  placed  out  of  com- 
mission and  returned  to  their  respective  owners.  The  base  at  Lewes  was  abandoned 
and  demobilization  was  begun  and  carried  out  promptly. 

Expenditures  for  new  projects  were  stopped  even  before  the  armistice  and 

302 


contracts  for  war  material  were  canceled  whenever  possible.     Curtailment  of  ex- 
penditures and  reductions  in  complements  are  still  being  made. 

Effort  has  been  made  within  reasonable  compass  to  review  the  main  features 
of  the  war-time  activities  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District  and  to  record  those  facts 
which  would  merit  interest  from  the  broad  standpoint  of  naval  affairs.  To  that 
end  they  have  been  separated  from  the  more  detailed  accounts  of  the  activities  of 
the  various  bases  and  the  several  district  departments. 

MAINTAINING  THE  MORALE  AT  THE  NAVY  YARD 

In  January,  1916,  Chaplain  Curtis  H.  Dickins,  Captain  ChC,  U.  S.  N., 
reported  for  duty,  and,  as  Chaplain  of  the  Yard,  was  immediately  placed  in 
charge  of  the  mental,  moral,  physical  and  religious  welfare  of  the  men  of  the  Navy 
and  the  Marine  Corps. 

After  over  twenty  years  spent  in  the  naval  service,  ashore  and  afloat,  Chaplain 
Dickins  was  especially  fitted  to  handle  any  problem  arising  in  his  department. 

The  Navy  Yard,  always  a  busy  military  center,  became  more  so  when,  in 
April,  1917,  American  seamen  were  ordered  to  take  their  places  with  the  Navies 
of  the  Allies,  and  the  U.  S.  Marines  crowded  to  their  standards  to  prepare  for  their 
memorable  part  in  the  struggle  which  was  to  bring  to  them  such  undying  fame  in 
military  annals. 

The  men  came  in  such  numbers  that  the  equipment  of  the  Chaplain  of  the 
Yard  proved  totally  inadequate  to  meet  the  emergency,  and,  as  a  result  of  a 
conversation  with  the  Reverend  Dr.  James  A.  Montgomery,  of  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  a  luncheon  was  arranged  where  the  situation  might  be  discussed. 

In  response  to  the  suggestion  that  a  large  tent,  costing  about  $1,000.00, 
was  a  pressing  need,  Dr.  James  Mockridge,  Rector  of  St.  James,  and  Dr.  E.  M. 
Jefferys,  of  Old  St.  Peters,  in  one  voice  said:  "Go  ahead!  Order  your  tent  and 
anything  else  you  need." 

The  tent  came  and  was  known  as  the  "Ree  Hive  Tent" 

Thus  the  work  began,  and  with  the  equipment  came  workers.  Space  forbids 
that  record  be  made  of  how  widely  and  promptly  the  call  for  workers  was  responded 
to.  Allen  Evans,  Jr.,  Loyal  Graham,  Fred  Halsey,  Russell  Hartwell,  Albert  H. 
Lucas,  Tom  Merriweather,  James  Midgeley,  A.  V.  Rorkey,  and  others,  repre- 
senting the  Divinity  schools  of  Philadelphia,  Rerkeley,  and  Drew,  coupled  with  local 
clergymen,  all  reported  immediately  for  duty;  and  to  this  number,  Rev.  A.  H. 
Haughey,  Rev.  Dr.  A.  W.  Henzell,  and  the  well-known  architect,  Walter  S.  Rauer, 
were  added  within  a  week.  All  of  this  preparation  to  meet  the  emergency  took 
place  the  early  part  of  May,  1917. 

Then  came  help  from  another  important  source.  Through  the  interest  of 
Rishop  Rhinelander,  Rishop  Garland,  Rishop  Rerry,  Father  Lallou,  Dr.  Kraus- 
kopf,  Dr.  Ferry,  Dr.  Delk  and  others,  a  Committee  representing  the  leading 
religious  bodies  of  the  city  was  organized  to  meet  two  pressing  needs:  first,  imme- 
diate workers  in  the  field;  second,  the  making  of  preparations  for  winter  quarters. 

As  a  result  of  the  Committee's  activity,  several  religious  bodies  immediately 
put  paid  workers  in  the  field,  and  in  some  cases  this  work  was  kept  up  for  a  year 
or  more.  Two  outstanding  workers  who  came  to  the  support  of  the  Chaplain 
of  the  Yard  were  Father  George  C.  Montague  and  Reverend  A.  C.  Carty,  the 

303 


latter  still  continuing  the  work.  No  task  was  ever  too  great  and  no  hours  too 
long  for  these  workers,  who  strove  for  the  interests  of  the  seamen  and  Marines. 

The  first  tent,  40  feet  wide  and  140  feet  long,  soon  proved  inadequate,  and 
it  was  then  that  the  Philomusian  Club  took  up  the  work  and  provided  a  tent 
of  equal  size,  with  an  abundance  of  equipment,  which  they  maintained  until  winter 
weather  made  tent  life  impossible. 

July,  1917,  had  not  passed  before  plans  were  laid  for  providing  winter  quarters, 
the  Navy  Department  having  given,  in  the  meantime,  its  carte  blanche  to  Chaplain 
Dickins  to  meet  the  situation  in  the  most  efficient  way  possible. 

Buildings  were  planned.  The  Church  Commission,  of  which  Bishop  Garland 
was  Chairman,  pledged  the  several  represented  bodies  to  raise  a  fund  of  six  thousand 
dollars  ($6,000.00)  for  new  buildings  to  house  the  welfare  work.  The  enlarged 
requirements  meant  a  call  for  further  help;  consequently  interested  citizens  were 
consulted  and  they  gave  their  enthusiastic  support.  In  the  meantime  the  bankers 
of  the  city  had  become  deeply  interested,  and  through  their  representative, 
Richard  E.  Norton,  a  series  of  out-door  smokers  was  staged,  at  which  the  bankers 
provided  both  smokes  and  shows  and  which  were  usually  attended  by  more  than 
six  thousand  men  in  an  evening. 

When  the  new  and  larger  housing  scheme  was  laid  before  them,  the  bankers 
Committee  immediately  and  generously  responded.  The  buildings  were  planned 
and  constructed  under  the  direction  of  Walter  S.  Bauer,  which  fact  in  itself 
guaranteed  perfection.  The  two  buildings,  still  in  active  service  (1921),  were 
opened  respectively  in  November,  1917,  and  in  February,  1918. 

The  buildings,  50  feet  wide  and  145  feet  long,  provide  a  library ;  a  chapel ; 
an  auditorium;  writing  facilities;  a  canteen,  with  soda  and  ice  cream  stands;  pool 
room;  bowling  alleys;  school  rooms;  in  fact,  everything  that  goes  to  make  the 
Yard  life  of  the  men  useful  and  happy  is  to  be  found  in  these  buildings,  and  these 
advantages  have  been  enjoyed  by  over  2,000,000  men. 

Splendid  support  was  given  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  T.  Stotesbury;  Messrs. 
Arthur  E.  and  Clement  B.  Newbold;  Richard  E.  Norton;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sidney 
Thayer;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Brinton  Coxe;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wm.  M.  Field;  Miss 
Clara  G.  Chase;  Holstein  DeHaven  Fox;  Albert  H.  Hoxie,  who  devoted  his  whole 
time  as  song  leader;  the  Colonial  Dames,  who  outfitted  the  game  room;  the 
New  Century  Club;  the  Philomusian  Club;  Kelly  Street  Business  Men's  Associa- 
tion, and  numberless  other  organizations  which  responded  so  generously  to  the 
calls  for  help. 

It  is  impossible  to  mention,  by  name,  all  who  gave  without  stint  of  their  time 
and  talents,  but  a  tribute  must  be  paid  to  the  earnest  work  of  Mrs.  Caroline  A. 
Moore,  who  is  known  to  thousands  of  seamen  and  Marines  under  the  affectionate 
term  of  "Mother  Moore." 

Somewhere,  in  the  silent  waters,  there  rest  in  peace  those  sailors  whose 
spirits  never  forget;  on  the  shell-torn  hills  of  France,  in  fair  Picardy,  at  the  Somme, 
in  the  Argonne,  and  elsewhere,  little  white  crosses  mark  the  last  resting  places  of 
men  whose  souls  forever  stand  guard;  they,  and  their  companions  who  fought  and 
returned,  remember  that  Philadelphia  was  a  happy  though  temporary  home. 
In  the  "City  of  Brotherly  Love"  they  found  friends,  whose  motto  was  the  one 
made  glorious  by  the  men  in  the  service: 

Semper  Fidelis! 

/ 

304 


PHILADELPHIANS   IN   THE   NAVY 
William  Bell  Clark 


PPPROXIMATELY  ten  thousand  five  hundred  Phila- 
delphia men  and  women  served  in  the  naval  forces  of  the 
United  States  during  the  World  War.  The  exact  figure  is 
not  available.  The  approximation  is  established  by  ratio 
based  upon  the  exact  fatalities  for  the  City  and  State. 
Philadelphia  lost  208  in  the  navy  and  Pennsylvania  lost 
618;  the  city's  mortality  thus  was  .336  per  cent.  The 
Navy  Department's  statistics  show  that  there  were  31,063 
I  from  this  state  in  all  branches  of  the  naval  service — 
regular,  reserve  and  National  Naval  Volunteers.  Working 
out  the  ratio  would  give  Philadelphia  10,437,  or  10,500  in  round  numbers. 

In  setting  the  figures  of  both  enlistments  and  fatalities,  the  actual  boundary 
lines  of  the  county  have  been  adhered  to  strictly.  Consequently,  the  compilation 
excludes  all  those  who  came  from  suburban  towns.  Thus,  in  preparing  a  table  of 
naval  deaths,  it  was  deemed  best  to  consider  Philadelphia's  honor  roll  as  made  up 
of  residents  of  the  forty-eight  wards  only  rather  than  embrace  adjoining  counties 
which  have  or  will  prepare  their  own  lists.  Many  of  those  from  Montgomery, 
Delaware  and  Chester  counties,  who  surrendered  their  lives  while  in  navy  blue, 
were  in  business  or  employed  in  this  city  and  Philadelphia  might,  in  a  measure,  lay 
claim  to  them.  However,  the  counties  where  they  resided  rightfully  have  the 
prior  claim,  and  rendering  them  that  due  will  avoid  duplication,  confusion  and 
contention. 

Where  They  Served 

To  attempt  to  tell  in  detail  how,  and  where,  and  when  the  Philadelphians  in 
the  navy  served  their  country  in  the  World  War  would  mean  writing  practically  a 
history  of  the  American  Navy  for  1917  and  1918.  Few  were  the  vessels  in  the 
service,  from  subchasers  to  battleships,  which  at  one  time  or  another  in  the  course 
of  the  war  did  not  have  a  Philadelphia  name  and  address  on  its  roster.  Men  from 
this  city  who  enlisted  long  before  the  eventful  days  of  March  and  April,  1917, 
were  among  the  first  to  face  the  enemy  either  among  the  armed  guard  on  American 
cargo  vessels,  or  on  the  first  destroyer  contingent  which  reached  Queenstown  on 
April  26,  1917,  less  than  a  month  after  hostilities  began. 

The  first  Philadelphia  lives  lost  in  action  with  the  enemy  were  those  of  naval 
men,  members  of  the  armed  guard  on  the  tanker  Vacuum.  The  Vacuum,  sunk 
by  a  submarine  on  April  28,  1917,  in  57°  00'  north,  10°  45'  west,  was  the  second 
American  vessel  attacked  after  the  declaration  of  a  state  of  war,  the  first  being 
the  Mongolia  on  April  19th.  Eighteen  members  of  the  Vacuum's  gun  crew  perished 
when  the  tanker  was  destroyed,  Charles  John  Fisher,  one  of  the  Philadelphians, 
going  down  with  the  ship,  and  Frank  Hazleton  Loree,  the  other,  succumbing  on 
May  2d  to  exhaustion  after  days  in  a  small  boat.  Thus,  in  the  first  month  of  the 
war,  before  the  recruiting  campaigns  were  really  underway,  before  the  naval 
reservists  had  begun  to  concentrate  for  training,  before  even  the  plans  of  naval 
cooperation  with  the  Allies  had  been  worked  out,  the  effect  of  the  war  on  Phila- 
delphia lives  was  first  felt. 

305 


Courtesy    of    the    Atlantic   Refining    Co. 


Anti-Submarine  Gun. 


Elsewhere  in  this  volume  are  descriptions  of  the  recruiting  campaigns  for  the 
reserve  and  the  regular  navy,  the  mobilization  of  the  naval  militia  and  the  intimate 
history  of  the  4th  Naval  District,  the  area  best  known  to  Philadelphia.  Dis- 
missing them,  therefore,  with  merely  a  mention,  this  article  aims  to  go  further 
afield,  to  touch  briefly  upon  the  broad  scope  of  naval  work  where  Philadelphians 
always  were  to  be  found. 

During  the  first  year  of  the  war,  the  brunt  fell  upon  the  regular  navy,  aug- 
mented by  the  earliest  classes  of  the  reserve.  The  first  base  established  by  the 
destroyers  at  Queenstown  in  April,  1917,  was  followed  by  the  arrival  in  June  of 
the  same  year  of  a  contingent  of  American  yachts  at  Brest.  Numbered  among 
these  was  the  Alcedo,  formerly  the  private  yacht  of  George  W.  Childs  Drexel, 
which,  some  months  later,  on  November  5,  1917,  was  torpedoed  and  sunk.  Two 
Philadelphians,  Ensign  W.  Frazier  Harrison,  1633  Locust  Street,  and  Pharmacist's 
Mate  Richard  William  Rudolph,  1830  Orleans  Street,  were  among  the  rescued. 

In  August,  1917,  a  third  base  was  established  at  Gibraltar,  and  these  three 
functioned  throughout  the  war  as  the  ports  from  which  sailed  the  destroyers, 
yachts  and  cruisers  on  convoy  duty  in  the  war  zone. 

In  the  meanwhile,  an  American  fleet  under  Rear  Admiral  Caperton  was 
despatched  to  the  South  Atlantic  and  in  June,  1917,  relieved  the  British  and  French 
vessels  on  duty  there  in  guarding  South  American  waters  from  a  chance  raider  or 
submarine. 

In  November,  1917,  the  first  contingent  of  battleships,  headed  by  the  New 
York,  steamed  out  of  the  Chesapeake  to  rendezvous  several  weeks  later  with  the 
British  Grand  Fleet  at  Scapa  Flow  and  to  remain  for  fifteen  months  on  guard 

306 


Photo  by  Beplogle. 


Submarines  at  League  Island. 


under  Admiral  Beatty  (British)  and  Admiral  Rodman  (American)  while  they 
waited  in  vain  for  the  German  High  Seas  Fleet  to  come  out  from  behind  Helgoland. 
In  the  early  winter  of  1917-1918  another  force  of  battleships  proceeded  overseas, 
basing  at  Bantry  Bay,  Ireland,  and  engaging  in  convoy  duty  in  the  Irish  Sea  as 
well  as  backing  up  the  destroyer  forces  at  Queenstown. 

By  this  time  the  swelling  personnel  of  the  Navy  was  being  trained  rapidly  and 
centers,  like  Wissahickon  Barracks  at  Cape  May  and  the  Great  Lakes  Naval 
Station  in  Michigan,  were  beginning  to  turn  out  the  men  wherewith  to  provide 
complete  naval  crews  for  transport  and  cargo  boat.  At  the  same  time  the  75-foot 
sub-chasers  were  coming  into  being,  and  their  crews  recruited  at  New  London  and 
other  bases. 

Convoying  had  already  grown  extensively.  The  first  convoy  with  Pershing's 
original  Expeditionary  Force  consisting  of  four  groups  reached  St.  Nazaire  be- 
tween June  25th  and  July  2d,  and  there  were  Philadelphia  men  on  the  two  dozen 
cruisers,  yachts  and  destroyers  which  guarded  the  first  troopships.  From  then  on 
until  the  armistice  the  overseas  service  grew,  the  convoying  being  confined  at  first 
to  troopships  exclusively  and  afterwards  to  cargo  vessels  as  well.  There  are 
Philadelphians  of  the  navy  who  will  tell  how  they  sailed  on  convoying  cruisers 
from  Boston,  or  New  York,  or  Philadelphia,  month  after  month  and  never  saw 
England  or  France.  The  system  as  perfected  provided  a  flotilla  of  light  vessels 
and  one  cruiser  to  escort  the  convoy  to  a  certain  point  off  the  American  coast 
where  all  but  the  cruiser  put  back  to  home  ports.  The  cruiser  continued  across 
the  Atlantic,  on  guard  until  relieved  on  the  edge  of  the  war  zone  by  the  Queens- 
town,  or  Brest,  or  Gibraltar  detachments.     Thereupon  the  cruiser  also  turned 

307 


homeward.  Aside  from  the  convoying  ships,  the  navy  provided  crews  for  150 
transports,  and  not  one  of  those  transports,  but  what  contained  at  least  one  Phila- 
delphian. 

Then  there  were  Philadelphians  among  the  crews  of  the  first  seven  submarines 
which  went  abroad  on  August,  1917;  Philadelphians  on  the  "suicide  fleet,"  the  coal 
carriers  out  of  Newcastle,  England ;  Philadelphians  on  the  subchasers  at  Corfu  and 
Queenstown;  Philadelphians  with  the  great  naval  batteries  on  the  western  front 
and  Philadelphians  in  the  Naval  Air  Service  at  home  and  overseas. 

In  brief,  10,500  Philadelphians  were  scattered  wherever  a  naval  detachment 
was  to  be  found  and  the  navy,  in  addition  to  the  duties  previously  enumerated 
kept  quite  a  few  thousand  men  busy  guarding  America's  own  coast  from  sub- 
marines, to  say  nothing  of  those  held  in  reserve  at  the  naval  bases  from  Maine  to 
California. 

How  They  Served 

Some  deeds  of  Philadelphians  in  the  navy  came  to  the  attention  of  the  Navy 
Department  and  resulted  in  citations.  Here  are  a  few  of  them,  selected  at 
random. 

Lieutenant  Orlando  H.  Petty  (Medal  of  Honor)  Medical  Corps,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F., 
for  extraordinary  heroism  beyond  the  call  of  duty  while  serving  with  the  5th  Regi- 
ment of  United  States  Marines  in  France  during  the  attack  on  the  Rois  de  Relleau, 
June  11,  1918.  While  under  fire  of  heavy  explosives  and  gas  shells  in  the  town  of 
Lucy,  where  his  dressing  station  was  located,  he  attended  to  and  evacuated  the 
wounded  under  most  trying  conditions.  Having  been  knocked  to  the  ground  by 
an  exploding  gas  shell,  which  tore  his  mask,  he  discarded  the  mask  and  courage- 
ously continued  his  work.  His  dressing  station  being  hit  and  demolished  he  per- 
sonally helped  carry  Captain  Williams  wounded,  through  the  shell  fire  to  a  place 
of  safety. 

Stanley  F.  Roman,  2651  Relgrade  Street:  For  exceptionally  meritorious  and 
distinguished  service  as  member  of  the  crew  of  the  U.  S.  S.  McCall.  On  September 
9,  1918,  the  Canadian  Pacific  S.  S.  Missanabie  was  torpedoed  twice  by  a  German 
submarine.  Roman  with  other  members  of  the  crew  rescued  the  survivors  of  the 
Missanabie  at  imminent  risk  of  life  and  for  this  heroic  duty  should  be  considered 
as  having  performed  distinguished  service  in  the  line  of  duty. 

Joseph  S.  Marcio,  760  S.  Warnock  Street:  Member  of  the  crew  of  the 
U.  S.  S.  Smith.  On  December  17,  1917,  during  the  worst  gale  of  its  kind  for  eight 
years,  Marcio  jumped  overboard  and  saved  a  shipmate  who  had  been  washed  over- 
board. 

Harry  L.  Gibson,  5240  Locust  Street:  Commended  for  heroic  conduct  following 
the  sinking  of  the  Jacob  Jones  on  December  6,  1917.  Displayed  cheerful  conduct 
and  was  an  inspiration  to  the  rest  of  the  crew. 

Ensign  William  T.  McCargo,  5642  Malcolm  Avenue:  For  exceptionally 
meritorious  and  distinguished  service  on  duty  in  connection  with  the  important 
and  hazardous  work  of  clearing  the  North  Sea  of  mines  while  in  command  of  sub- 
chaser 164. 

Lieutenant-Commander  R.  G.  LeConte:  For  distinguished  service  in  the  line 
of  his  profession  in  the  organization  of  Naval  Rase  Unit  5.  Lieutenant-Com- 
mander Le  Conte  volunteered  for  service  at  the  front  at  critical  periods  and  per- 

308 


formed  very  valuable  surgical  work  for  the  wounded  on  the  occasions  of  the  battles 
of  Chateau-Thierry,  Belleau  Woods  and  Pierre  Fonds. 

Ensign  Benjamin  Lee  (deceased) :  For  distinguished  and  heroic  service  as  an 
aviator  operating  with  the  United  States  aviation  forces,  foreign  service,  engaged 
in  patroling  the  waters  of  the  war  zone,  escorting  and  protecting  troop  and  cargo 
ships  and  operating  against  enemy  submarines. 

William  Robert  Ransford,  2330  N.  26th  Street:  For  gallant  action  in  jumping 
into  an  icy  sea  and  risking  his  life  to  save  W.  A.  Wells,  another  seaman,  who  fell 
overboard  and  was  drowned  January  30,  1918. 

David  Goldman,  409  Moore  Street:  For  heroism  in  leaping  overboard  from 
the  U.  S.  S.  O'Brien  and,  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  rescuing  Arthur  G.  Palmer,  a  fellow 
seaman,  on  October  30,  1917. 

James  Fulton  Miller,  6708  Leeds  Street:  For  jumping  overboard  from  the 
U.  S.  S.  Iowa  March  23,  1918,  and  rescuing  a  drowning  man. 

Charles  J.  Steel,  Jr.,  812  N.  41st  Street:  As  a  member  of  Base  Hospital  No.  5 
submitted  to  a  blood  transfusion  operation  in  an  effort  to  save  a  wounded  sailor. 

Harry  Albert  Marynowitz,  1231  Lee  Street:  One  of  nine  enlisted  men  who 
volunteered  for  inoculation  with  influenza  for  the  purpose  of  learning  specific  facts 
regarding  the  epidemic. 

How  They  Died 

A  total  of  206  Philadelphia  men  and  two  Philadelphia  women  lost  their  lives 
in  the  naval  service  during  the  war.  The  influenza  epidemic,  beginning  in  August, 
1918,  was  far  more  deadly  in  its  effects  than  the  worst  efforts  of  the  enemy,  and 
disease,  as  a  whole,  laid  claim  to  approximately  75  per  cent  of  this  city's  fatalities. 
The  following  table  shows  at  a  glance  just  how  the  208  men  and  women  died: 

Enlisted 

Officers  Personnel  Total 

Killed  in  action 0  17  17 

Died  in  accident 5  18  23 

Lost  at  sea  unheard  of 0  6  6 

Drowned 0  8  8 

Suicide 0  3  3 

Influenza  epidemic 14  94*  108 

All  other  diseases 4  39*  43 

Total 23  185  208 

*Including  one  woman. 

Taking  up  the  most  serious  factor  in  the  table,  the  influenza  epidemic,  the 
figures  represent  the  number  who  died  from  the  Spanish  influenza  and  also  from 
pneumonia,  which  was  generally  fatal  if  the  influenza  had  not  been.  Of  the  208, 
ninety-four  of  the  victims  died  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic — some  few  in  their 
homes,  others  in  hospitals  throughout  the  country,  and  the  majority  in  the  Phila- 
delphia and  Great  Lakes,  III,  naval  hospitals.  Numbered  among  those  who  died 
in  the  Philadelphia  Naval  Hospital  was  Miss  Mary  Gertrude  Lowry,  of  805  S. 
49th  Street,  who  had  enlisted  as  a  landsman  for  yeoman  on  September  6,  1918, 
and  succumbed  to  the  influenza  on  October  19th  of  the  same  year.     Only  four 

309 


Philadelphians  fell  victims  to  the  epidemic  overseas  and  two  of  these  four  died  in 
this  city's  own  naval  hospital  (Navy  Base  No.  5)  at  Brest,  France.  The  remaining 
ten  who  lost  their  lives  through  the  scourge  died  on  shipboard. 

The  chief  causes  of  the  forty-three  deaths  due  to  diseases  other  than  influenza 
were  tuberculosis  and  pneumonia  (contracted  prior  to  the  epidemic).  The  other 
Philadelphia  young  woman  who  died  in  the  naval  service  comes  in  this  classification. 
She  was  Miss  May  Adele  Turner,  of  3213  N.  6th  Street,  a  chief  yeoman,  who  died 
June  21,  1917,  of  cerebral  meningitis. 

There  was  a  total  of  twenty-five  men  who  died  through  self-destruction,  falling 
overboard  from  naval  vessels,  in  quarrels,  or  in  accidents  ashore,  and  thirty-two, 
whose  deaths  came  either  in  action  with  the  enemy  or  in  the  perils  of  collision, 
storm,  etc.,  while  at  sea.  In  the  cases  of  the  latter,  their  stories  form  a  part  of 
the  threads  from  which  is  woven  the  fabric  of  the  naval  history  of  the  country 
during  the  war. 

How  the  first  Philadelphia  lives  were  lost  in  action  with  the  enemy  has  already 
been  told.  They  were  the  two  members  of  the  naval  gun  crew  on  the  tanker 
Vacuum,  which  was  torpedoed  on  April  28,  1917. 

Five  were  killed  on  the  U.  S.  Destroyer  Jacob  Jones,  which  was  torpedoed  on 
December  6,  1917,  in  49°  23'  north,  6°  13'  west.  The  Philadelphians  among  the 
sixty-two  lost  on  the  destroyer  were,  Dock  Johnson,  cabin  cook;  Bernard  Joseph 
McKeown,  fireman,  first  class;  George  Christian  Merkel,  machinist's  mate,  first 
class;  George  Washington  Pote,  oiler,  and  John  Thomas  Tufts,  blacksmith. 

The  tragedy  of  the  naval  tug  Cherokee,  which  sank  in  a  storm  off  the  Dela- 
ware Capes  on  February  26,  1918,  cost  twenty-three  fives,  among  which  were 
numbered  three  Philadelphians,  one  of  whom  was  the  vessel's  commander, 
Lieutenant  Edward  Dolliver  Newell.  The  other  two  were  Herbert  Martin 
Biddle,  quartermaster,  third  class,  and  Sylvester  Bernard  Noland,  fireman, 
third  class. 

An  explosion  of  a  shell  on  the  transport  Von  Steuben  on  March  5, 1918,  resulted 
in  three  deaths,  one  of  whom,  a  Philadelphian,  was  Earl  Crouse  Martin,  seaman, 
second  class. 

The  second  Philadelphia  officer  to  die  in  an  accident  was  Lieutenant-Com- 
mander Bichard  McCall  Elliot,  Jr.,  who  was  killed  with  thirty-two  members  of  his 
crew  on  the  U.  S.  Destroyer  Manley,  when  it  collided  with  a  British  transport, 
on  March  19,  1918,  the  collision  resulting  in  the  explosion  of  a  depth  charge  on  the 
stern  of  the  American  war  vessel. 

Four  Philadelphians  were  among  the  forty-five  killed  in  action  on  the  cargo 
steamer  Lahemoor,  which  was  torpedoed  by  a  submarine  on  April  11,  1918,  when 
about  three  miles  off  the  Scottish  coast  near  Crossley  Light.  They  were  Charles 
Bernard  Hiller,  seaman,  second  class;  Thomas  Aloysius  Mclntyre,  seaman,  second 
class;  Joseph  Francis  Ryan,  seaman,  second  class  and  Philip  Henry  Stein,  Jr., 
seaman,  second  class. 

When,  on  April  21,  1918,  the  Navy  Department  announced  the  naval  collier 
Cyclops,  as  being  lost  at  sea  unheard  of  with  its  crew  of  293  men,  there  were  six 
Philadelphians  among  the  missing  and  they  are  missing  today.  The  Cyclops  left 
the  Barbadoes  for  Philadelphia  on  March  3,  1918.  It  was  due  in  Philadelphia 
about  March  13th,  and  it  never  arrived.  The  naval  men  from  this  city  were  John 
Herbert  Blemle,  machinist's  mate,  first  class;  Percy  Leon  Carpenter,  chief  water 

310 


tender;  Anthony  Glowka,  fireman,  third  class;  Samuel  Goldstein,  seaman,  second 
class;  Louis  Minch,  fireman,  third  class  and  James  Arthur  Shooter,  seaman. 

Two  seaplane  accidents  cost  Philadelphia  lives  in  May  and  August  of  1918. 
In  the  first,  on  May  31, 1918,  at  Miami,  Fla.,  Ensign  George  B.  Evans,  Jr.,  plunged 
to  his  death  and,  in  the  second,  on  August  23d  at  St.  Trojan's,  France,  Quarter- 
master John  James  McVeigh  was  so  badly  injured  that  he  died  shortly  afterwards. 

Just  twenty  miles  south  of  Fire  Island,  N.  Y.,  on  the  morning  of  August  27, 
1918,  the  armed  cargo  boat  Felix  Taussig  spotted  what  it  supposed  to  be  an  enemy 
submarine  and  fired  three  times  upon  it.  The  shots  were  fatal  to  the  craft,  but  in- 
stead of  a  submarine  it  was  American  sub-chaser  No.  209.  It  sank  carrying  down 
with  it  seventeen  men.  The  destroyer  Patterson  and  sub-chasers  Nos.  188  and  270 
picked  up  the  survivors.  Four  Philadelphia  boys  were  among  the  seventeen  lost. 
They  were  Harry  Sawyer  Denney,  gunner's  mate,  first  class;  Leonard  Alonzo 
Haskett,  Jr.,  boatswain's  mate,  second  class;  John  Alexander  McBride,  quarter- 
master, first  class  and  Irwin  John  Sheehan,  oiler. 

Two  Philadelphians  were  killed  in  an  encounter  between  the  transport  Mt. 
Vernon  and  an  enemy  submarine  on  September  5,  1918,  while  250  miles  off  the 
French  coast.  The  Mt.  Vernon,  although  torpedoed,  managed  to  get  back  to  port. 
Thirty-six  men  were  killed  including  Harry  Nealson  Skelly,  engineman,  second 
class,  and  George  Joseph  Sofian,  fireman,  second  class. 

There  was  one  Philadelphian  who  died  on  the  army  cargo  boat  Buena  Ventura, 
which  was  torpedoed  and  sunk  on  September  16, 1918,  in  44°  36'  north,  13°  10'  west, 
the  total  death  toll  being  sixty-four.  The  Philadelphian  was  James  Mahathey, 
water  tender. 

One  of  the  most  tragic  episodes  of  the  war,  the  attack  of  the  U-152  on  the 
navy  cargo  carrier  Ticonderoga  on  September  30,  1918,  in  43°  5'  north,  38°  43' 
west,  took  the  lives  of  three  Philadelphia  boys.  A  total  of  216  men  perished  on  the 
Ticonderoga,  either  killed  by  the  shelling,  or  drowned  in  efforts  to  escape  in  shot- 
riddled  boats.  The  Philadelphians  were:  Benjamin  Baylor,  wardroom  steward; 
Ulrich  Joseph  Thomas  Charette,  seaman,  second  class  and  William  Frederick 
Miller,  plumber  and  fitter. 

When  the  Herman  Frasch,  a  small  army  transport,  sank  on  October  4,  1918, 
in  collision  with  the  navy  cargo  boat  George  C.  Henry,  a  Philadelphian  went  down 
with  the  sixteen  men  lost.     He  was  Joseph  Howe  Vasensky,  water  tender. 

The  final  Philadelphia  naval  officer  to  lose  his  life  in  accident  was  Ensign 
Benjamin  Lee,  who  was  killed  at  the  naval  air  station  at  Killinghome,  England 
on  October  28, 1918,  after  having  served  for  many  months  in  the  bombing  squadrons 
based  there. 

RECRUITING  FOR  UNITED  STATES  NAVAL  RESERVE* 

Approximately  32,000  men  were  enrolled  in  the  United  States  Naval  Reserve 
Force  in  the  Fourth  Naval  District,  of  which  number,  according  to  Lieutenant 
Maurice  Saville  Tucker,  district  enrolling  officer,  20,000  were  from  Philadelphia. 

About  March  17,  1917,  a  recruiting  office  was  opened  in  the  mayor's  reception 
room,  202  City  Hall,  in  charge  of  Ensign  Jukes.    As  the  work  developed  Ensign 


*By  the  Secretary  of  the  Philadelphia  War  History  Committee.     Information  supplied  by 
Lieutenant  Tucker. 

311 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of  America. 


Recruiting  Rally  at  City  Hall. 


Jukes  was  succeeded  in  turn  by  Ensign  Ignatius  F.  Cooper  and  Ensign  Wesley 
B.  Johnson.  On  April  2d,  Lieutenant  M.  S.  Tucker  reported  for  duty  and  remained 
in  charge  at  City  Hall  until  June  22,  1917,  when  all  recruiting  for  the  United 
States  Naval  Reserve  Force  in  the  Fourth  Naval  District  was  suspended,  except 
for  some  special  units  of  the  service. 

Later  there  was  also  special  recruiting  at  the  United  States  Naval  Home  on 
Grays  Ferry  Road,  in  charge  of  Lieutenant-Commander  F.  W.  Payne,  U.  S.  N. 
(Ret.),  who  was  Senior  Enrolling  Officer  in  the  Fourth  Naval  District.  Among  the 
branches  in  which  men  were  enlisted  at  this  time  were  the  Medical  Corps  and 
Aviation  Corps.    Special  efforts  were  also  made  to  enlist  ex-service  men. 

The  rapidity  with  which  various  recruiting  stations  were  established  is  exem- 
plified by  the  following  incident:  Almost  simultaneously  with  the  opening  of  the 
main  recruiting  station  in  City  Hall,  the  commandant  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District 
desired  to  open  another  branch  in  the  Crozier  Ruilding.  At  9  p.m.  a  telephone 
message  was  sent  by  Mrs.  Barclay  H.  Warburton  to  John  F.  Lewis,  who  was 
one  of  the  original  five  members  of  the  Committee  on  Municipal  Defense,  with 
the  peremptory  request  that  he  have  an  office  ready  for  business  the  following 
morning  at  8  o'clock.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  was  ill  in  bed  at  the  time,  he 
telephoned  to  William  Cowdery,  caterer,  and  asked  him  if  it  would  be  possible 
to  have  a  number  of  large  screens,  sufficient  to  make  four  dressing  rooms,  and  some 
two  hundred  chairs  sent  to  the  Crozier  Building  by  8  o'clock  the  next  morning. 
This  Mr.  Cowdery  did,  and  refused  to  make  any  charge  for  the  rental  of  the  equip- 
ment which  he  supplied.    A  night  call  to  the  Wanamaker  Store  resulted  in  the 

312 


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Courtesy  of  Frank  W.    Buhler.    Stanley   Co.    of   America. 

Throngs  at  a  Recruiting  Rally. 

delivery  of  sufficient  office  furniture  and  the  first  recruits  were  examined  and 
accepted  before  the  general  offices  in  the  building  were  opened  the  next  morning. 

In  December,  1917  (1st  to  15th),  there  were  special  drives  for  recruits  for  all 
classes  in  the  naval  reserves,  and  on  February  19,  1918,  Lieutenant  Tucker  was 
made  District  Enrolling  Officer,  and  offices  were  again  opened  in  the  mayor's  recep- 
tion room  at  City  Hall.  At  about  this  time  the  recruiting  offices  for  the  regular 
navy,  particularly  the  one  at  15th  and  Arch  streets,  were  directed  to  enroll  for  the 
naval  reserves  as  well  as  for  the  navy. 

In  April  of  1918  a  recruiting  office  was  also  opened  at  52d  and  Sansom  streets, 
and  during  the  period  between  April  15  and  May  15,  1918,  2,500  men  were  enrolled 
in  the  Fourth  Naval  District. 

The  enthusiasm  of  the  men  for  this  work  is  well  exemplified  by  a  man  who 
enrolled  in  Philadelphia  but  who  originally  came  from  the  Pacific  Coast.  He  was 
especially  fitted  to  handle  the  Deisel  engines,  but  was  rejected  because  of  a 
serious  physical  disability.  Upon  examination  and  assurance  that  he  could  be 
fitted  for  work  by  an  operation,  he  submitted  to  it  and  was  ready  in  three  weeks 
to  be  discharged  from  the  hospital.  In  a  fit  of  enthusiasm  he  slipped  while  still 
at  the  hospital  and  seriously  injured  himself,  necessitating  another  operation,  with 
a  five  weeks  continued  visit  at  the  hospital.  By  the  time  he  was  ready  for  dis- 
charge all  recruiting  had  stopped,  but  through  special  efforts  of  Lieutenant  Tucker  he 
was  accepted  in  the  reserves  and  later  became  an  officer.  Many  other  men  sub- 
mitted to  operations  of  major  or  minor  character  in  order  to  qualify  for  enrolment. 

When  the  recruiting  first  started,  practically  all  of  the  men  were  sent  to  their 
homes  to  await  further  call.  However,  mechanics,  clerks  and  others  with  special 
qualifications  were  immediately  sworn  in.     Large  numbers  of  men  upon  being 

313 


called  to  active  duty  were  sent  to  Washington  Barracks,  Cape  May,  to  League 
Island  and  also  to  Norfolk.  Others  went  to  Pelham  Bay  or  to  the  officers'  school 
at  Washington,  D.  C.  Some  Philadelphians  were  among  those  who  took  the  special 
three  months'  course  at  the  United  States  Naval  Academy,  Annapolis,  Md. 

Until  the  Navy  Department  at  Washington  completes  its  records  it  will  be 
difficult  to  trace  with  any  degree  of  accuracy  the  subsequent  history  of  Philadelphia 
men  in  the  United  States  Naval  Reserve  Forces. 

"IF" 

Dedicated  to  the  United  States  Naval  Reserve  Force 
(With  apologies  to  Kipling) 

If  you  can  keep  up  heart  when  those  about  you 

Believe  all  navy  rumors  to  be  true; 

If  you  will  give  no  man  a  chance  to  doubt  you, 

Yet  never  make  a  statement  you  will  rue. 

If  you  salute  each  officer  who  passes, 

No  matter  what  his  place  in  civil  life, 

And  never  make  excuse  of  "need  for  glasses," 

Nor  give — nor  wish  to  give — a  cause  for  strife. 

If  you  can  see  a  stupid  man  commissioned 

Because  his  second  cousin's  son  has  pull, 

And  though  your  officers  have  all  petitioned 

High  rank  for  you,  such  places  then  are  full; 

If  you  can  wait,  and  wait,  and  keep  on  waiting, 

Till  golden  opportunity  is  past 

Move  on,  nor  waste  your  energy  in  stating 

That,  hook  or  crook,  you'll  "get"  that  man  at  last. 

If  you  can  give  the  best  of  all  that's  in  you 
And  work  from  dawn  to  dark,  just  to  be  told 
The  one  who  cringed  for  fear  in  every  sinew 
Was  sent  across,  and  merits  stripes  of  gold; 
If  you  can  listen  to  returning  sailors 
From  Naval  Base  at  Pauillac  or  Bordeaux 
Recount  sea  tales  of  trench  and  German  jailers, 
And  never  tell  the  pests  where  they  can  go. 

If  you  can  see  your  least  loved  comrade  given 
Release,  who  played  and  "passed  the  buck"  the  while, 
And  now  receives  the  place  for  which  you've  striven 
In  your  old  firm  and  yet  you  dare  to  smile; 
If  you  obey  all  rules,  howe'er  chaotic, 
If  you  are  merely  glad  the  war  is  won, 
And  are,  in  spite  of  hardships,  patriotic, 
You're  ready  to  be  canonized,  my  son. 

Patricia  F.  Crosby, 

Yeoman  1st  Class,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F. 

314 


BRANCH   OFFICE  OF  NAVAL  INTELLIGENCE 

The  Office  of  Naval  Intelligence,  of  the  Navy  Department,  Washington,  had  its 
first  representation  in  Philadelphia  by  the  appointment  on  April  16,  1917,  of 
W.  Barklie  Henry  as  Confidential  Representative,  Mr.  Henry  having  previously 
volunteered  his  services  to  Franklin  D.  Roosevelt,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the 
Navy.  From  the  beginning  the  work  grew  rapidly,  and  additional  help  and  space 
were  required,  and  various  men  of  prominence  in  the  Philadelphia  business  world 
were  added  as  assistants. 

On  July  18,  1917,  the  office  was  located  in  the  Morris  Building  and  fully  recog- 
nized by  the  Navy  Department  and  assigned  certain  definite  duties  to  perform. 
From  this  time  on,  the  personnel  was  rapidly  increased  as  additional  duties  were 
delegated,  the  personnel  including  commissioned  officers,  volunteers  to  the  United 
States  Government  with  salaries  at  $1.00  per  annum,  enlisted  persons  assigned  to 
the  office  by  the  Navy  Department,  and  salaried  civil  employes,  until  at  the  time 
of  the  signing  of  the  armistice  about  seventy  persons  were  directly  connected  with 
the  office,  and  more  than  1,000  indirectly  connected  in  various  capacities  as  confi- 
dential representatives  throughout  the  Fourth  Naval  District. 

The  work  at  first  consisted  of  certain  investigations  as  specifically  requested 
by  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  Later  on  it  consisted  of  investigations  of 
the  activities  of  suspected  German  agents  in  munition  plants  and  other  companies 
with  navy  contracts,  acts  of  sabotage  and  various  other  suspected  activities,  leading 
to  internments  or  continued  surveillance  or  proof  that  the  suspicion  was  unfounded. 
Many  investigations  were  made  of  commercial  and  shipping  houses  and  enemy 
goods  in  storage.  In  the  above  duties,  the  office  cooperated  with  the  Aide  for 
Information  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District,  Military  Intelligence  Section  and  the 
Department  of  Justice. 

Many  investigations  were  made  at  the  request  of  the  Cable  Censor  and  of 
various  other  Branch  Offices  of  Naval  Intelligence  in  the  other  Naval  Districts. 

A  Plant  Protection  Section  was  established  which,  in  addition  to  investigations 
of  acts  of  sabotage  and  various  suspects,  required  various  protection  measures, 
with  the  view  of  preventing  interruption  of  the  completion  of  the  navy  contract 
on  which  the  plant  was  engaged.  This  protection  included  investigation  of  and 
installation  of  fire  protective  measures,  guarding  by  watchmen,  adequate  fencing 
and  lighting,  patrolling,  and  inside  agents  to  detect  unrest  or  suspicious  acts. 

Food  canneries  supplying  goods  to  the  Army  and  Navy  were  added  eventually 
to  the  work.  Here  the  quality  of  materials  used,  the  source  of  water  supply  and 
general  cleanliness  were  investigated  and,  if  necessary  properly  improved — all 
this  work  for  the  purpose  of  safeguarding  such  supplies. 

For  a  short  time,  investigations  were  made  for  the  Postal  Censorship  authori- 
ties, but  this  work  was  later  transferred  to  the  Aide  for  Information  and  Military 
Intelligence  Section. 

Upon  the  close  of  the  office,  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  the  Investiga- 
tion Section  had  covered  and  reported  on  approximately  2,000  cases,  and  the  Plant 
Protection  Section  had  inspected  and  reported  on  468  manufacturing  plants  and 
thirty -four  canneries. 

In  all  this  work  it  was  necessary  to  combine  speed  and  accuracy,  as  quick 
work  was  often  necessary  to  frustrate  some  enemy  plot  or  catch  suspects  before 

315 


there  was  time  for  their  escape.  A  number  of  internments  were  procured  and  no 
explosion  or  serious  fire  occurred  in  any  of  the  protected  plants. 

The  work  done  received  commendation  from  the  Navy  Department,  and  several 
members  of  the  staff  received  commissions,  Mr.  Henry  being  made  a  Lieutenant- 
Commander  of  the  United  States  Naval  Reserve  Force  on  March  8,  1918,  and 
J.  Shipley  Dixon,  his  assistant,  a  Lieutenant  (j.  g.),  on  April  12,  1918,  and  later 
promoted  on  October  11,  1918,  to  a  Lieutenant  (s.  g.). 

The  office  had  branches  in  Altoona,  Atlantic  City,  Bethlehem,  Chester, 
Harrisburg,  Lancaster,  Lebanon,  Pottsville,  Reading,  Scranton,  Wilkes-Barre, 
Williamsport,  Wilmington,  and  York,  this  work  being  in  charge  of  Ensign 
Malcolm  Goldsmith. 

The  departments  of  the  office  were  in  charge  of  the  following: 

Officer  in  Charge. — W.  Barklie  Henry,  Lieutenant-Commander,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F. 

Assistant  to  Officer  in  Charge. — J.  Shipley  Dixon,  Lieutenant,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F. 

Office  Management. — Kane  S.  Green,  Chief;  W.  Howard  Pancoast,  Assistant. 

Supplies  and  Accounts. — John  R.  Maxell. 

Investigations. — Hallowell  Irwin,  Chief.  (Mr.  Irwin  succeeded  Charles  F.  DaCosta,  Esq., 
who  had  been  appointed  Special  Assistant  to  the  United  States  District  Attorney.) 

Plant  Protection. — Howard  F.  Hansell,  Jr.,  Chief;  W.  Carlton  Harris,  Assistant,  Chief  Yeo- 
man, U.  S.  N.  R.  F. 

Motor  Service  Department. — Eaton  Cromwell,  Chief  Yeoman,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F. 

Some  time  after  the  office  was  discontinued  the  Navy  Department  awarded 
Lieutenant-Commander  Henry  a  special  letter  of  commendation,  with  the  right 
to  wear  the  silver  star  in  recognition  of  his  meritorious  service  in  organizing  and 
establishing  the  Branch  Office  of  Naval  Intelligence  in  Philadelphia. 

THE  NAVAL  MILITIA  OF  PENNSYLVANIA 
By  Lieutenant  Henry  C.  McIlvaine,  Jr. 

The  Naval  Militia  of  Pennsylvania,  at  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of  the  war, 
consisted  of  one  (1)  battalion  composed  of  four  divisions  or  companies,  two  in 
Philadelphia,  and  two  in  Erie.  On  April  6,  1917,  the  battalion  was  called  into 
active  service  and  mobilized  at  League  Island  Navy  Yard,  together  with  various 
naval  militia  units  from  other  States.     - 

All  divisional  and  even  State  lines  were  wiped  out;  units  were  broken  up;  offi- 
cers separated  from  their  men,  and  each  assigned  to  duty  according  to  rank  or 
rating  to  fill  vacancies  existing  on  ships,  and  in  shore  detailsi  Of  the  154  men  in 
Philadelphia  divisions,  fifty  were  assigned  to  the  U.  S.  S^  Chicago,  which  had 
been  their  training  ship;  101  were  assigned  to  the  U.S.  S.  Iowa,  and  three 
were  assigned  to  shore  duty.  Of  the  eight  officers  in  Philadelphia,  including  staff 
officers,  Commander  Harvey  M.  Righter  (M.C.),  Lieutenant  Henry  C.  McIlvaine, 
Jr.,  and  Lieutenant  Henry  S.  Austin  served  on  the  U.  S.  S.  Chicago;  Lieutenant 
Walter  M.  Gorham,  Jr.,  and  Lieutenant  (j.g.)  Edward  O.  Burke  on  theU.  S.  S. 
Iowa;  Lieutenant  Thomas  W.  Rudderow  on  the  U.  S.  S.  De  Kalb;  Commander 
Thomas  T.  Nelson,  Jr.,  and  Lieutenant  Albert  L.  Byrnes  (S.  C.)  were  assigned 
to  shore  duty  in  the  Navy  Yard. 

^  It  is  impossible  to  give  the  story  of  the  Pennsylvania  Naval  Militia  as  a  unit. 
Officers  and  men  after  mobilization  were  transferred  from  one  place  and  from  one 
duty  to  another.     However,  due  to  the  fact  that  the  members  of  the  Naval  Militia 

316 


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317 


were  already  prepared  for  efficient  service,  when  war  was  declared  all  of  the 
officers  and  men  were  ready  and  served  in  the  majority  of  cases  on  combatant  ships 
on  foreign  service.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  only  Naval  Militia  Officers 
assigned  to  the  Destroyer  Force,  based  at  Queenstown,  were  Lieutenants  Thomas 
W.  Rudderow,  Henry  C.  Mcllvaine,  Jr.,  and  Henry  S.  Austin  of  the  Philadelphia 
divisions.  Lieutenant  Walter  M.  Gorham,  Jr.,  was  later  transferred  to  the  mine- 
sweepers operating  off  the  French  coast  and  based  at  Brest,  where  he  had  command 
of  the  U.  S.  S.  Anderton. 

CAMOUFLAGE  PAINTING  ON  THE  DELAWARE 
By  William  Bell  Clark 

The  application  of  camouflage  painting  in  the  Delaware  River  District  began 
on  April  25,  1918,  approximately  one  month  after  the  newly  created  Department 
of  Camouflage  of  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation,  and  the  Bureau  of  Con- 
struction and  Repair  of  the  Navy  Department  had  agreed  to  discard  all  other 
previously  approved  methods,  and  concentrate  on  baffling  the  German  submarines 
with  the  English  "dazzle"  system,  with  its  principle  of  distortion,  rather  than 
concealment.  During  March,  1918,  Lieutenant  Commander  Norman  Wilkinson, 
R.  N.  V.  R.,  had  explained  and  lectured  in  this  country  upon  the  "dazzle"  idea, 
a  system  which  he  had  invented,  and  which  had  already  been  used  effectively  in 
England.  All  patterns  of  the  "dazzle"  system  were  based  upon  the  theory  of 
geometrical  perspective,  lines  drawn  gradually,  and  increasing  in  width  from  stern 
to  bow,  and  broken  up  into  checkers,  increasing  in  size,  the  whole  creating  an  im- 
pression to  the  eye  that  the  vessel  was  proceeding  in  an  entirely  different  direction 
than  its  actual  course. 

In  the  month  of  April,  1918,  the  nucleus  of  the  camouflage  branch  of  the 
Delaware  River  District  Office  had  been  formed,  with  Harold  E.  Austin  as  District 
Camoufleur,  and  one  assistant,  Frank  V.  Smith,  loaned  from  the  New  York  Dis- 
trict, where  he  had  been  under  the  instruction  of  Commander  Wilkinson,  to  aid 
in  the  organization  of  the  Philadelphia  office.  District  Camoufleur  Austin  was 
serving  in  the  Navy,  and  could  not  report  for  duty  until  disenrolment.  In  the 
interval  between  the  application  for  Austin's  disenrolment  March  25,  1918,  and 
the  date  of  his  actual  appointment  as  District  Camoufleur,  several  days  after 
April  13,  1918,  few  steps  were  taken  looking  toward  the  creation  of  a  camouflage 
organization  in  the  District.  Uncertainty  in  all  minds  as  to  the  scope  and  juris- 
diction of  the  new  Camouflage  Department  tended  naturally  toward  marking  time, 
until  matters  were  made  clearer,  and  the  District  Camoufleur  arrived.  Several 
additional  local  factors  also  entered  into  the  situation.  First,  was  the  existence 
of  the  Agency  Yards,  the  American  International  Shipbuilding  Corporation  at 
Hog  Island,  and  the  Merchants'  Shipbuilding  Corporation  at  Bristol,  which, 
about  two  months  before,  had  been  removed  entirely  from  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
district  office.  Second,  was  the  presence  of  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard,  within 
the  Shipping  Board  District,  which  might  or  might  not  have  to  depend  upon  the 
district  office  for  camouflage  painting.  Fleet  Corporation  and  navy  circular 
letters,  issued  on  March  19th  and  March  29th,  helped  to  clear  up  numerous  points 
regarding  the  respective  duties  of  the  two  government  departments,  but  left  other 
questions  still  obscured.     In  fact,  as  late  as  April  13th,  the  home  office,  writing 

318 


Photo  by  W.   N.   Jennings. 


Camouflage  Corps,  Delaware  River  District  No.  10. 


to  F.  H.  Grogan,  at  that  time  Delaware  River  District  Officer,  referred  certain 
inquiries  of  his  to  the  District  Camoufleur,  "Whom  we  expect  will  report  to  you 
for  appointment  within  a  few  days." 

The  Delaware  River  District,  or  District  No.  10,  as  it  was  then  known,  had 
not  the  large  area  it  later  attained.  As  has  been  said,  the  Agency  Yards  were 
excluded  from  it.  In  addition,  the  Traylor  Woodship  Yard,  at  Cornwells  Heights, 
Pa.,  was  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Second  District  (New  York),  and  the  Pusey 
and  Jones  and  Harlan  and  Hollingsworth  Yards,  at  Wilmington,  Del.,  were  in  the 
Third  District  (Baltimore).  This  left  but  six  active  shipyards  in  the  Delaware 
River  District,  namely,  the  William  Cramp  and  Sons  Ship  and  Engine  Building 
Company,  Philadelphia;  the  Sun  Shipbuilding  Company  and  the  Chester  Ship- 
building Company,  Chester,  Pa. ;  the  New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation,  Camden, 
N.  J.,  and  the  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey  yards  of  Pusey  and  Jones,  Gloucester, 
N.  J.  At  Cramps,  and  the  New  York  Ship,  also,  a  large  part  of  the  output  was 
devoted  to  Navy  contracts,  over  which  the  Shipping  Board  District  Office  had  no 
control.  In  fact,  a  list  of  vessels  estimated  for  delivery  before  July  5,  1918,  shows 
that  the  District's  management  extended  over  just  sixteen  ships  nearing  completion 
at  that  time. 

The  question  was,  would  the  new  camouflage  organization  in  the  District 
confine  itself  to  the  limited  total  under  control  of  the  District  office,  or,  would  its 
painting  go  further,  to  the  Agency  Yards  and  naval  vessels?  As  will  be  shown, 
the  camoufleurs  were  not  even  halted  at  that  point,  as  every  vessel  entering  the 

319 


Courtesy  V.    S.    S.   B.— E.   P.   C. 

U.  S.  S.  "Isanti"  camouflaged  under  the  direction  of  the  Philadelphia  office,  U.  S..,S.  B.  E.  F.  C. 


port  of  Philadelphia,  under  charter  or  ownership  of  the  Shipping  Board,  Navy 
Department,  War  Department  or  Railroad  Administration,  was  subsequently 
adorned  withthe  weird  geometric  patterns  of  the  "dazzle"  system,  applied  under 
supervision  of  District  Camoufleur  Austin's  force. 

An  office  for  the  District  Camoufleur  was  provided  in  the  same  building 
which  housed  the  district  office,  the  Medical  Arts  Building.  By  April  25th  he 
was  ready  for  business,  and  on  that  day  the  newly  completed  tanker  J.  M. 
Connelly,  was  painted  as  the  first  camouflaging  job  on  the  Delaware.  This  ship, 
a  vessel  of  7,000  tons,  built  at  the  Pennsylvania  yard  of  the  Pusey  and  Jones 
Company,  Gloucester,  N.  J.,  was  painted  as  she  lay  beside  her  fitting-out  pier, 
the  event  being  the  occasion  of  the  testing  of  a  new  device,  a  pole  with  chalk 
clamped  on  the  end,  to  trace  the  outline  of  the  design  over  the  areas  not  reached 
by  stagings.  The  device  worked  so  well  that  it  was  recommended  to  the  home 
office  for  general  adoption,  particularly  in  shipyards  not  equipped  with  sufficient 
floats  and  stagings. 

An  announcement  from  the  home  office  that  stringent  orders  soon  would  be 
issued  by  the  Division  of  Operations  making  the  "dazzle"  system  mandatory  for  all 
vessels  sailing  into  the  war  zone  came  while  the  J.  M.  Connelly  was  being  painted, 
as  did  a  further  definition  of  the  respective  duties  of  the  Navy  and  Fleet  Corporation 
regarding  camouflage.  This  latter  circular  established  finally  that  district  cam- 
oufleurs  were  to  be  advised  and  consulted  whenever  naval  vessels  were  to  be 
"dazzle"  painted.  The  letter  further  instructed  District  Camoufleur  Austin  to 
call  upon  the  Commandant  of  the  Fourth  Naval  District  and  the  Commandant 
of  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard.  During  the  second  week  of  active  work  in  the 
district,  Austin  completed  the  camouflaging  of  the  J.  M.  Connelly;  called  at  the 
Navy  Yard  and  was  assured,  although  not  seeing  the  Commandant,  that  he  would 
be  notified  a  day  in  advance  of  all  camouflage  jobs;  made  arrangements  with  Port 
Captain  Abbott,  of  the  Division  of  Operations,  to  be  given  ample  notice  of  all 
vessels  entering  the  port,  and  secured  from  the  manual  training  branch  of  the 
Philadelphia  public  schools  the  promise  to  build  him  wooden  ship  models  for 
experimental  work. 

On  September  18th,  the  Railroad  Administration  decided  to  camouflage   its 

320 


coastwise  fleet  and  shortly  afterwards  the  District  Camoufleur  received  plans  for 
the  painting  of  several  vessels  of  the  Clyde  and  Merchants  and  Miners  Lines. 
Work  was  started  shortly  afterwards  on  these  vessels.  An  increase  in  the  duties 
devolving  upon  the  camouflage  branch  came  also  on  September  18th,  when  the 
two  shipyards  at  Wilmington,  Del.,  were  added  to  the  Delaware  River  District. 

The  first  ship  launched  at  Hog  Island,  the  Qaistconck,  was  ready  to  be  camou- 
flaged on  October  14th,  and  was  completed  on  October  29th.  The  Watonwan, 
the  first  ship  at  the  Bristol  plant,  had  the  painting  started  on  October  9th  and 
was  finished  on  October  14th.  George  W.  Lawlor,  who  was  given  the  rating  of 
Chief  Camoufleur,  was  placed  in  charge  of  all  camouflage  work  at  Hog  Island. 

At  the  time  of  the  armistice  there  had  been  111  vessels  camouflaged  in  the 
Delaware  River  district,  including  a  few  which  had  been  merely  retouched.  The 
official  telegram  on  Armistice  Day,  ordering  that  all  camouflaging  cease,  was 
followed  by  a  telegram  which  instructed  the  District  Camoufleur  to  cut  down  his 
force.  Almost  all  of  the  camoufleurs  were  discharged  from  the  service  on  Novem- 
ber 15th,  being  given  accumulated  leave  and  paid  to  December  1st.  In  notifying 
them  of  the  end  of  their  work,  the  District  Camoufleur  sent  a  complimentary  letter 
to  each.  On  November  16th,  before  departing  for  their  homes,  the  camoufleurs 
presented  a  letter  of  farewell  to  District  Officer  William  G.  Coxe.  Chief  Camoufleur 
George  W.  Lawlor  resigned  about  November  21st,  and  the  District  Camoufleur  was 
transferred  on  January  1,  1919,  to  the  chief  inspector's  office,  remaining  in  the 
Fleet  Corporation  service  until  August  31,  1919. 

On  May  6th,  Albert  Rosenthal  was  added  to  the  camouflaging  force  in  the 
district,  and  Paul  King  joined  the  same  day  as  an  assistant  camoufleur.  Camou- 
fleur Smith  was  ordered  to  Boston,  to  report  May  13th,  but  before  leaving  super- 
vised the  painting  of  the  second  ship,  the  10,000  ton  navy  cargo  boat  Radnor,  mak- 
ing necessary  changes  in  the  design  which  caused  some  discussion  subsequently,  and 
led  to  stringent  orders  that  camoufleurs  should  never  alter  designs  for  naval  vessels. 
To  continue  with  the  personnel  of  the  camouflage  branch  of  the  Delaware  River 
District,  a  new  camoufleur,  George  W.  Lawlor,  was  added  on  May  15th,  and  a 
few  days  prior  to  that  the  staff  had  been  increased  by  the  arrival  of  Camoufleurs 
Oscar  de  Clerk,  Paul  King  and  Earl  Selfridge.  On  May  24th,  Camoufleurs  George 
McLaughlin,  Harry  W.  Moore  and  Fred  J.  Thompson  were  ordered  from  New 
York  to  Philadelphia.  The  same  day,  de  Clerk  and  King  were  ordered  to  New 
York.  On  July  1st,  also,  Camoufleurs  Wilson  V.  Chambers  and  Ralph  P.  Coleman 
were  transferred  from  New  York  to  Philadelphia,  as  was  Camoufleur  Franklin  C. 
Watkins  on  July  9th.  Two  more  camoufleurs,  Leo  Kernan  and  Hamilton  D. 
Ware,  arrived  from  New  York  about  July  30th,  and  a  third,  Warden  Wood,  on 
July  31st. 

Camoufleur  Wood  was  ordered  back  to  New  York  after  a  stay  of  about 
ten  days,  and,  on  August  13th,  Camoufleur  Selfridge  was  sent  to  Jacksonville. 
Camoufleurs  McLaughlin  and  Moore  were  transferred  to  Boston  on  July  30th, 
and  Camoufleur  Rosenthal  left  the  service  August  23d,  reducing  the  total  staff 
at  that  time  to  nine.  Three  other  men  also  served  in  Philadelphia:  Camoufleur 
Robert  D.  Gauley,  Camoufleur  Mitchel  R.  Buck,  Camoufleur  Arthur  D.  Carles. 

To  return  to  the  actual  progress  of  camouflage,  the  third  vessel  painted  was 
the  Gulfland,  an  oil  tanker  at  the  New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation,  and  while 
the  work  was  in  progress  on  it,  the  Avondale,  at  the  Chester  Shipbuilding  Com- 

321 


pany;  the  Themisto,  at  Pier  No.  2;  the  H.  C.  Folger,  at  Point  Breeze,  and  the 
Mundale  and  Meuse,  at  Port  Richmond,  were  also  undertaken. 

It  was  necessary  to  settle  a  number  of  questions  regarding  vessels  already  in 
the  service,  and  which  had  been  camouflaged  under  the  old  designs  approved  by 
the  Ship  Protection  Committee  prior  to  the  adoption  of  the  English  "dazzle." 
The  district  camoufleur,  on  May  25th,  pointed  out,  for  example,  to  the  Atlantic 
Refining  Company  that  it  would  be  necessary  for  the  Pioneer,  one  of  their  tankers, 
to  be  repainted  with  a  "dazzle"  design. 

During  the  week  ending  June  10th,  the  Camouflage  Theater  received  twenty- 
five  wooden  models  for  experimental  purposes.  A  conference  of  the  camoufleurs 
of  the  district  was  held  on  the  night  of  June  11th  in  the  studio  of  Mr.  Austin, 
at  which  time  it  was  decided  to  procure  a  tank  for  the  experimental  work  so  that 
the  camoufleurs  could  develop  atmospheric  effects  by  means  of  flexible  arrange- 
ments of  electric  lighting.  This  tank  was  also  constructed  by  the  manual  training 
branch  of  the  Philadelphia  public  schools. 

During  the  month  of  July,  the  camoufleurs  were  busy  in  all  sections  of  the 
district.  They  were  painting  oil  tankers  at  Marcus  Hook  and  Point  Breeze; 
Navy  cargo  boats  at  the  various  piers  along  the  Delaware  in  Philadelphia;  newly 
completed  ships  in  the  yards  at  Cramps,  New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation, 
Sun  Shipbuilding  Company,  Chester  Shipbuilding  Company,  and  Pusey  and 
Jones  Gloucester  Yards,  and  were  also  being  called  upon  to  place  "dazzle"  designs 
on  Army  quartermaster  vessels  at  Pier  78,  South. 

The  first  step  in  camouflaging  the  fabricated  ships  from  the  Hog  Island  and 
Bristol  Yards  came  in  August,  when  complete  plans  were  prepared  for  the  Waton- 
wan, the  first  ship  to  be  launched  at  the  Merchants'  Plant.  That  same  week 
District  Camoufleur  Austin  made  arrangements  with  both  the  Merchants'  and 
American  International  for  future  camouflage  work.  He  established  positively 
that  while  from  a  constructive  standpoint  the  Agency  Yards  might  not  come 
under  the  district,  for  camouflaging  purposes  the  district  camoufleur  wassupreme. 
Toward  the  end  of  August,  Henry  C.  Grover,  Manager  of  the  Camouflage  Depart- 
ment, asked  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Austin  on  a  plan  that  would  place  all  camouflaging 
— even  to  the  purchase  of  the  paint  and  the  employment  of  the  painters — directly 
under  his  department.  A  week  or  so  later  Mr.  Austin  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that 
such  a  plan  was  impracticable  because  it  would  cost  "more  money  to  handle  the 
work  of  our  own  force  than  to  pay  the  shipyard  for  painting  the  boat."  In  the 
same  letter  he  made  mention  of  a  plan  he  had  devised  to  arrive  at  a  comparative 
cost  table,  and  this  plan  was  later  adopted  and  carried  out  through  the  months 
of  September  and  October.  Mr.  Austin  did  recommend  that  the  Camouflage 
Department  purchase  its  paint  direct,  but  the  district  officer  vetoed  it. 

NAVAL  BASE  HOSPITAL  No.  5 
By  Dr.  Leon  Herman 

In  April,  1917,  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Hospital  of  Philadelphia,  through 
Dr.  Richard  H.  Harte,  of  the  Southeastern  Chapter  of  the  American  Red  Cross, 
was  asked  by  Surgeon-General  William  C.  Braisted,  United  States  Marines,  to  or- 
ganize a  Naval  Base  Hospital  of  250  beds  for  foreign  service. 

322 


Buildings  in  Brest. 


Dr.  Robert  G.  LeConte,  who  had  served  in  the  United  States  Navy  during 
the  Spanish-American  War,  was  selected  as  Commander. 

The  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  hospital  formally  voted  to  comply  with  the  re- 
quest of  Surgeon-General  Braisted  and  a  committee,  consisting  of  Dr.  Richard 
Norris,  Frank  Freeman  and  Charles  Scott,  Jr.,  Chairman,  was  appointed  to  pur- 
chase the  necessary  equipment  and  to  enroll  the  required  personnel,  to  be  com- 
posed of  a  surgical  and  medical  staff  of  forty  and  an  enlisted  personnel  of  ninety. 

The  estimated  cost  of  the  equipment  was  $25,000,  but  the  actual  expenditures 
far  exceeded  that  amount.  It  was  decided  that  the  expense  should  not  be  charged 
against  the  funds  of  the  hospital  and,  therefore,  the  financial  problem  was  impor- 
tant. It  was  solved,  however,  by  contributions  of  about  $20,000  received  from 
the  Methodist  churches  of  the  city,  from  personal  contributions  amounting  to 
$5,000  and  from  an  appropriation  from  the  Southeastern  Pennsylvania  Chapter 
of  the  American  Red  Cross  amounting  to  about  $15,000.  There  was,  moreover, 
a  large  number  of  additional  contributions. 

On  June  1, 1917,  the  equipment  for  a  250-bed  base  hospital,  as  well  as  the  equip- 
ment for  the  personnel,  was  purchased,  packed  and  stored  ready  for  shipment. 

In  recruiting  physicians,  surgeons  and  nurses,  the  staff  of  the  Methodist 
Hospital  was  largely  drawn  upon.  Practically  all  of  the  doctors  had  been  or 
were  connected  with  the  hospital  and  80  per  cent  of  the  nurses  were  Methodist 
Episcopal  graduates.  Miss  Alice  Garrett,  Superintendent  of  the  Nurses  Hospital 
Training  School,  was  appointed  Chief  Nurse. 

Training  was  given  to  the  enlisted  personnel  at  the  Navy  Yard  and  Naval 
Home,  and  thus  everyone  connected  with  it  received  special  hospital  training. 

323 


On  Thursday,  September  13,  1917,  a  telephone  message  was  received  from 
Washington  ordering  the  Unit  to  be  ready  to  sail  on  the  transport  Henderson  on  the 
following  Saturday,  September  15th. 

At  ten  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  September  17th,  after  reporting  to  Dr.  Le 
Conte,  it  was  learned  that  five  of  our  officers,  Dr.  James  Talley,  Dr.  George 
Ross,  Dr.  Vincent  Lyon,  Dr.  Grayson  McCouch  and  Dr.  John  Hugo,  together 
with  the  enlisted  personnel,  had  been  ordered  away  on  the  U.  S.  S.  Henderson, 
while  the  remaining  officers,  together  with  the  nurses,  were  to  "stand  by." 

On  board  the  Henderson  the  group  was  met  by  Commander  H.  C.  Curl,  who 
had  been  assigned  to  the  Unit  as  Commanding  Officer  and  who  guided  our  fortunes 
throughout  the  war. 

Navy  Base  Hospital  No.  1,  from  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  was  aboard,  with  a  full 
personnel  of  twelve  officers  and  forty  nurses.  The  military  atmosphere  of  the 
ship  was  much  enhanced  by  the  presence  of  the  2d  Battalion,  6th  Regiment,  United 
States  Marines,  under  the  command  of  Major  Hughes  and  seven  fellow  officers. 
These  men  were  destined  to  make  history  at  Belleau  Wood,  and  such  are  the  strange 
workings  of  fate  that  some  of  them  came  under  the  care  of  our  operating  teams 
when  the  latter  were  on  duty  at  American  Military  Hospital  No.  1,  in  Neuilly, 
in  June,  1918. 

On  Tuesday  morning,  September  18th,  the  ship's  company  awoke  in  New 
York  Harbor.  There  they  remained  until  8  p.m.,  September  22d.  The  delay 
was  caused  in  part  by  a  fire  which  began  in  the  afterhold  among  a  ton  of  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  literature.  At  eight  o'clock  on  Saturday  evening,  September  22d,  the  good 
ship  Henderson  silently  glided  out  into  the  darkness  of  the  Atlantic.  No  lights 
were  showing,  but  forms  of  the  other  ships  in  the  convoy  including  two  other  large 
transports,  two  destroyers  and  an  armored  cruiser  could  be  made  out. 

The  newly  made  group  of  civilian  soldiers  were  deeply  impressed  with  the 
strangeness  of  their  new  life,  but  all  was  forgotten  for  the  moment  as  the  lights 
of  the  Statue  of  Liberty  disappeared.  The  weeks  of  impatient  waiting  for  orders, 
the  considerable  task  of  giving  up  the  old  life  and  preparing  for  the  new,  the  sad 
farewells  to  families  and  friends — all  had  been  completed,  and  now  at  last  the  great 
adventure  was  begun. 

Next  morning  the  ship  was  again  in  New  York  Harbor! 

At  10:15  on  Sunday  evening,  September  23d,  another  start  was  made,  and  by 
seven  o'clock  next  morning  the  convoy  was  well  up  toward  Nantucket  shoals. 
The  day  opened  overcast,  and  by  eleven  in  the  morning  a  nasty  "Southwester" 
sprang  up  which  soon  knocked  out  at  least  one-third  of  the  Marines,  hospital 
corpsmen  and  nurses.  A  seasick  marine  expressed  his  desire  to  "bayonet  the  guy 
who  invented  the  ocean." 

The  convoy  consisted  of  eight  vessels:  two  destroyers,  the  Roe  and  Monaghan, 
the  cruiser  San  Diego,  transports  Finland,  Antilles,  Henderson  and  Lenape,  and  the 
oil  tanker  Konahawa. 

"Abandon  ship"  drills  were  regularly  performed  and  the  strictest  orders 
were  enforced  regarding  the  use  of  lights. 

On  Tuesday  morning,  September  25th,  it  was  found  that  the  Lenape  and  Kona- 
hawa had  gone  astray  during  the  night,  and  to  this  misfortune  was  added  the  sig- 
naled news  of  "man  overboard"  from  the  San  Diego.     All  of  the  ships  hove  to  for 

324 


three-quarters  of  an  hour,  but  the  unfortunate  sailor  was  not  to  be  found  and  we 
again  got  under  way.     This  was  the  first  casualty. 

On  the  early  morning  of  Wednesday,  October  3d,  five  United  States  destroyers 
met  the  east-bound  ships,  and  several  hours  later  the  San  Diego  and  the  two 
destroyers  turned  back  and  headed  for  America.  It  seemed  like  parting  with  the 
last  ties  to  home  and  country. 

Immediately  the  order  was  given  for  all  on  board  to  don  life  preservers  and 
to  carry  or  wear  them  night  and  day  until  port  was  reached. 

That  night  an  impromptu  dance  was  given  on  the  hurricane  deck,  much  to 
the  disgust  of  at  least  one  line  officer,  who  was  heard  remark,  "This  certainly  is 
a  hell  of  a  warship."  A  rather  heavy  sea  was  running  and  some  improvised  steps 
were  introduced. 

On  Friday  morning,  October  5th,  at  4:15,  Bell  Isle  Light  was  sighted  on  that 
little  plot  of  land  first  fortified  by  Porthos  of  Three  Musketeers  fame.  Forty 
miles  to  the  east  lay  the  French  coast  and  safety. 

Leaving  the  Bay  of  Biscay  with  its  dangers,  the  Henderson  entered  Quiberon 
Harbor  and  thence  into  the  Biver  Noire.  The  town  of  St.  Nazaire  was  reached 
in  the  late  afternoon.  Here  a  hearty  welcome  was  given  by  the  natives  and  a 
group  of  United  States  Marines.  It  was  good  to  learn  that  Navy  Base  No.  5 
was  among  the  first  100,000  Americans  to  land  on  French  soil. 

The  few  succeeding  days  were  spent  in  unloading  the  stores  and  putting  them 
in  a  warehouse  assigned  by  the  Army  for  the  purpose,  and  in  getting  settled  in 
Army  Camp  No.  1. 

Commander  Curl  had  left  for  Paris  immediately  after  disembarking,  and 
returned  October  10th,  with  the  news  the  Unit  had  been  ordered  to  Brest. 

Our  future  troubles  in  business  negotiations  with  the  natives,  not  to  mention 
difficulties  with  the  language,  were  anticipated  in  the  arrival  of  M.  Heau  as 
official  interpreter. 

Orders  to  proceed  to  Brest  arrived  in  the  morning  of  October  17th,  and  by 
night  the  Unit  reached  that  place. 

After  one  month  of  impatient  waiting,  having  heard  in  the  mean  time  of  the 
safe  arrival  in  France  of  the  advance  guard  of  our  Unit,  the  rest  of  the  Unit  left 
Philadelphia  on  October  15th  on  the  S.  S.  St.  Louis,  afterwards  the  U.  S.  S.  Louis- 
ville, and,  as  the  sun  was  sinking  low  in  the  west,  we  waved  our  farewells  to  families 
and  friends  whose  faces  and  forms  were  soon  lost  in  the  thickening  shadows  of 
the  evening. 

Doctors  Le  Conte,  Darby,  Kerr,  Hewson  and  Herman,  together  with  the 
nursing  staff  of  forty-one  women,  answered  the  roll  call. 

The  S.  S.  St.  Louis  was  still  in  the  passenger  service  and  the  majority  of 
voyagers  were  in  "mufti,"  although  many,  and  perhaps  the  majority,  were  on 
war  missions.  Prominent  among  the  latter  was  a  group  of  Congressmen  en  route 
to  France.  A  group  of  thirty-five  army  aviators,  fine  young  Americans  every  one 
of  them,  and  among  the  first  bird-men  to  embark  for  foreign  service,  were  aboard, 
but,  like  our  own,  their  names  did  not  appear  on  the  passenger  list.  The  future 
experiences  of  this  group  of  men  has  added  a  fine  chapter  to  American  heroism. 
Among  them  was  Mr.  McLanahan,  a  Philadelphian,  who  later  did  meritorious 
combat  work  with  the  troops,  and  who  fought  side  by  side  with  Quentin  Boosevelt 
on  the  day  that  he  was  killed. 

325 


The  atmosphere  of  the  ship  was  quite  peaceful,  notwithstanding  the  arma- 
ment on  deck  and  the  lack  of  lights  by  night,  until  October  17th,  when  all  were 
ordered  below  decks  while  the  guns  blazed  away  in  target  practice  at  imaginary 
submarines. 

On  the  morning  of  October  23d  a  lighthouse  was  sighted,  and  soon  the  coast 
of  Wales  loomed  up  in  the  distance.  Next  morning  the  pilot  guided  us  up  the 
river  to  Liverpool,  where  we  docked  at  9  a.m. 

By  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  had  rescued  our  luggage  and  were  on  a 
special  train  en  route  to  Southampton.  The  great  furnaces  of  Birmingham  opened 
their  doors  and  lit  up  the  sky  as  if  to  bid  us  welcome  and  good  luck.  We  reached 
Southampton  at  11  p.m. 

While  marching  through  the  rain  and  mud  to  the  great  military  camp  we 
inquired  of  our  young  soldier  guide  his  native  city.  "I'm  from  Philadelphia — 
Wolf  Street,  just  opposite  the  Methodist  Hospital,"  he  replied. 

On  October  26th,  Dr.  LeConte  and  the  nurses  crossed  the  Channel,  and  after 
spending  a  day  in  Le  Havre  proceeded  to  Brest,  where  they  arrived  at  noontime, 
October  29th. 

Doctors  Darby,  Hewson,  Herman  and  Kerr  lingered,  through  no  fault  of  their 
own,  in  the  camp  at  Southampton  for  several  days.  Crossing  the  Channel  one 
night  on  a  boat  otherwise  filled  with  sleepless  horses,  they  took  up  a  brief  resi- 
dence in  the  camp  at  Le  Havre,  famous  for  its  mud  and  Scotch.  On  November  2d 
they,  too,  arrived  in  Brest  via  Paris. 

Base  Hospital  No.  5  began  its  work  in  a  small  "sick  bay"  which  Dr.  Garrison 
of  the  regular  Navy  had  established,  sometime  before  the  arrival  of  the  Unit,  in 
a  nunnery  in  the  town  of  Brest,  to  meet  the  need  of  the  "American  fleet"  of  yachts 
and  the  earliest  arrivals  of  the  destroyer  fleet  which  had  been  assigned  to  the  port. 
Brest,  now  familiar  to  thousands  of  veterans,  was  at  that  time  reposing  in 
its  ancient  solitude.  But  few  American  sailors  were  to  be  seen  and  only  an  occa- 
sional soldier.  However,  conditions  in  Brest  were  found  to  be  quite  satisfactory, 
with  reasonable  prices  for  necessities.  The  Villa  Maria,  a  large  private  dwelling, 
was  procured  and  transformed  into  a  dormitory  for  our  nurses.  The  officers  found 
lodgings  at  first  in  hotels  and  later  in  pensions  or  apartments. 

Buildings  suitable  for  hospital  purposes  were  not  many  in  Brest,  and  it  was 
only  after  considerable  effort  that  we  were  able  to  procure  one  that  could  by  any 
stretch  of  the  imagination  be  considered  at  all  desirable.  Further  delay  was 
caused  by  the  temporary  occupation  of  the  first  two  floors  by  a  school  and  orphan- 
age.    We  were  ejected  in  due,  if  slow,  course  by  the  local  courts  of  justice. 

On  October  18th  the  U.  S.  S.  Antilles  was  torpedoed  and  sunk  380  miles  out 
of  St.  Nazaire.  Some  of  the  survivors  were  brought  to  Dr.  Garrison's  hospital, 
which  was  locally  known  as  Hospital  No.  9  and  were  attended  by  our  surgeons. 
On  the  morning  of  October  29th,  survivors  arrived  from  another  torpedoed  trans- 
port, which  proved  to  be  the  Finland. 

The  search  for  suitable  hospital  quarters  continued  and  proved  to  be  disap- 
pointing, and  it  became  more  and  more  evident  that  we  were  to  be  deprived  of  our 
quarters  in  the  orphanage.  In  the  meantime,  the  staff  had  been  completed  with  the 
arrival  in  Brest  of  the  group  which  had  come  by  way  of  England. 

Moreover,  there  seemed  little  opportunity,  or  need,  for  creating  a  fine  hospital 
in  a  place  where  the  Navy's  activities  were  apparently  very  slight.     No  one  could 

326 


foretell  the  remarkable  growth  of  our  Navy  in  foreign  waters,  a  growth  that  pro- 
ceeded with  extreme  rapidity  until  our  Flag  Office  under  Admiral  Wilson,  was 
second  in  importance  only  to  the  London  Office. 

After  considerable  effort,  an  ancient  nunnery  was  leased  from  the  French,  who 
had  occupied  it  as  a  Convalescent  Hospital  since  the  early  days  of  the  war.  This 
institution,  which  was  locally  known  as  No.  4,  was  taken  over  by  our  unit  on  Novem- 
ber 10,  1917.  The  hospital  was  situated  in  the  Rue  de  Kerfautrau,  in  the  extreme 
eastern  section  of  the  city,  just  off  the  Rue  de  Paris,  the  main  thoroughfare. 

That  portion  of  the  building  which  was  to  be  used  for  hospital  purposes 
was  entirely  unprepared  for  the  reception  of  patients,  and  so  far  as  the  uninitiated 
could  determine  the  possibility  of  ever  getting  it  into  fit  condition  seemed  ex- 
tremely remote.  In  addition  to  the  repeated  scrubbing  necessary  to  remove  the  ■ 
universal  filth,  provisions  had  to  be  made  for  the  installation  of  heat,  gas, 
electricity,  running  water  and  modern  plumbing.  The  main  building  could 
accommodate  only  several  hundred  patients,  so  that  it  was  necessary  to  provide 
barracks  and  tents  for  the  contagious  cases  and  to  relieve  the  overflow  from  the 
main  building. 

It  was  originally  intended  that  the  repairs  should  be  made  before  the  hospital 
was  put  into  commission,  but  the  arrival  of  about  one  hundred  patients,  from  a 
group  of  four  large  transports,  which  had  arrived  with  14,000  troops,  necessitated 
a  change  in  our  plans. 

On  November  12,  1917,  half  of  the  patients  in  Dr.  Garrison's  hospital  were 
moved  to  Navy  Rase  Hospital  No.  5  and  on  this  day,  therefore,  the  hospital  began 
its  own  real  work.  The  erection  of  barracks  for  the  contagious  cases  proceeded 
rapidly,  so  that  we  were  soon  able  to  take  care  of  this  class  of  patients  without  the 
assistance  of  the  French,  who  had  up  to  this  time  admitted  our  contagious  cases. 

Groups  of  patients  continued  to  arrive  from  the  transports,  and  in  the  mean- 
time the  work  of  making  the  hospital  habitable  went  on  apace. 

To  describe  accurately  this  hospital  is  a  difficult  task.  The  institution  was 
surrounded  by  a  stone  wall,  perhaps  ten  feet  in  height,  enclosing  a  plot  of  land  a 
half  an  acre  or  more  in  extent.  Numerous  human  thigh-bones,  the  bones  of  de- 
parted Sisters,  so  the  story  goes,  were  incorporated  in  the  walls,  projecting  for  about 
half  their  length.  These  the  "gobs,"  whose  liberty  was  restricted,  irreverently 
used  as  stepping-stones  to  their  stolen  freedom. 

There  were  many  beautiful  trees  within  the  enclosure,  and  these,  as  was  the 
agreement,  were  carefully  preserved,  although  this  necessitated  a  rather  irregular 
distribution  of  the  tents  and  barracks  which  it  was  necessary  to  erect  for  our  grow- 
ing family. 

The  main  building  was  situated  at  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  property, 
occupying  approximately  one-third  of  the  area,  with  a  small  courtyard  in  front  sepa- 
rating it  from  the  wall  and  street.  This  little  courtyard  had  served  as  the  means 
of  entrance  for  the  populace  to  the  public  chapel,  which  was  the  largest  room  in  the 
building  and  which  we  used  as  a  surgical  ward.  To  the  left  of  the  courtyard 
just  mentioned  was  a  two-story  building,  which  was  utilized  for  the  executive 
offices.  Here  also  was  stationed  the  druggist  in  charge  of  the  United  States 
Naval  Medical  Supply  Depot,  which,  in  April,  1919,  began  the  distribution  of 
supplies  to  our  numerous  stations  in  France  and  to  vessels  in  the  Mediterranean 
and  Adriatic. 

327 


A  small  private  chapel  for  the  inmates  of  the  nunnery,  situated  behind  the  big 
chapel,  was  transformed  into  a  surgical  ward  with  fourteen  beds.  The  remaining 
portion  of  the  building  was  constructed  in  the  form  of  a  hollow  square  surrounding 
a  central  courtyard.  It  was  three  stories  in  height  and  divided  into  many  rooms 
of  all  sizes  and  shapes,  far  too  intricate  for  detailed  description. 

The  southern  side  of  the  first  floor  was  devoted  to  small  surgical  wards,  operat- 
ing rooms  and  the  X-ray  Department,  while  the  remaining  portions  were  taken 
up  by  the  officers'  and  nurses'  dining-rooms,  storerooms,  galley  and  carpenter's 
shop.     The  spacious  corridors  served  as  a  dining-room  for  the  crew. 

The  second  floor  was  used  for  the  most  part  by  the  medical  staff  with  wards 
and  a  small  private  room  for  sick  officers.  Two  large  dormitories  were  used  as 
.living  quarters  for  the  crew. 

Large  double  walled  tents  were  secured  from  the  French  and  used  as  wards, 
thus  bringing  our  bed  capacity  to  800.  The  facilities  of  the  hospital  were,  when 
completed,  thoroughly  adequate  for  first-class  work.  A  pathological  laboratory, 
together  with  the  dental  office,  hospital  pharmacy  and  diet  kitchen,  were  situated 
on  the  second  floor  of  the  main  building,  and  these  departments,  which  were  fully 
equipped,  contributed  largely  to  the  success  of  the  institution. 

In  the  operating  room  the  same  excellence  of  equipment  prevailed,  and  a  general 
mortality  rate  of  2.05  per  cent  in  surgical  cases  bespeaks  the  efficient  organization 
and  equipment  of  this  department. 

Dr.  LeConte  had  been  appointed  Liaison  Medical  Officer,  representing  the 
Navy  in  Europe,  and  a  considerable  part  of  his  time  and  energies  were  taken  up  with 
duties  in  other  places  than  Brest.  By  the  beginning  of  the  new  year,  1918,  the 
hospital  was  functioning  normally.  The  ancient  buildings  had  been  transformed 
into  a  really  modern  hospital  with  all  of  the  physical  convenience,  but  lacking, 
however,  in  architectural  attraction.  The  professional  work  was  much  the  same 
in  amount  and  kind  that  we  had  been  accustomed  to  do  at  home. 

Impending  American  activities  at  the  front  were  foreshadowed  by  the  receipt 
of  an  order  to  organize  operating  trains,which  were  to  be  prepared  for  distant  service. 
No  call  came,  however,  until  June,  when  three  operating  units  were  ordered  to 
American  Military  Hospital  No.  1  at  Neuilly.  Twenty-five  hundred  cases  were 
admitted  to  the  hospital  during  the  first  three  weeks  of  June,  the  majority  being 
Marines  who  had  been  wounded  at  Belleau  Wood  and  Chateau-Thierry.  On 
the  last  day  of  June  the  operating  units  returned  to  Brest  and  two  days  later  the 
320  survivors  of  the  U.  S.  S.  Covington  became  our  guests. 

On  July  17th  the  operating  teams  again  left  Brest  and  were  on  active  service 
at  the  front  for  one  month. 

The  evacuation  of  the  American  wounded  was  now  assuming  considerable 
importance  and  our  hospital  bore  its  share  of  this  work.  About  the  same  time 
the  influenza  began  to  take  its  awful  toll  of  our  sailors  on  the  incoming  transports 
and  the  hospital  became  very  much  overcrowded.  These  eventful  days  passed 
rapidly,  and  on  November  7th  the  false  armistice  was  duly  celebrated  in  Brest. 
On  November  11th  the  true  news  was  received.  Eighteen  days  later  the  officers 
of  the  organization  were  at  sea  homeward  bound.  The  Unit  was  not  formally 
demobilized,  as  some  of  its  members  had  been  returned  to  the  States  as 
"casuals." 

Navy  Base  Hospital  No.  5  had  the  unique  distinction  of  having  served  our 

328 


Navy  in  French  waters  during  almost  the  entire  period  of  America's  participation 
in  the  war.  The  great  majority  of  Navy  men  who  were  injured  in  foreign  service 
came  to  our  hospital.  We  also  treated  the  survivors  from  the  vast  majority  of 
the  American  ships  which  suffered  at  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  The  operating 
teams  were  the  only  ones  from  a  naval  base  hospital  able  to  serve  with  the  Army 
at  the  front. 

We  take  a  pardonable  pride  in  Base  Hospital  No.  5,  feeling  that  it  played  well 
an  important  part  in  the  war. 

Personnel  of  Navy  Base  No.  5  when  organized : 

Medical,   Surgical  and  Nursing  Staff 

Director,  Lieutenant-Commander  Robert  G.  LeConte,  M.D. 

Assistant  Director,  Lieutenant-Commander  James  E.  Talley,  M.D. 

Staff:  Lieutenants  J.  H.  A.  Cleaver;  George  Darby,  D.D.S.;  Leon  Herman,  M.D.;  William 
Hewson,  M.D.;  John  A.  Hugo,  M.D.;  P.  M.  Kerr,  M.D.;  B.  B.  Vincent  Lyon,  M.D.;  Grayson  P. 
McCouch,  M.D.;  George  G.  Ross,  M.D. 

Chief  Nurse,  Alice  M.  Garrett.  Assistant,  Mary  S.  Young.  Operating  Room  Nurse,  Alice 
L.  Hurst.     Ansesthe  iist,  Faye  L.  Fulton. 

UNITED  STATES  NAVAL  COMMISSARY  SCHOOLS 
By  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Wilson 

There  had  been  great  difficulty  in  securing  cooks  and  chefs  for  the  Navy,  or 
at  least  men  who  could  prepare  palatable  and  nutritious  meals,  and  on  June  1, 
1916,  Frederick  R.  Payne,  Lieutenant-Commander,  U.  S.  N.,  retired,  acting  for 
Captain  Hetherington,  Commandant,  United  States  Naval  Home,  conferred  with 
Mrs.  Mary  A.  Wilson,  instructor  of  cooking,  in  reference  to  the  establishment  of 
a  school  in  which  cooking  could  be  taught. 

The  first  class  was  started  by  Mrs.  Wilson  on  June  5,  1916,  with  fifty  recruits 
of  the  United  States  Naval  Reserve  forces.  After  the  first  class  was  trained  and 
sent  to  ships  and  stations  and  produced  palatable  meals,  the  Regular  United  States 
Naval  School  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  sent  a  detachment  of  fifty  men  to  the  school. 

The  men  trained  for  the  first  six  classes  were  used  as  cooks  for  Naval  Base 
No.  20  in  France,  on  the  coast  patrol  boats  in  the  Fourth  Naval  District,  and  on 
Pier  No.  19. 

The  success  of  the  school  soon  spread,  and  Chaplain  Tirbou,  then  on  Common- 
wealth Pier,  Boston,  Mass.,  sent  his  daughter  to  investigate  and  to  ask  Mrs. 
Wilson  to  help  them  at  Boston,  where  there  was  a  great  shortage  of  dependable 
cooks.  William  Rush,  commandant  of  the  First  Naval  District,  urged  Mrs. 
Wilson  to  spend  part  of  the  time  in  organizing  a  school  there,  which  she  did  in 
the  fall  of  1916.  Harry  Schiffman,  cook,  first  class,  who  was  a  salesman  before 
he  enlisted  for  the  cooking  school  in  the  Fourth  Naval  District,  was  sent  with 
Mrs.  Wilson  on  leave  of  absence,  and  there  on  Commonwealth  Pier  started  a 
school  similar  to  the  one  in  Philadelphia,  alternating  weekly  between  Boston  and 
Philadelphia. 

The  quality  of  the  food  and  the  splendid  records  of  the  men,  caused  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Mr.  Daniels,  to  send  Rear  Admiral  Albert  E.  Ross  to 
investigate,  and  his  report,  after  a  rigid  inspection  of  the  class,  to  the  Surgeon- 

329 


An  "All  Philadelphia"  Class. 


General  of  the  Navy  at  Washington,  D.  C,  was  that  he  found  the  men  well  berthed, 
though  in  tents,  and  the  food  was  of  splendid  character. 

The  men  were  willing  and  earnest  and  took  great  pride  in  their  work.  The 
variety  and  quantity  of  food  far  surpassed  other  stations  in  the  Navy,  and  at  a 
cost  of  28  cents  per  day  per  man. 

In  Boston,  Mass.,  Admiral  Wood,  upon  the  inspection  of  bread  made  by  the 
boys  in  the  commissary  school  of  which  Mrs.  Wilson  was  instructor,  inquired  the 
cost  of  the  bread,  and  was  told  it  averaged  about  5^  cents  per  pound,  not  counting 
the  cost  of  the  labor  and  heat.  He  then  issued  orders  that  men  were  to  bake 
sufficient  bread  to  supply  the  boats  patrolling  the  coast  as  well  as  the  five  or  six 
thousand  men  on  the  pier,  and  he  remarked  that  he  would  give  the  order  because 
of  the  quality  of  the  bread,  even  though  it  should  cost  16  cents  per  pound  instead 
of  5}/2  cents  per  pound,  and  because  he  believed  that  men  should  have  good 
bread  whenever  possible.    This  school  made  2,800  pounds  of  bread  daily. 

In  a  short  time  it  was  found  that  this  home-made  bread  was  not  only  econom- 
ical in  price,  but  also  that  when  the  bread  purchased  on  contract  was  used  25  per 
cent  of  it  was  wasted,  against  only  y2  per  cent  of  the  bread  made  on  the  pier — so 
the  commandant  decided  that  was  a  splendid  advantage  of  the  navy;  the  con- 
tracted bread  cost  12  cents  per  pound,  and  bread  made  on  the  pier  cost  5J/£  cents. 

The  fame  of  the  naval  cooking  school  in  Philadelphia  spread,  and  Lieutenant- 

330 


Commander  Parker  of  New  London,  Conn.,  urged  Mrs.  Wilson  to  come  to  the 
fort  there  and  establish  a  school. 

The  Food  Administration  and  the  other  organizations  active  in  war  work  in 
Philadelphia  were  constantly  seeking  to  have  the  boys  sent  out  to  display  their 
ability  with  cooking  as  an  incentive  to  the  housewife  in  her  patriotic  duties. 

During  the  "flu"  epidemic  the  cooking  school  of  the  United  States  Naval 
Home  manned  the  municipal  hospital  and  other  places,  helping  out  in  emergencies. 

Harry  Stinger,  who  in  1916,  before  enlistment,  was  a  boxmaker,is  now  the  United 
States  Naval  Commissary  steward  at  the  United  States  Naval  Home  at  Philadelphia. 

James  A.  MacAnally,  now  steward  for  the  Philadelphia  Electric  Recreation 
Club,  Llanerch,  who  before  the  war  was  an  inspector  for  the  electric  light  com- 
pany, went  right  from  the  United  States  Naval  Cooking  School  to  become  steward 
to  the  United  States  Naval  Home  and  held  this  position  during  the  war. 

Mrs.  Wilson  closed  her  own  school  in  Philadelphia  and  devoted  her  entire 
time,  day  and  night,  to  the  training  of  naval  cooks,  from  June  5,  1916,  to  December 
31,  1918,  without  compensation  of  any  kind.  She  used  the  equipment  of  her 
school,  including  ranges,  tables  and  bake  ovens,  utensils,  etc.,  and  from  June 
until  October  purchased  such  supplies — flour,  baking  powder,  eggs,  shortening,  etc., 
for  the  classes  to  work  with.  After  October,  Captain  George  Cooper,  upon  an  in- 
spection trip,  offered  a  yeoman's  wage  to  cover  expenses,  but  his  offer  was  declined. 

Captain  Ernest  F.  Bennett,  Chief  of  Bureau  of  Navigation,  Washington, 
D.  C,  gave  Mrs.  Wilson  much  valuable  information  on  the  naval  mess,  and  Secre- 
tary Daniels  personally  commended  her  for  the  meritorious  work  done. 

Mrs.  Wilson's  title  was  instructor  of  cooking  in  the  United  States  Naval 
Commissary  Schools.  No  other  schools  of  this  character  were  recognized  by  the 
United  States  Naval  Department  at  Washington,  D.  C.  Two  or  three  attempts 
were  made  by  other  commissaries  to  run  schools,  but  they  were  turned  into  mess 
galleys.  The  Bureau  of  Navigation  at  Washington  recognized  the  United  States 
Naval  Commissary  Schools  at  Philadelphia  and  Boston  as  the  only  schools  of 
their  character  outside  of  the  training  stations  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  where  cooking 
instructions  were  abandoned  during  the  war. 

PHILADELPHIA'S  NAVAL  ROLL  OF  HONOR 


Bellak,  Joseph  Fausett 
Calhoun,  Charles  Raymond 
Cheney,  Richard  H. 
Duke,  Leo  E. 
Edwards,  Joseph  Francis 
Elliot,  Richard  McCall 
Evans,  George  B.,  Jr. 
Feely,  James  Francis 


Achatz,  John 

Allander,  Charles 

Aim,  Edwing  Alfred 

Anderson,  Otto 

Arnold,  Edward  Frederick 

Ash,  Joseph  Mansfield 

Baker,  Albert  Francis 


OFFICERS 
Fry,  Charles 

Grover,  Joseph  McKinney 
Hagood,  Walter  Brown 
Hill,  Richard  Franklin 
Kendall,  Charles  S. 
Lee,  Benjamin 
Montague,  Harold  Edgar 
Neuberger,  Gilbert  M. 

ENLISTED  MEN 

Balfour,  Alexander 
Bartlett,  John  Frederick 
Battersby,  Robert  Schultz 
Baylor,  Benjamin 
Becker,  Leonard 
Bennett,  Thomas  Joseph 
Bennis,  Edward  Francis,  Jr. 

331 


Newell,  Edward  Dolliver 
Patton,  Thomas  Bustard 
Roberts,  Albert  Charles 
Slamm,  Charles  W. 
Small,  Joseph  Chandler 
Steel,  Basil  L. 
Zeckwer,  Jamard  Richard 


Berman,  Benjamin 
Biddle,  Herbert  Martin 
Bish,  Walter  Benjamin 
Blemle,  John  Herbert 
Boyce,  Howard  Charles 
Boyle,  John  James,  Jr. 
Brearey,  Richard  Joseph 


Brenizer ,  Clarence  Bruce 
Brickley,  Joseph  George 
Brister,  Bobert  Fitch 
Broegger,  Joseph  William 
Brown,  Bernard 
Burton,  Evan  William 
Burton,  Bichard,  Jr. 
Callahan,  James  William 
Carpenter,  Percy  Leon 
Charette,Ulrich  Joseph  T. 
Cherry,  Joseph  Andrew.  Jr. 
Clark,  John,  Jr. 
Cleveland,  William  Jacob 
Coldmon,  Ivery 
Connolly,  John  Edward 
Connor,  John  Joseph 
Connor,  William  Aloysius 
Corkie,  George  Connell 
Corkle,  Joseph  Jackson 
Dallas,  Cecil 
Davis,  Frank  John 
Davis,  Oscar 

Dembress.  Anthony  Joseph 
Denney,  Harry  Sawyer 
Deutsch,  Morris  Adolph 
De Vine,  Clarence  Bicbmond 
Disharoon,  Benjamin  Coulter 
Dougherty,  Dennis 
Drumm,  Harry  Jacob 
Duane,  James  Joseph 

Durgin,  Dennie  Francis 

Fenton,  John  Lee 

Finnegan,  John  Michael 

Fischer,  Charles  John 

Fish,  Wilbur 

Fisher,  Edward 

Fitzgerald,  Edward 

Ford,  Thomas  Walker 

Foster,  Harvey  John 

Frank,  Gustave 

Freas,  Arthur  William 

FredJine,  John  Morris 

Frohner,  Baymond  Ashton 

Fugita,  Ko 

Gallagher,   Andrew   Jackson 
Town 

Gillan,  Hugh  Michel 

Givens,  Samuel  Fitzmaurice 

Glowka,  Anthony 

Godshall,  Fred 

Goldstein,  Samuel 

Golphin,  Eugene  Prince 

Gordon,  William  Beif 


Graham,  Joseph  Wilson 
Greasley,  Mark  Winfield 
Haskett,  Leonard  Alonzo,  Jr. 
Hedges,  William  Henry 
Henry,  William  Thomas 
Hill,  Bobert  Gray 
Hiller,  Charles  Bernard 
Hoover,  Frederick 
Hoyle,  Harry 

Jenkins,  John  Wm.  Harrison 
Johnson,  Dock 
Johnson,  John  Oscar 
Jordan,  Matthew  Harson 
Joseph,  Thomas  Edward 
Kelly,  James  Vincent 
Kenney,  Thomas  Joseph,  Jr. 
Kanuer,  Henry  Garber 
Kroupa,  Frank  Laybold 
Kynock,  Bobert 
Lacy,  Winfred  Herman 
Le  Compte,  Paxson 
Lees,  Spencer  Montgomery 
Leupold,  Theodore  Philip 
Lindsey,  John 
Loree,  Frank  Hazelton 
Lowry,  Mary  Gertrude 
Lyons,  Daniel  Joseph 
McBride,  John  Alexander 
McCann,  George  Henry 
McCarthy,  Bobert  Florence 
McCorkle,  Henry 
McCullough,  James 
McDougall,  William  J.,  Jr. 
Mclnerny,  John  Aloysius 
Mclntyre,  Thomas  Aloysius 
McKeown,  Bernard  Joseph 
McKnight,  John  Joseph 
McVeigh,  John  James 
Maclntyre,  John 
Mahathey,  James 
Martin,  Earl  Crouse 
Mason,  Charles  Eugene 
Meagher,  Joseph 
Merkel,  George  Christian 
Messang,  John  Peter  Albert 
Mickelson,  Louis 
Mickum,  Martin  Wilem 
Miller,  Arthur  Baymond 
Miller,  William  Frederick 
Milligan,  Joseph  Bichie 
Minch,  Louis 
Moore,  Harry  Joseph 
Morris,  Alfred 


Mulcahy,  John  Michael 
Murphy,  John  Edward 
Nickum,  Martin  Wilen 
Nolan,  Sylvester  Bernard 
O'Brien,  Ferdinand  Aloysius 
O'Brien,  Hugh  Francis 
O'Briest,  Charles 
Pote,  George  Washington 
Pugh,  David  Edwin  Claude 
Pugh,  Bussel  Haworth 
Beichner,  Henry  Alfred 
Bembold,  Edward  Louis 
Biff,  James  Joseph 
Bittenhouse,  Balph  Anderson 
Botbschild,  Lester  Benedict 
Buff,  Alfred  Gus 
Byan,  Jeremiah  John 
Byan,  Joseph  Francis 
Sager,  George  Francis 
Schafer,  Fred 
Schmidt,  Henry  Leonhart 
Seltzer,  Joseph  Nelson 
Shapiro,  Bobert 
Shea,  Frank  John  . 
Sheehan,  Irwin  John 
Shooter,  James  Arthur 
Simpson,  William  Henry 
Singleton,  Bichard  Savage 
Skelly,  Harry  Nealson 
Slater,  George  James 
Siaugh,  Wilfred  Charles 
Smith,  John  Bolton 
Smith,  John  Joseph 
Smith,  Michael  Joseph 
Sofian,  George  Joseph 
Sojka,  Budolph 
Sopp,  Ernest  William 
Sporkin,  Abraham  Leonard 
Stein,  Philip  Henry,  Jr. 
Stemen,  Sanfred  Aca 
Stovall,  Desford  Ewing 
Traynor,  Alfred  Crewitt 
Tufts,  John  Thomas 
Turner,  May  Adele 
Vasensky,  Joseph  Howe 
Wainwright,  William  Stewart 
Wardick,  Harry  Beckett 
Warner,  Elvin  Martin 
Weiss,  Harry  Benjamin 
Weldon,  Anthony  Thomas 
White,  Albert  E. 
Winmill,  Charles  Fenton 
Yeager,  David  Krider 


ENLISTED  MEN  NOT  IN  ACTIVE  SEBVICE 


Dudosky,  Meyer 
Hanlon,  John  Jacob 


Landy,  Abe 
Lott,  John 


Scheer,  Arthur  Bussell 
Schneider,  Emil 


332 


PHILADELPHIA  MARINES  DURING  THE   WORLD  WAR* 

r^^ZjHILADELPHIA  is  probably  the  foremost  Marine  Corps 
city  of  the  United  States.  The  resolution  dated  No- 
vember 10,  1775,  of  the  Continental  Congress,  bringing 
into  official  existence  a  Corps  of  Marines  as  a  part  of 
the  organized  forces  of  the  Thirteen  United  Colonies, 
was  passed  in  Philadelphia,  and  a  great  majority  of  the 
American  Marines,  who  served  during  the  Revolution, 
were  enlisted  in  Philadelphia.  During  the  French 
War,  Tripolitan  War,  War  of  1812,  Mexican  War, 
Civil  War  and  Spanish  War,  Philadelphia  sent  her  sons 
with  the  Marine  Corps  in  large  numbers.  The  Act  of  July  11,  1798,  establishing 
the  United  States  Marine  Corps  in  its  present  form  was  passed  by  Congress  in  Phil- 
adelphia, and  the  first  headquarters  of  the  United  States  Marine  Corps  were  lo- 
cated in  Philadelphia  until  they  moved,  at  the  same  time  the  national  capital  was 
changed,  to  Washington  in  1800.  Since  that  date  the  Marine  Barracks  and  the  De- 
pot of  Supplies  have  been  maintained  continuously  in  Philadelphia. 

The  activities  of  the  Marine  Corps  in  Philadelphia  during  the  World  War  were 
numerous  and  varied,  among  them  being  the  Marine  Barracks  at  the  Navy  Yard ; 
the  Advanced  Base  Force,  organized  for  expeditionary  service;  a  Signal  Battalion, 
part  of  the  Advanced  Base  Force,  first  located  at  the  Marine  Barracks  and  later 
in  camp  at  Paoli,  Pa.;  a  regiment  of  Marines,  which  went  to  Cuba;  the  Depot  of 
Supplies;  and  a  large  military  police  force,  which  assisted  the  civil  authorities. 

When  the  World  War  broke  out,  the  Philadelphia  Barracks,  a  very  important 
Marine  Corps  post,  the  oldest  and  foremost  station  of  the  Corps,  was  under  com- 
mand of  Colonel  (now  Brigadier-General)  Charles  G.  Long;  Colonel  Long  being 
ordered  to  Headquarters  Marine  Corps,  Washington,  D.  C,  on  September  4,  1917, 
he  was  relieved  of  command  at  Philadelphia  by  Colonel  Ben  H.  Fuller,  who  re- 
mained commanding  officer  until  August  31,  1918,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Col- 
onel Thomas  G.  Treadwell,  who  held  command  until  November  3,  1918;  during 
the  brief  period  from  November  3,  1918,  to  the  end  of  the  war  the  barracks  were 
under  the  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Macker  Babb.  These  barracks  acted 
as  a  clearing  house  for  most  of  the  Marines  that  were  sent  overseas  and  to  the 
other  foreign  posts  where  Marines  were  serving.  When  the  war  was  over  a  large 
number  of  returned  Marines  passed  through  the  barracks. 

When  it  became  apparent  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  that  the  present  Marine 
Corps  Recruit  Depots  would  be  unable  to  handle  the  large  number  of  recruits 
daily  enlisting,  it  was  decided  that  a  new  depot  would  be  necessary  and  Phila- 
delphia was  chosen  as  the  site  for  this  new  Recruit  Depot.  A  Recruit  Depot  was 
therefore  opened  at  Philadelphia  on  April  16,  1917,  under  command  of  the  Post 
Commander,  Colonel  Charles  G.  Long,  Major  John  C.  Beaumont  and  Sergeant- 
Major  John  F.  Cassidy  reporting  for  duty  at  this  Depot  on  April  19,  1917.     The 

*Summarized  from  data  received  from  Major-General  L.  W.  T.  Waller,  U.  S.  M.  C,  Colonel 
William  B.  Lemly,  U.  S.  M.  C.  and  the  Historical  Section,  U.  S.  M.  C. 


333 


Photo  by  Keplogle. 


Mess  Hall,  Marine  Barracks,  December,  1918. 


camp  was  located  at  the  Barracks  reservation  and  was  opened  with  approximately 
180  recruits,  this  number,  however,  steadily  increased  until,  during  June,  1917,  the 
maximum  of  1,700  recruits  was  reached.  The  maximum  capacity  of  the  Depot 
was  1,500  men.  During  the  period  that  the  Depot  was  in  operation  approximately 
5,000  recruits  passed  through,  receiving  their  preliminary  training  there.  During 
the  war  the  training  period  of  a  recruit  covered  seven  weeks,  including  target 
practice,  averaging  about  5}A  hours  of  training  per  day.  The  Depot  was  dis- 
continued about  September  1,  1917,  and  during  the  five  months  of  its  operation 
was  noted  for  the  excellent  discipline  maintained,  there  being  but  thirteen  offenses 
committed  during  this  time. 

The  First  Advanced  Base  Force  was  organized  in  the  latter  part  of  1912,  and  it 
gradually  developed  until  it  reached  its  present  high  standard.  It  took  part  in 
the  occupation  of  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico  in  1914,  and  in  the  occupation  and  pacifica- 
tion of  Haiti  and  Santo  Domingo  in  1915  and  1916,  respectively. 

Field  telephone  and  wireless  outfits,  mine  planting  and  field  signal  service 
are  important  branches  of  the  advance  base  training  given  to  United  States  Marines 
in  the  Advanced  Base  Force. 

Marines  attached  to  the  1st  Regiment  are  coached  in  all  branches  of  advanced 
base  work.  This  work  is  distinctive  in  many  respects  from  the  regular  expedi- 
tionary duties  undertaken  by  the  Marines  from  time  to  time.  An  advanced  base 
may  be  permanent  or  temporary,  advanced  or  on  the  line  of  communications,  at 

334 


home  or  at  a  naval  base  elsewhere.  Its  work  is  the  establishment  and  holding  of 
a  certain  base,  situated  at  a  coastal  point. 

The  Marines  at  Philadelphia  during  the  World  War,  who  were  available  for 
advanced  base  duty  in  connection  with  the  Atlantic  Fleet,  were  trained  especially 
for  that  duty.  It  is  true  that  our  expeditionary  forces  have  accompanied  the  ad- 
vanced base  regiment  on  sundry  expeditions  in  the  past,  and  have  carried  out 
operations  in  which  both  forces  joined. 

However,  the  work  of  the  advanced  base,  according  to  military  authorities, 
includes  heavy  and  light  artillery,  engineering,  signaling  and  mining  forces,  but 
not  necessarily  large  bodies  of  infantry.  Moreover,  they  are  subject  to  call  at 
a  moment's  notice  to  perform  operations  under  the  direct  command  of  the 
Commanding  Officer  of  the  Fleet. 

During  the  working  day  at  the  barracks  during  the  World  War  one  saw  more 
of  the  workmanlike  dungaree  than  the  regulation  khaki  or  winterfield.  Outside 
of  hours  for  drills,  the  majority  of  Marines  wore  those  rough-and-ready  working 
clothes  and  fell  in  for  mess  without  changing  garments. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  departments  of  the  advanced  base  was  the  "  search- 
light outfit. "  All  of  the  apparatus,  including  the  searchlights  and  the  dynamos  for 
their  operation,  were  carried  on  huge  trucks.  The  searchlights  were  mounted  on 
platforms  fitted  with  pneumatic-tired  wheels,  and  were  lowered  to  the  ground  on 
rails,  inclined  from  the  platforms  of  the  trucks.  They  carried  several  hundred 
feet  of  cable  that  permitted  the  light  to  be  stationed  and  operated  at  points  in- 
accessible to  the  large  trucks. 

The  field  telephone  was  different  from  the  old  single-line  affair  and,  by  the  aid 
of  a  switchboard,  the  operators  were  able  to  maintain  communications  with  several 


University  of  Pennsylvania  Marine  Recruits  leaving  for  Marine  Base  at  Paris  Island. 

335 


Ill'lll' 
fllllll 


•      »«»•'»  "IHI  Mill.  ,.<  I.I  .i,,,,,..^,, 

IBBajilftfillfcf 


"T 


Marines  in  front  of  Marine  Barracks  at  League  Island. 

different  points.  The  linemen,  too,  were  experts  in  their  business.  One  of  them 
performed  a  lot  of  stunts  while  swinging  from  a  telegraph  pole,  and  completed  the 
exhibition  by  coming  down  the  pole  head  foremost. 

The  wireless,  or  field  radio,  was  equally  up-to-the-minute.  The  Marines 
carried  their  apparatus  out  on  the  field,  connected  up  the  pole,  ran  out  the  wires 
(or  antennae)  and  were  ready  to  operate  within  a  few  minutes.  There  were  also 
mine  planters,  artillerymen,  engineers  and  other  specialists  in  advanced  base  work. 

The  old  Philadelphia  Barracks  and  Navy  Yard  changed  with  the  times.  Dur- 
ing the  World  War  there  were  three  brick  barracks  where  formerly  there  was  only 
one.  The  old  wooden  barracks  to  the  rear  were  occupied  by  "rookie"  sailors,  large 
numbers  of  whom  were  in  training  at  that  station. 

Major-General  Littleton  W.  T.  Waller  was  in  command  of  the  Advanced  Base 
Force  during  the  entire  war,  with  Headquarters  at  No.  210  South  13th  Street,  Phila- 
delphia. General  Waller's  staff  consisted  of  the  following  officers:  Adjutant- 
General,  Colonel  Louis  J.  Magill;  Paymasters,  Colonel  William  G.  Powell,  Cap- 
tain S.  F.  Birthright;  Quartermaster,  Captain  W.  C.  Barnaby;  Aides:  Captain 
0.  R.  Cauldwell,  Captain  Maurice  G.  Holmes,  Lieutenant  William  Herbert  Derby- 
shire, Captain  Wethered  Woodworth,  Lieutenant  Andrew  L.  W.  Gordon,  and 
Lieutenant  George  Bower. 

The  Signal  Battalion  was  one  of  the  largest  and  most  interesting  of  the  Units 
of  the  Advanced  Base  Force.  At  the  beginning  of  the  war,  the  old  Third  Company, 
at  the  Navy  Yard,  Philadelphia,  represented  the  total  number  of  signalmen  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  Marine  Corps.  With  the  commencement  of  the  recruiting 
campaign,  the  force  was  quickly  developed  and  the  company  so  increased  that  it 
had  to  be  divided  and  another  company,  the  87th,  created.  Further  recruiting 
eventually  led  to  the  formation  of  six  companies  in  all,  the  3d,  87th,  100th,  147th, 
148th  and  158th.     These  companies  were  organized  into  a  battalion  under  the  com- 

336 


mand  of  Major  James  J.  Meade,  U.  S.  M.  C,  which  was  charged  with  a  course  of 
training  of  the  most  thorough  and  intensive  character;  this  training  was  accom- 
plished at  the  Navy  Yard,  Philadelphia  and  during  the  period  June  19  to  November 
7,  1918,  at  Camp  Edward  C.  Fuller,  at  Paoli,  Pa.  The  battalion  was  extremely 
fortunate  in  the  site  chosen  for  its  work,  its  camp,  known  as  Camp  Edward  C. 
Fuller,  which  was  maintained  through  the  summer  season  of  1918,  at  Paoli,  Pa., 
offering  all  the  necessary  advantages  for  work  of  this  particular  kind.  The  people 
living  in  the  neighborhood  were  helpful  in  every  way,  giving  the  battalion  the 
advantages  of  their  beautiful  homes  and  estates,  so  that  the  whole  region  was  at 
the  service  of  the  battalion  for  their  maneuvers.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  was  on  hand 
from  the  day  the  men  arrived  in  camp  and  a  secretary  was  placed  in  charge  of 
the  work. 

The  Signal  Battalion,  as  an  organization,  was  not  privileged  to  reach  the  battle 
lines,  to  the  very  deep  regret  of  its  members  and  those  who  had  had  the  duty  of 


Fifth  Regiment,  U.  S.  Marines,  leaving  for  France. 

training  it,  but  many  men  were  taken  from  its  ranks  and  attached  to  nearly  every 
expeditionary  force  that  went  abroad.  The  needs  of  the  entire  Marine  Corps 
for  signalmen  were  supplied  from  this  battalion.  The  5th  Regiment  of  Marines, 
which  made  its  imperishable  fame  at  Belleau  Wood,  took  its  signalmen  contingent 
from  this  battalion  and  these  men  had  their  full  share  in  the  world  famous  work 
of  that  historic  unit.  The  battalion  also  furnished  signal  detachments  to  various 
other  organizations  that  went  to  France,  including  the  6th,  11th  and  13th  Regi- 
ments, and  other  detachments  went  to  tropical  expeditionary  forces. 

From  July  11,  1798,  when  the  Marine  Corps  was  authorized  in  its  present 
form  by  Congress,  the  Depot  of  Supplies,  or  a  corresponding  organization,  has  been 
continuously  located  in  Philadelphia,  and  it  was  Captain  Franklin  Wharton,  a 
noted  Philadelphian  and  later  Commandant  of  the  Marine  Corps,  who  was  the 
officer  first  placed  in  charge  of  this  important  post. 

During  the  World  War,  Brigadier  General  Cyrus  S.  Radford,  was  in  command 
of  the  Depot  of  Supplies,  located  at  No.  1100  South  Broad  Street,  Philadelphia. 

337 


General  Radford  was  decorated  by  three  different  nations  for  distinguished  service, 
receiving  the  Navy  Cross  from  his  own  country,  the  Medaille  Militaire  from  the 
Republic  of  Haiti,  and  from  the  Republic  of  Cuba  the  First  Class  Military  Merit 
Medal.  The  following  officers  served  at  the  Depot  of  Supplies  for  all  or  part  of 
the  period  of  the  World  War:  Major  Norman  G.  Rurton,  Major  Edward  H.  Conger, 
Major  William  J.  Crosson,  Captain  Rudolph  C.  Rasmussen,  Captain  William 
L.  Riley,  Captain  Walter  Wooding,  First  Lieutenant  Claude  T.  Lytle,  First  Lieu- 
tenant William  L.  York,  Second  Lieutenants  Napoleon  L.  Rourret,  Charles  P.  Hill, 
Patrick  H.  Kelly,  Josephus  Daniels,  Jr.,  Charles  H.  Lovett,  Allen  G.  Williams, 
Marine  Gunner  William  A.  Fragner,  and  the  following  Quartermaster  Clerks, 
William  E.  Quaster,  Robert  Falconer,  Russel  S.  Garland,  Charles  W.  Griesing, 
Rarney  W.  Johnson,  Charles  F.  Shisler,  William  M.  Wellemeyer  and  Joseph  S. 
King. 

During  the  period  of  the  war  the  Depot  outfitted  and  equipped  thirty-six 
expeditionary  units  for  service  in  France  and  the  West  Indies,  and  over  31,000,000 
pounds  of  various  kinds  of  supplies  were  shipped  on  Government  bills  of  lading. 
The  Depot  departments  were  so  organized  that  it  was  only  necessary  to  expand 
each  division  of  the  office  forces  and  increase  the  number  of  employes  and  machines 
in  the  manufacturing  departments  in  order  to  meet  the  increased  demands  during 
the  war.  The  personnel  of  the  Depot  on  June  30,  1919,  was  as  follows:  thirteen 
commissioned  officers,  seven  warrant  officers,  two  civilians,  102  enlisted  men  of 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley  Oo.   of   America. 

Marine  Veteran  greets  wounded  Marines. 
338 


the  regular  service,  twenty-one  reservists  and  1,095  other  employes  of  all  classes, 
making  a  total  personnel  of  1,240. 

During  the  period  of  the  World  War  there  were  enlisted  at  the  recruiting 
offices  in  Philadelphia  and  the  surrounding  towns  4,110  men.  Many  of  these 
Marines  served  in  France  and  in  actual  battle  against  the  Germans. 

The  first  organization  of  Marines  to  leave  the  United  States  for  service  in 
France  during  the  World  War  was  the  5th  Regiment,  and  it  was  organized  on  June 
7,  1917,  at  the  Marine  Barracks,  Navy  Yard,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  This  regiment 
consisting  of  seventy  officers  and  2,689  enlisted  men,  approximately  one-sixth 
of  the  entire  enlisted  strength  of  the  Marine  Corps,  sailed  from  the  United  States 
on  June  14,  1917,  forming  one-fifth  of  the  first  expedition  of  American  troops 
to  France.     Many  Philadelphians  were  a  part  of  this  regiment. 

Between  April  6,  1917,  and  November  11, 1918,  there  was  a  total  of  331  officers 
and  13,593  enlisted  men  sailing  from  Philadelphia  on  board  the  following  vessels 
for  service  overseas: 

Henderson 146  officers  7,266  enlisted  men 

De  Kalb 85  officers  2,821  enlisted  men 

Von  Steuben 50  officers  2,041  enlisted  men 

Hancock 37  officers  999  enlisted  men 

St.  Louis 9  officers  346  enlisted  men 

Newport  News 4  officers  120  enlisted  men 


Total 331  officers  13,593  enlisted  men 

Three  Marine  officers  and  fifty  other  Marines  from  Philadelphia  died  overseas. 

That  Philadelphia  Marines  performed  their  share  of  heroism  during  the 
war  is  evidenced  by  the  award  to  those  who  claim  Philadelphia  as  their  residence 
of  one  Distinguished  Service  Medal,  five  Distinguished  Service  Crosses,  ten 
Navy  Crosses,  and  twenty-nine  Croix  de  Guerre. 

Major  Pere  Wilmer  was  awarded  a  Croix  de  Guerre  and  a  Navy  Cross  for  "exceptionally 
meritorious  and  distinguished  service  as  Battalion  Commander,  2d  Battalion,  6th  Regiment.  At 
the  attack  of  the  19th  of  July,  1918,  near  Vierzy,  he  showed  great  courage  and  an  utter  disregard 
of  danger  in  crossing  with  his  battalion  an  exposed  terrain  for  a  distance  of  three  kilometers  under 
intense  artillery  and  machine  gun  fire.  He  led  his  men  on  by  his  example."  "On  June  6,  1918, 
be  displayed  remarkable  courage  and  coolness  under  violent  artillery  and  machine  gun  fire,  giving 
fine  example  to  men  placed  under  his  orders,  many  times  exposing  himself  to  the  bombardment 
of  the  enemy  in  order  to  discover  machine  gun  emplacements. " 

Captain  John  Henry  Fay  was  awarded  the  Navy  Cross  and  the  Distinguished  Service  Cross 
while  serving  with  the  5th  Marines.  "At  Chateau-Thierry,  France,  on  June  6,  1918,  he  displayed 
extraordinary  heroism  in  the  disposition  of  his  machine  guns  under  particularly  difficult  conditions 
opposed  by  superior  forces;  his  utter  indifference  to  personal  danger  furnished  an  example  which 
inspired  his  men  to  success." 

Captain  Frederick  C.  Wheeler,  for  service  with  the  6th  Marines,  was  awarded  a  Croix  de 
Guerre,  Navy  Cross  and  Distinguished  Service  Cross.  "On  June  5,  1918,  near  Bouresches,  he  was 
conspicuous  for  bis  bravery  in  remaining  in  action  although  twice  wounded,  refusing  to  be  evacuated 
until  wounded  a  third  time,  and  then  endeavoring  to  return  to  his  command."  Captain  Wheeler 
was  also  cited  for  bravery  on  July  19,  1918. 

First  Lieutenant  William  Paul  Henchel,  for  service  with  the  6th  Machine  Gun  Battalion  of 
Marines,  was  awarded  the  Croix  de  Guerre.  "During  the  combats  of  July  19,  1918,  near  Vierzy, 
be  displayed  absolute  courage  and  devotion,  charged  with  supporting  a  nearby  regiment  he  followed 
the  attack  under  violent  artillery  and  machine  gun  fire,  encouraging  his  men  and  giving  them  an 
excellent  example  of  coolness  under  most  difficult  circumstances." 

339 


First  Lieutenant  Robert  C.  Pitts  was  awarded  the  Croix  de  Guerre  and  Navy  Cross  "for 
attacking  enemy  out  of  his  sector,  June  6  to  9, 1918,  thereby  assisting  the  116th  Infantry  of  France. " 

First  Lieutenant  Carl  Robertson  Dietrich  served  on  the  staff  of  Rrigadier  General  Wendell 
C.  Neville,  participating  in  every  engagement  in  which  the  5th  Marines  took  part,  was  awarded 
the  Croix  de  Guerre  and  the  Navy  Cross.  "On  June  11,  1918,  in  Belleau  Wood,  under  ex- 
tremely violent  artillery  and  machine  gun  fire,  he  demonstrated  remarkable  courage  and  inde- 
fatigable energy,  and  conducted  himself  in  a  manner  worthy  of  praise  in  the  incessant  execution 
of  his  duties." 

Second  Lieutenant  Thomas  H.  Miles,  while  serving  with  the  5th  Marines,  was  awarded  the 
Distinguished  Service  Cross  and  Navy  Cross.  "Killed  in  action  at  Chateau-Thierry,  France, 
June  6,  1918,  he  gave  the  supreme  proof  of  that  extraordinary  heroism  which  will  serve  as  an  ex- 
ample to  hitherto  untried  troops. " 

Second  Lieutenant  Henry  P.  Glendinning,  while  serving  with  the  5th  Marines,  was  awarded 
the  Croix  de  Guerre  and  the  Navy  Cross.  "On  the  3d  and  4th  of  October,  1918,  in  the  region 
of  Mont  Blanc,  under  a  violent  bombardment,  he  showed  fine  qualities  as  a  commander  as  well 
as  remarkable  courage  and  an  absolute  contempt  for  danger.  Directed  the  advance  of  his  men, 
assuring  himself  personally  of  the  prompt  evacuation  of  the  wounded. " 

Second  Lieutenant  Frank  Nelms,  Jr.,  was  awarded  a  Distinguished  Service  Medal  (Navy) 
"for  extraordinary  heroism  as  a  pilot  in  the  1st  Marine  Aviation  at  the  front  in  France;  on  Septem- 
ber 28,  1918,  while  on  an  air  raid  in  enemy  territory,  he  was  attacked  by  a  superior  number  of 
enemy  scouts  and  is  believed  to  have  destroyed  an  enemy  plane.  On  October  2,  1918,  he  flew 
over  besieged  French  troops  who  were  cut  off  from  supplies  for  two  days,  and  at  100  feet  altitude 
dropped  food  to  them,  each  time  under  intense  fire  from  rifles,  machine  guns  and  artillery  on  the 
ground;  he  repeated  this  performance  three  times." 

Marine  Gunner  Thomas  Quigley  was  awarded  a  Croix  de  Guerre  while  serving  with  the 
5th  Marines.  "On  October  4,  1918,  near  St.  Etienne  a  Ames,  he  proved  himself  of  exceptional 
courage  under  the  fire  of  enemy  artillery  and  machine  guns;  during  the  attack  aroused  the  ardor 
of  his  men.     He  was  seriously  wounded  during  the  action. " 

Sergeant  Thomas  Roberts  Reath,  while  serving  with  the  5th  Marines,  was  awarded  the  Navy 
Cross.  "On  June  8th,  in  Belleau  Wood,  Sergeant  Reath  volunteered  to  take  an  important  message 
from  his  company  to  the  battalion.  The  enemy  were  laying  down  a  heavy  barrage  and  machine 
gun  fire  and  the  delivery  of  the  message  involved  passing  over  a  stretch  of  exposed  ground.  In 
the  performance  of  this  duty,  voluntarily  assumed,  Sergeant  Reath  was  killed. " 

Corporal  Edward  Howard  Haws  was  awarded  the  Croix  de  Guerre,  Navy  Cross  and  Distin- 
guished Service  Cross.  "For  extraordinary  heroism  in  action  near  Mont  Blanc,  October  2  to  9, 
1918,  throughout  eight  days  of  fighting  he  fearlessly  and  tirelessly  carried  messages  between  his 
company  and  battalion  headquarters  through  heavy  machine  gun  and  artillery  fire." 

Corporal  Charles  Wilmer  Hewitt,  Jr.,  was  awarded  the  Navy  Cross  and  Distinguished  Service 
Cross.  "Killed  in  action  at  Chateau-Thierry,  June  6th,  he  gave  the  supreme  proof  of  that  ex- 
traordinary heroism  which  will  serve  as  an  example  to  hitherto  untried  troops. " 

Private  Roy  Hobson  Simpson,  while  serving  with  the  5th  Marines,  was  awarded  the  Navj 
Cross  and  the  Distinguished  Service  Cross.  "For  extraordinary  heroism  in  action  in  the  attack 
on  Bois  de  Belleau,  June  12th;  he  carried  a  message  from  battalion  to  company  headquarters 
directly  across  the  face  of  the  enemy  fire.  Shot  through  the  chest,  he  continued  running  and  called 
out,  T  must  deliver  this  message,'  struggling  forward  for  50  feet  more  before  falling  in  his  heroic 
effort  to  carry  out  his  mission. " 

The  Croix  de  Guerre  was  also  awarded  to: 

Second  Lieutenant  Cornelius  McFadden,  Jr.,  6th  Marines. 

Sergeant  William  H.  Bulman,  5th  Marines.     Died  of  wounds  received  in  action,  7-30-17. 

Sergeant  Langdon  Austin  Cook,  6th  Marines. 

Sergeant  Frank  Gray,  5th  Marines. 

Sergeant  Thomas  James  Kelly,  6th  Marines. 

Sergeant  John  Stapleton,  5th  Marines. 

Corporal  William  Feaster,  5th  Marines. 

Corporal  Edward  Russell  Quay,  6th  Marines. 

Private,  First  Class,  Edward  Harry  Riffert,  5th  Marines. 

340 


Trumpeter  James  Louis  Toner,  5th  Marines. 

Private  Edward  Dorsey,  5th  Marines.     Killed  in  action,  10-5-18. 

Private  Charles  Theodore  Alton,  5th  Marines. 

Private  Elwood  Francis  Engle,  5th  Marines. 

Private  William  M.  E.  Hess,  6th  Marines. 

Private  Milton  Ernst  Horn,  5th  Marines. 

Private  Daniel  Joseph  Littley,  5th  Marines. 

Private  Walter  Morris,  5th  Marines. 

Private  Jack  Pierce,  5th  Marines. 

Private  Warren  Morgan  Piatt,  6th  Marines. 

Private  Joseph  Francis  Quinn,  5th  Marines.     Died  of  wounds,  10-4-18. 

Private  Morris  Robert  Unckel,  5th  Marines. 

Private  William  Edward  Wampler,  6th  Marines. 

Among  other  of  the  many  Marine  officers  not  mentioned  above  who  were  from 
Philadelphia,  and  who  served  with  credit  in  the  Marine  Corps  during  the  war,  are 
the  following: 

Major  General  William  P.  Biddle  (retired),  recalled  to  active  service,  performed  duty  as 
President  of  a  General  Court-Martial  Board  at  San  Diego,  Cal.,  from  May  20,  1918,  to  May 
24,  1919,  when  he  returned  to  the  retired  list. 

Lieutenant  Colonel  William  L.  Redles,  awarded  Diploma  of  the  4th  Class,  Order  of  the 
Rising  Sun,  by  the  Emperor  of  Japan,  "  as  an  expression  of  his  benevolence  for  the  excellent  service 
performed  by  him  for  the  Empire  of  Japan  while  assistant  naval  attache  to  the  American  Em- 
bassy at  Tokyo  during  the  World  War. " 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Hamilton  D.  South  served  as  Commanding  Officer  of  the  Marine  De- 
tachment, American  Legation,  Managua,  Nicaragua,  from  the  begining  of  the  war  until  April  16, 
1918,  and  as  officer  in  charge  of  the  Marine  Officers'  Training  Camp  at  Quantico,  Va.,  from  May 
23,  1918,  to  the  end  of  the  war. 

Major  Clayton  B.  Vogel  during  the  period  of  the  war  served  as  an  Inspector  in  the  Haitian 
Gendarmerie  in  Haiti. 

Major  Edwin  N.  McClellan  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  was  in  command  of  the  Marine  Guard 
of  the  U.  S.  S.  Arizona  of  the  Atlantic  Fleet,  and  on  December  29,  1917,  was  transferred  to  the 
U.  S.  S.  Minnesota  as  Aide  to  Vice- Admiral  Albert  W.  Grant,  Commander,  Battleship  Force  One, 
Atlantic  Fleet,  and  in  command  of  the  Marine  Regiment  in  that  Force.  Major  McClellan  received 
the  following  letter  of  commendation  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  which  is  authority  for  him 
to  wear  a  silver  star  in  his  Victory  Medal:  "As  Aide  to  Commander,  Battleship  Force  One,  Force 
Marine  and  Discipline  Officer,  performed  distinguished  services  and  rendered  unusual  assistance 
in  connection  with  inspections,  communications,  legal  work  and  other  staff  duties;  and  in  command 
of  the  Force  Marine  Regiment.  While  serving  on  the  Minnesota,  when  that  flagship  was  mined 
by  the  Germans,  September  29,  1918,  his  services,  among  others,  were  such  as  to  cause  the  Board 
of  Investigation  to  express  the  opinion  that  officers  and  crew  deserved  the  highest  praise  for  the 
manner  in  which  the  ship  was  handled  after  the  explosion,  for  maintaining  order,  for  localizing 
the  injury  to  the  ship,  and  for  successfully  navigating  her  to  port. "  The  Commander,  Battleship 
Force  One,  Atlantic  Fleet,  recommended  Major  McClellan  for  the  Navy  Cross  on  the  following 
citation:  "For  distinguished  service  in  the  line  of  his  profession  while  Aide  to  Commander  Battle- 
ship Force  One,  and  Discipline  Officer,  having  direct  charge  of  all  legal  work,  courts  and  proceedings 
pertaining  to  Naval  Administration  of  the  Force.  The  percentage  of  trials  by  General  Court- 
Martial  in  Battleship  Force  One  was  about  four-tenths  of  one  per  cent,  or  one  trial  for  every  four 
hundred  men  in  the  force.  As  evidenced  by  this  extremely  low  percentage,  the  maintenance  of 
discipline  without  resort  to  such  trials  is  a  mark  of  the  efficiency  of  the  Force  Discipline  Officer. 
It  was  largely  through  Major  McClellan's  efforts  that  the  number  of  prisoners  serving  sentences 
at  Naval  Prisons  on  shore  was  reduced."  Major  McClellan  also  served  with  the  A.  E.  F.  in 
command  of  the  Ninth  Separate  Battalion,  and  on  a  second  tour  of  duty  abroad  served  with 
the  Historical  Section,  G.  H.  Q.,  at  Chaumont  and  with  the  Fourth  Brigade  of  Marines  in 
Germany. 

Major  Harold  F.  Wirgman  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  was  Marine  Officer  on  the  U.  S.  S. 
Pennsylvania,  and  on  August  14, 1918,  was  transferred  to  the  U.  S.  S.  New  Mexico,  where  he  served 

341 


as  Force  Marine  Officer,  Battleship  Force  Two,  and  aide  on  stafF  of  Force  Commander,  until  Sep- 
tember 4,  1918,  when  he  served  as  Division  Marine  Officer,  Division  8,  Atlantic  Fleet  and  aide  to 
Division  Commander  until  the  end  of  the  war.  On  October  14,  1919,  aboard  the  New  Mexico, 
His  Majesty  the  King  of  the  Belgians,  conferred  the  decoration  of  "Officer  of  the  Order  of  Leopold 
II"  upon  Major  Wirgman,  stating  that  the  decoration  was  conferred  by  his  Government  in  recog- 
nizance of  the  invaluable  services  to  the  Allied  cause  rendered  by  the  United  States  Navy  during 
the  war  with  Germany. 

Major  Samuel  P.  Budd  served  with  the  2d  Brigade  U.  S.  Marines  in  Santo  Domingo  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  war  until  June  3,  1917,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the  10th  Begiment  at  Quantico, 
Va.,  where  he  remained  to  the  end  of  the  war. 

Major  A.  J.  Drexel  Biddle  served  with  Headquarters,  Advanced  Base  Force,  Philadelphia, 
at  Paris  Island,  S.  C,  and  at  Quantico,  Va.  Major  Biddle  was  on  temporary  duty  in  Europe  from 
March  11,  1918,  to  June  4,  1918,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  information  concerning  the  training 
of  troops  for  service  in  the  war  zone. 

Major  B.  B.  Hogan  was  stationed  at  the  Navy  Yard,  Philadelphia,  in  command  of  the  Engineer 
Unit  of  the  Advanced  Base  Force.  In  June,  1918,  he  took  the  2d  Casual- Beplacement  Battalion 
to  France  and  returned  to  Philadelphia  in  October,  1918,  to  organize  a  full  regiment  of  engineers. 

Captain  Miles  B.  Thacher  served  at  Paris  Island,  S.  C,  at  Quantico,  Va.,  and  with  the 
American  Expeditionary  Force  in  France. 

Captain  Maurice  S.  Berry  commanded  the  Marine  Guard  on  U.  S.  S.  Wilmington,  on  the 
Asiatic  station;  was  transferred  to  Marine  Barracks,  Olongapo,  P.  I.,  and  then  to  Quantico,  Va. 
He  served  with  the  A.  E.  F.  in  France  also. 

Captain  Louis  E.  Fagan  was  with  the  Haitian  Gendarmerie  at  the  beginning  of  the  war. 
After  transfers  to  Washington,  D.  C,  to  U.  S.  S.  Rhode  Island  and  to  Quantico,  Va.,  he  joined 
the  5th  Marines  in  France  and  participated  in  the  Meuse-Argonne  offensive. 

Captain  John  H.  Craige  sailed  for  France  with  the  11th  Marines  as  Begimental  Adjutant 
and  Intelligence  Officer.  After  the  armistice,  he  was  appointed  Athletic  Officer  of  the  Tours 
District  in  the  Service  of  Supplies.  While  the  4th  Brigade  of  Marines  was  stationed  in  Ger- 
many, Captain  Craige  was  attached  to  it  on  special  temporary  duty. 

Captain  David  H.  Miller  served  with  the  Haitian  Constabulary  until  October  18,  1917, 
when  he  was  transferred  to  Marine  Barracks,  Norfolk,  Va.,  where  he  remained  until  November  9, 
1917,  when  he  joined  the  U.  S.  S.  Florida  as  Marine  Officer;  he  was  transferred  to  the  U.  S.  S.  Seattle 
as  Marine  Officer,  on  November  16, 1917,  and  remained  on  that  vessel  during  the  remainder  of  the  war. 

Second  Lieutenant  Errol  White  went  to  France  with  the  First  Expeditionary  Force,  serving 
with  the  5th  Marines,  participating  with  them  in  the  St.  Mihiel  offensive. 


PHILADELPHIA'S    U.  S.  M.  C.   HONOR    ROLL 
Three  Marine  officers  and  fifty  other  Marines  from  Philadelphia,  died  overseas: 


Arnott,  James  Barnes 
Atkins,  Harold  Dewey 
Berman,  Benjamin 
Black,  William  B. 
Bulman,  William  H. 
Cabell,  Edward  Elvin 
Corbin,  Francis  Bernard 
Cummings,  Brinton  Smith 
Devlin,  Bernard  Joseph 
Dorsey,  Edward 
Dorsey,  Howard  Swier 
Dowling,  Joseph  Edward 
Farrell,  Joseph 
Given,  Baymond  Newlin 
Gravener,  John  Nelson 
Green,  Charles  Naylor 
Hartley,  Paul  Francis 
Hauberry,  Joseph  Henry 


Hausler,  Walter  Anthony 
Hewitt,  Charles  Wilmer,  Jr. 
Jones,  Felix  William 
Lacey,  William  Joseph 
Lewis,  Wheatley  Dale 
Logue,  Frank  C. 
Lowe,  John  William,  Jr. 
Mcllhenney,  G.  V. 
McMenamy,  Charles 
Mahrer,  William  John 
Mautz,  Charles  Henry 
Miles,  Thomas  H.,  Jr. 
Napp,  Jack 

Osborne,  Vivian  Nickalls 
Paul  Andrew  Stanton 
Quinn,  Joseph  Francis 
Beath,  Thomas  Boberts 
Beichert,  H.  D.  W. 


Bowan,  Bernard  John 
Bubinson,  Harry 
Budd,  Frederick  Ashton 
Sacks,  Howard 
Seifert,  Julian  Henry 
Souder,  Herbert  Hibbs 
Spearing,  Walter  Joseph 
Stanton,  Paul  Andrew 
Stirling,  Hugh  Alexander 
Sustin,  Benjamin 
Taunt,  Clarence 
Taylor,  Corwin  Blessing 
Thorn,  Baymond  Stacy 
Titus,  Charles  Warton 
Willis,  George  Thomas 
Wolfkill,  Frank  Earnest 
Zinnel,  Walter  Joseph 


342 


PENNSYLVANIA  COMMISSION  OF  PUBLIC  SAFETY  AND 

DEFENSE 

Hon.  William  C.  Sproul,  Chairman 
Hon.  Frank  B.  McClain,  Treasurer 
Hon.  Edward  E.  Beidleman 
Hon.  Harmon  M.  Kephart 
Hon.  Charles  A.  Snyder 
Adjutant  General  Frank  D.  Beary 

PENNSYLVANIA  COUNCIL  OF  NATIONAL  DEFENSE 

George  Wharton  Pepper,  Chairman 
Lewis  E.  Beitler,  Secretary 
Effingham  B.  Morris,  Treasurer 
Lewis  S.  Sadler,  Executive  Manager 

Executive   Committee 
E.  M.  C.  Africa,  W.  W.  Atterbury,  Captain  C.  W.  Brown,  A.  C.  Dinkey,  Spencer  C.  Gilbert, 
H.  J.  Hayden,  J.  B.  McAllister,  Dr.  S.  B.  McCormick,  Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin,  A.  W.  Mellon, 
E.  B.  Morris,  Arthur  E.  Newbold,  Allen  P.  Perley,  A.  C.  Bobinson,  James  Scarlet,  A.  W.  Sewall, 
E.  T.  Stotesbury,  Col.  L.  A.  Watres. 

When  a  history  is  written  of  Pennsylvania's  part  in  winning  the  war,  the  chap- 
ters devoted  to  civilian  activities  will  be  largely  a  recital  of  the  work  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Council  of  National  Defense,  the  headquarters  of  which  were  in  the 
Finance  Building,  Philadelphia. 

This  war  emergency  body,  originally  known  as  the  Committee  of  Public 
Safety  for  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania,  was  created  in  March,  1917,  by 
appointment  of  the  Governor,  to  mobilize  and  conserve  the  civil  resources  of  the 
State  for  the  benefit  of  the  Federal  war  program.  Some  300  prominent  citizens 
were  named  to  inaugurate  the  work.  Successive  appointments  soon  increased 
the  membership  until  the  Council  became  the  largest  public  organization  ever 
created  in  Pennsylvania,  with  a  roster  of  15,000  representative,  influential  civilians 
whose  services  were  given  voluntarily  as  required  to  help  the  nation  win  the  war. 

Federal  authority  was  early  vested  in  the  Council,  through  which  it  became 
the  medium  for  the  conduct  of  practically  all  of  the  national  war  policies,  so  far 
as  they  applied  to  Pennsylvania.  The  State  Legislature  promptly  provided  a  war 
work  fund  of  $2,000,000,  control  of  which  was  assigned  to  the  Pennsylvania  Com- 
mission of  Public  Safety  and  Defense,  composed  of  the  Governor,  Lieutenant 
Governor,  Auditor  General,  Adjutant  General  and  State  Treasurer.  The  Council 
(at  that  time  the  Committee  of  Public  Safety)  became  the  functioning  arm  of  this 
Commission,  and  its  numerous  war  emergency  undertakings  were  approved  and 
financed  to  total  appropriations  of  more  than  $1,000,000. 

To  review  the  comprehensive  work  of  the  Council  would  be  to  enumerate 
almost  all  of  the  noteworthy  war-time  achievements  of  the  State.  Its  far-reaching 
program  gradually  led  to  an  assimilation  of  all  of  the  important  civilian  service 
essential  to  successful  prosecution  of  the  war.  The  conduct  of  its  work  repre- 
sented a  concentration  of  effort  not  paralleled  at  any  other  time  in  Pennsylvania's 

343 


history  and  probably  unexcelled  by  any  other  State  mobilization  of  potential 
resources.  Splendid  as  were  its  physical  accomplishments,  perhaps  the  greatest 
service  rendered  by  the  Council  was  its  fusing  of  the  patriotic  endeavor  of  all  creeds 
and  classes  into  a  singleness  and  unanimity  of  purpose — that  purpose  a  fixed  and 
unselfish  resolve  to  spare  no  effort  and  to  shirk  no  duty  that  would  help  to  win  the 
war.  Never  before  in  Pennsylvania  has  this  unanimity  of  public  aim  been  achieved. 
The  Council  was  able  to  bring  about  this  result  because  of  its  State-wide  organiza- 
tion and  its  solitary  objective — success  of  the  national  war  program. 

Much  of  the  work  undertaken  was  of  a  constructive  character,  and  its  value 
was  so  apparent  that  some  features  were  continued  after  the  general  activities  of  the 

Council  were  terminated.  Among  these 
were:  Americanization;  work  for  the 
foreign-born;  Food  Supply  and  Food 
Conservation  work;  Employment  Ser- 
vice and  Child  Welfare  activities. 

The  work  of  the  Council  was  con- 
ducted under  a  plan  which  concentrated 
all  activities  in  five  divisions,  with 
appropriate  separate  departments,  all 
under  central  executive  control. 

Major  divisions  directing  activities 
were:  Administration:  which  included 
the  Departments  of  Finance,  Publicity, 
Legislation  and  Legal  Advisory   De- 
partment; Relief:    including  the 
Departments  of  Medicine,  Sanitation 
and     Hospitals    and     Civic     Relief; 
Equipment    and    Supplies,    with    the 
Departments   of  Food   Supply,   Con- 
struction and  Materials,  and  Highways 
Transport   Committee;    Service:  with 
the  Departments  of  Civilian  Service 
and  Labor,  Military  Service,  Naval  Service,  and  Volunteer  Home  Defense  Police ; 
Transportation:   with    the    Departments  of  Railroads,    Electric    Railways    and 
Motors,  and  Highways  and  Waterways. 

The  Council,  therefore,  had  a  working  scope  covering  practically  every  field 
of  useful  endeavor. 

The  Directors,  Chairmen  and  Chiefs  of  the  several  Departments,  Committees 
and  Bureaus,  included: 

Finance — Director,  Arthur  E.  Newbold. 

Publicity  and  Education — Director,  Dr.  William  McClellan;  Chief  of  Bureau  of  Publicity, 
Herman  L.  Collins;  Chief  of  Speakers'  Bureau,  Benjamin  H.  Ludlow;  Chief  of  Liberty  Sing  Bureau, 
John  F.  Braun;  Chief  of  Bureau  of  Americanization,  E.  E.  Bach;  Chief  of  Bureau  of  War  Charities, 
Sydney  L.  Wright. 

Legislation — Director,  Hon.  Frank  Gunnison. 

Legal  Advisory  Department — Director,  John  Hampton  Barnes. 

Medicine,  Sanitation  and  Hospitals — Director,  Dr.  Hobart  A.  Hare;  Vice-Director,  Charlton 
Yarnall. 

Civic  Relief—  Director,  Col.  Louis  J.  Kolb;  Vice-Director,  Dr.  Samuel  McC.  Hamill. 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.-  Buhler.    Stanley   Co.    of   America. 


344 


Food  Supply — Director,  Howard  Heinz;  Vice-Director,  J.  S.  Crutchfield. 
Construction  and  Materials — Director,  B.   Dawson  Coleman. 
Plants — Director,  George  S.  Davison. 

Highways  Transport  Committee — Director,  David  S.  Ludlum;  Vice-Director,  Gideon  M. 
Stull;  Vice-Director,  J.  Howard  Reber;  Vice-Director,  J.  M.  Murdock. 
Civilian  Service  and  Labor — Director,  Edgar  C.  Felton. 
Military  Service — Director,  T.  DeWitt  Cuyler. 

Naval  Service — Director,  E.  Walter  Clark;  Vice-Director,  David  Newhall. 
Volunteer  Home  Defense  Police — Director,  Lieutenant  Colonel  John  C.  Groome,  U.  S.  A.; 
Acting  Director,  William  S.  Ellis. 

Railroads,  Electric  Railways,  Highways  and  Waterways— Director,  Samuel  Rea;  Vice-Director, 
Agnew  T.  Dice;  Vice-Director,  Thomas  E.  Mitten;  Vice-Director,  Moorhead  C.  Kennedy. 

War  History  Commission — Chairman,  Hon.  William  C.  Sproul;  Vice-Chairman,  John  Bach 
McMaster;  Secretary,  Albert  E.  McKinley. 

Woman's  Committee — Chairman,  Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin. 

V ice-Chairmen:  Mrs.  Anthony  Wayne  Cook,  Mrs.  Ronald  P.  Gleason,  Mrs.  John  C.  Groome, 
Mrs.  Edward  S.  Lindsey,  Miss  Anne  McCormick,  Mrs.  John  0.  Miller,  Mrs.  Louis  Piollet,  Mrs. 
Thomas  Robins,  Mrs.  Edward  T.  Stotesbury,  Mrs.  Helen  Glenn  Tyson. 

Secretary:  Mrs.  H.  S.  Prentiss  Nichols;  Treasurer:  Miss  Helen  Fleisher. 
General  Directors: 

Registration  and  Organization,  Mrs.  Walter  King  Sharpe,  Chambersburg,  Pa. 

Food  Conservation  and  Production,  Mrs.  Charles  M.  Lea,  Philadelphia. 

Associate  Director,  Mrs.  Edith  Ellicott  Smith,  Moorestown,  N.  J. 

Women  in  Industry,  Mrs.  Thomas  Robins,  Philadelphia. 

Child  Welfare,  Miss  Katherine  Tucker,  R.  N.,   Philadelphia. 

Education — Speakers'  Bureau,  Americanization,  Mrs.  Herbert  Lincoln  Clark,  Philadelphia. 

Liberty  Loan,  Mrs.  John  0.  Miller,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Foreign  Relief,  Mrs.  Hutton  Kennedy,  Philadelphia. 

Health  and  Recreation,  Mrs.  John  Gribbel,  Wyncote,  Pa. 

Acting  Director,  Mrs.  John  Meigs,  Pottstown,  Pa. 

Bureau  of  Information,  Miss  Helen  Fleisher,  Philadelphia. 

Standing  Committee  on  Nursing,  Chairman,  Miss  Boberta  M.  West,  R.  N.,  Philadelphia. 

As  the  Council  was  the  only  body  which  had  delegated  State  authority  to 
mobilize  and  conserve  all  resources  essential  to  the  prosecution  of  the  war,  it 
coordinated  and  assimilated  operations  of  many  useful  established  organizations 
and  institutions.  As  necessity  demanded,  their  functions  were  incorporated  al- 
most wholly  or  in  part  into  the  general  work.  Activities  of  official  State  depart, 
ments  essential  to  the  efficiency  of  the  Council's  program  were  at  its  command- 
The  Council  thus  stood  as  the  one  body  in  Pennsylvania  with  organization 
and  authority  for  carrying  out  its  great  and  vital  work. 

There  were  seventy  sub-divisions  of  the  Council  in  the  sixty-seven  counties 
of  the  State,  and,  generally,  a  man  served  as  Chairman  and  a  woman  as 
Vice-Chairman.  These  sub-committees  were  duplicates,  in  organization  and  working 
scope,  of  the  main  Council.  Each  sub-council  had  one  salaried  officer — an  Execu- 
tive Secretary — who  was  responsible  for  stimulation  of  effort  in  his  county,  for 
keeping  his  Council  informed  of  the  State-wide  work,  and  for  acquainting  head- 
quarters with  the  activities  of  his  particular  Council. 

A  word  of  appreciation  is  due  those  loyal  and  untiring  citizens  who  so  promptly 
accepted  membership  in  the  Pennsylvania  Council  of  National  Defense  and  so 
devotedly  fulfilled  the  patriotic  obligations  which  they  assumed  with  that  member- 
ship. Their  services  were  vital  as  a  re-inforcement  of  the  country's  military  effort, 
and  will  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance  as  having  enabled  Pennsylvania  to  main- 

345 


tain  her  service  back  of  the  line  equal  to  the  unsurpassed  standard  of  her  sen  i< « 
on  the  battle  front. 

THE  PHILADELPHIA  COUNCIL  OF  NATIONAL  DEFENSE 

On  August  13,  1918,  the  Philadelphia  Council  of  National  Defense  was 
organized  under  the  Chairmanship  of  the  Hon.  J.  Willis  Martin.  Its  other  officers 
were:  John  H.  Mason,  Vice-Chairman;  George  Harrison  Frazier,  Treasurer;  Irvin 
L.  Stone,  Secretary.  Robert  D.  Dripps  was  appointed  Executive  Manager  together 
with  J.  Jarden  Guenther  and  Raymond  M.  Slotter  as  Associate  Managers.  Upon 
the  resignation  of  Mr.  Dripps  in  February,  1919,  he  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Guenther. 
The  offices  of  the  Council  were  in  the  Liberty  Building  and  were  given,  rent  free, 
by  the  Hon.  John  Wanamaker. 

The  Executive  Committee  included,  in  addition  to  the  officers:  Chester  N. 
Farr,  Arthur  V.  Morton,  Samuel  Rea,  John  A.  Voll,  Mrs.  John  C.  Groome,  Mrs. 
Henry  D.  Jump,  Mrs.  Louis  C.  Madeira,  William  West. 

The  members  of  the  Philadelphia  Council  were:  Jay  Cooke,  3d,  John  T. 
Windrim,  Sydney  L.  Wright,  Ernest  T.  Trigg,  Mrs.  Barclay  H.  Warburton,  J.  D. 
Sutherland,  Irvin  L.  Stone,  Frank  Roma,  Murtha  P.  Quinn,  Eli  K.  Price,  Mrs. 
George  Wharton  Pepper,  Lewis  H.  Parsons,  Mrs.  Wm.  L.  McLean,  Mrs.  George 
McFadden,  Mrs.  H.  G.  McCouch,  Wm.  McClellan,  Horatio  G.  Lloyd,  Dr.  Wilmer 
Krusen,  Jos.  A.  Janney,  Bayard  Henry,  Lt.-Col.  C.  B.  Hatch,  Charles  B.  Hall. 
Mrs.  F.  B.  Geraghty,  Geo.  H.  Frazier,  J.  A.  Flaherty,  Edward  J.  du  Mee,  Rev. 
Edw.  Heyl  Delk,  J.  Howell  Cummings,  Herman  L.  Collins,  Charles  Biddle. 

The  purposes  of  the  Philadelphia  Council  were  to  cooperate  with  the  work 
of  the  State  Council  of  Defense  and  to  develop  other  activities  to  meet  local  needs. 

As  its  work  expanded  the  following  departments  were  created:  Speakers' 
Bureau,  including  the  Four-Minute  Men;  Publicity  Department;  Civilian  Service 
and  Labor;  Public  Service  Reserve;  United  States  Boys'  Working  Reserve; 
Transportation;  Civic  Relief;  Construction  and  Material;  United  States  Homes 
Registration  Bureau;  Farm  Service  Bureau;  Liberty  Sing;  Associated  Federal 
Labor  Boards  for  Philadelphia;  Committee  on  Social  Hygiene;  Volunteer  Place- 
ment Bureau. 

Almost  immediately  after  being  organized,  the  Council  was  called  upon  to  aid 
in  the  influenza  epidemic.  It  acted  as  a  coordinating  force  and  as  a  clearing  house 
for  general  relief  work.  By  courtesy  of  the  Strawbridge  and  Clothier  store,  it 
operated  a  switchboard  for  the  purpose  of  giving  information  in  regard  to  doctors, 
nurses  and  undertakers.  Its  transportation  department,  with  the  assistance  of 
the  Automobile  Club  of  Philadelphia,  the  Auto-Car  Company  and  other  auto- 
mobile agencies,  provided  special  ambulances  and,  later,  with  the  cooperation  of 
several  of  the  department  stores  and  local  truck  owners,  supplied  motor  trucks 
for  the  removal  of  bodies.  The  Council  secured  the  release,  on  furlough,  of  men 
in  Camp  Dix  and  other  nearby  cantonments,  who  previous  to  their  service  in 
the  army  had  been  employed  in  undertaking  establishments.  So  great  was  the 
mortality  in  Philadelphia  during  the  epidemic  that  thousands  of  bodies  had  to 
be  handled  with  the  greatest  possible  speed  and,  therefore,  the  undertakers  were, 
in  many  cases,  unprotected  in  the  matter  of  payment.  The  Council  arranged 
with  the  city  government  to  guarantee  the  sum  of  $75  for  the  interment  of  a  body, 

346 


Courtesy  of  Frank   W.    Buhler 


Stanley   Co.    of    America. 

British  Marines  at  Riitenhouse  Square. 


whenever  the  family  was  unable  to  pay.  The  services  rendered  in  this  time  of 
crisis  elicited  expressions  of  sincere  gratitude  from  scores  of  bereaved  people. 

The  signing  of  the  armistice  on  November  11th  made  the  spirit  of  Thanksgiving 
Day,  1918,  very  real,  and  throughout  the  city  Thanksgiving  services  were  con- 
ducted in  forty  or  more  of  the  public  squares  by  clergymen.  The  Council  had 
printed  a  special  program  which  contained  the  President's  Proclamation,  a  message 
written  for  the  occasion  by  George  Wharton  Pepper  and  a  number  of  patriotic 
hymns  and  songs.    A  song-leader  and  cornetist  led  the  music  at  each  place. 

A  nation-wide  observance  was  asked  for  Saturday,  December  8,  1918,  in  honor 
of  Great  Britain.  The  British  Admiralty  dispatched  H.  M.  S.  Cumberland,  under 
command  of  Captain  Blackett,  to  Philadelphia,  and  a  series  of  events  were  arranged 
for  the  entertainment  of  the  officers  and  men.  Three  hundred  and  sixty  sailors 
and  marines,  including  a  band  from  the  Cumberland,  escorted  by  sailors  from  League 
Island  and  a  navy  band,  marched  through  the  streets  in  the  center  of  the  city, 
and  were  reviewed  in  Rittenhouse  Square  by  Major  General  McLachlan,  of  the 
British  War  Mission,  and  by  American  naval  and  military  officers.  The  officers 
were  entertained  at  a  luncheon  at  the  Navy  House,  East  Rittenhouse  Square, 
and  the  men  marched  over  to  the  United  Service  Club,  22d  Street  below  Walnut, 
where  sandwiches,  coffee,  cakes  and  cigarettes  were  served.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  that  this  parade  of  men  from  a  British  ship  was  the  first  time  since  the  American 
Revolution  that  British  troops,  under  arms,  had  marched  through  the  city. 

347 


A  football  game  was  staged  at  Franklin  Field  in  the  afternoon,  and  between 
halves  the  visiting  navy  men  paraded  around  the  field  and  were  given  a  great 
ovation.  After  the  game  the  men  marched  to  Houston  Hall  for  a  "smoke,"  and 
then  proceeded  on  special  trolleys  to  the  War  Camp  Community  Service  Canteen, 
where  supper  was  served  by  a  committee  from  the  National  League  for  Woman's 
Service.  The  officers  of  the  ship  were  the  guests  of  Lewis  S.  Sadler,  Executive 
Manager  of  the  Pennsylvania  Council  of  National  Defense,  at  an  informal 
dinner  at  the  Bellevue-Stratford  Hotel.  In  the  evening  a  mass  meeting  was  held 
in  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  and  so  great  was  the  crowd  that  an  overflow 
meeting  was  hurriedly  arranged  and  speeches  were  delivered  from  the  Poplar 
Street  steps  of  the  building. 

In  December,  1919,  Bayard  Henry,  a  member  of  the  Council,  suggested 
that  the  Council  secure  permission  from  the  British  Bureau  of  Information,  of 
which  Sir  Geoffrey  Butler  was  the  head,  to  exhibit  in  Philadelphia  the  collection 
of  British  naval  photographs  in  color.  These  photographs,  the  largest  of  which 
was  26  feet  by  12  feet,  disclosed  every  phase  of  modern  naval  warfare,  and  a 
number  of  them,  taken  by  American  sailors,  showed  the  American  fleet  on  duty. 
Permission  having  been  obtained,  the  pictures  were  placed  on  exhibition  in  the 
galleries  of  the  Pennsylvania  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts.  A  small  entrance  fee  was 
charged  and,  at  the  request  of  the  British  authorities,  the  net  proceeds  were  donated 
to  American  war  charities.  Over  35,000  people  viewed  the  exhibit,  of  which 
number  were  some  8,000  school  children,  who  were  admitted  free  and  who  had 
the  pictures  personally  explained  to  them. 

The  gentlemen  in  charge  of  the  photographs  were  H.  N.  D.  Talbot  and  Lieu- 
tenant H.  T.  C.  Walker.     Mr.  Walker  was  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  Zeebrugge  fight. 

On  January  19,  1919,  the  Council  assisted  the  British  Committee  of  the 
Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsylvania  in  arranging  for  a  meeting  at  the  Academy  of 
Music,  addressed  by  Sir  Arthur  Pearson  on  behalf  of  St.  Dunstan's  Hospital  for 
blinded  soldiers. 

In  February,  1919,  Judge  Martin  appointed  a  committee  to  plan  for  welcoming 
the  troops  which  were  soon  to  return  to  Philadelphia.  The  city  government  was 
represented  by  the  presidents  of  Select  and  Common  Councils,  the  Hon.  James  E. 
Lennon  and  the  Hon.  E.  B.  Gleason;  Isaac  D.  Hetzell  and  Charles  B.  Hall,  Chair- 
man and  Secretary  respectively  of  the  Councilmanic  Committee  for  the  relief  and 
sustenance  of  soldiers'  families.  Other  members  of  the  committee,  as  originally 
appointed,  represented  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  Knights  of  Columbus,  Jewish 
Welfare  Board,  Salvation  Army,  American  Red  Cross,  and  the  War  Camp  Com- 
munity Service. 

An  information  bureau  was  established  in  charge  of  Mrs.  W.  L.  Mann. 
The  names  of  transports  fisted  in  the  mimeographed  bulletins  from  the 
port  embarkation  office  in  Hoboken  were  card  indexed.  This  enabled  the 
bureau  to  give  information  as  to  the  movement  of  all  troops  as  soon  as  they 
had  left  a  foreign  port  for  home.  The  Navy  Yard  stationed  a  radio  operator 
in  the  Liberty  Building,  and  messages  were  received  for  immediate  transmittal 
from  the  wireless  station  at  League  Island.  Whenever  Philadelphia  men 
returned  on  transports  not  docking  at  their  home  port,  the  committee 
wirelessed  a  greeting  to  the  commanding  officers  and  men  of  such  units.  When 
transports  docked  at  Philadelphia,  the    committee    chartered    sufficient    boats 

348 


to  take  the  relatives  of  the  men  down  the  river  to  meet  them.  The  police  boats 
Ashbridge  and  Stokley  were  always  available  and  the  police  band  was  carried  on 
the  former.  At  one  time  it  was  necessary  to  provide  accommodations  for  3,000 
people.  All  committee  boats  were  gaily  decorated  and  bore  large  banners  with 
the  words  "City  of  Philadelphia  Welcome  Home  Committee." 

Several  signal  men  from  the  Navy  Yard  were  usually  detailed  to  go  on  each 
committee  boat  and  thus  relatives  were  able  to  have  messages  wigwagged  to  the 
men  on  the  transports.  Frequently  it  was  possible  to  steam  so  close  to  the  ships 
that  greetings  could  be  called  back  and  forth.  A  service  that  was  greatly  ap- 
preciated by  the  officers  and  men  of  other  cities  returning  to  the  port  of  Phila- 
delphia was  the  gift  of  home-town  newspapers.  When  the  government  bulletins 
showed  that  men  from  other  states  and  cities  were  due  on  a  certain  transport, 
the  committee  telegraphed  to  the  Governor  of  the  State  or  to  the  Mayor  of  the  City 
and  asked  that  newspapers  be  sent  at  once.  These  were  distributed  at  the  pier 
by  the  Red  Cross  or,  in  some  cases,  were  sent  to  Camp  Dix  in  care  of  one  or  more 
of  the  welfare  agencies. 

With  the  news  that  the  28th  Division  was  about  to  return,  plans  were  im- 
mediately made  to  give  it  a  reception  worthy  of  its  war  record  and  the  committee 
was  reorganized.  An  account  of  the  work  of  this  larger  committee  will  be  found 
in  the  chapter  devoted  to  the  story  of  the  parade  of  the  28th  Division. 

On  March  24,  1919,  the  Rev.  Hugh  Rirckhead,  a  former  Red  Cross  chaplain 
overseas,  delivered  an  address  in  the  Academy  of  Music  on  the  subject  "America's 


Courtesy  of  Frank   W.    Buhler,    Stanley   Co.    of   America. 

Men  from  U.^S.  S.  " Haverford"  parading  in  Philadelphia  before  entraining  for  Camp  Dix. 

349 


Opportunity."  The  other  speakers  of  the  evening  were  Lieutenant  Colonel  D.  J. 
McCarthy,  who  had  recently  returned  from  service  in  Russia,  and  Major  Charles 
J.  Biddle,  Philadelphia's  first  "Ace."  The  meeting  was  under  the  joint  auspices 
of  the  Council  and  the  Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsylvania. 

Memorial  Day,  1919,  was  observed  by  services  in  the  public  squares  very 
similar  to  the  exercises  on  Thanksgiving  Day,  1918.  They  were  arranged  by  the 
Council  and  the  programs  included  President  Lincoln's  "Gettysburg  Address," 
Kipling's  "Recessional,"  national  hymns  and  popular  songs  of  the  three  wars — the 
Civil,  Spanish-American  and  World  War.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  exercises 
"Taps"  was  sounded. 

At  a  time  when  a  strike  among  the  textile  workers  of  Philadelphia  promised 
to  assume  menacing  proportions,  a  committee  of  conciliation  was  appointed  by 
the  Chairman  of  the  Council.  They  entered  earnestly  into  the  work  of 
bringing  the  employes  and  employers  together.  A  compromise  was  effected 
between  the  parties,  and  the  strike  ended  without  disorder  or  destruction  of 
property. 

Turbulent  uprisings  of  a  serious  revolutionary  character  having  been  threatened 
for  May  1st  and  July  4th,  the  Executive  Council  was  convened  and  arrangements 
were  made  with  the  authorities  to  call  upon  the  local  police,  the  Home  Guard, 
volunteer  police,  the  reserve  militia,  and  a  body  consisting  of  7,500  sailors  and 
marines.  Guards  were  placed  in  banking  institutions  near  the  threatened  scene 
of  disorder.  The  preparations  proved  sufficient  for  the  emergency,  and  the  days 
passed  without  incident. 

In  the  spring  of  1919,  at  the  request  of  the  Pictorial  Section,  Historical  Branch, 
W.  P.  D.,  General  Staff,  Washington,  D.  C,  the  Council  secured,  in  duplicate, 
about  three  thousand  pictures,  showing  war-time  activities  and  conditions  in 
Philadelphia.  One  set  of  these  pictures  was  sent  to  Washington  and  the  other  set 
filed  for  reference.  Mrs.  Thomas  Robins  acted  as  Chairman  of  the  committee 
and  Mrs.  Albert  E.  Peterson,  Jr.,  had  general  charge  of  collecting  the  photographs. 

In  June,  1919,  Charles  B.  Hall  was  appointed  Chairman  of  a  committee  of 
the  Council  to  secure  the  war  records  of  Philadelphia  men  and  women  in  service. 
The  Pennsylvania  War  History  Commission,  of  which  Governor  William  C.  Sproul 
was  Chairman,  provided  the  record  blanks  and  a  house-to-house  canvass  was  made 
by  the  Police  Department.  As  a  result  of  this  canvass  over  fifty  thousand  records 
were  secured.  It  is  estimated  that  at  least  eighty  to  ninety  thousand  men  and 
women  from  this  city  served  in  the  Army  and  Navy,  but  until  the  War  Depart- 
ment sends  copies  of  its  lists  to  the  Adjutant  General  at  Harrisburg,  which  will  be 
a  matter  of  some  years  in  all  probability,  it  will  be  impossible  to  issue  a  correct  list. 

The  Philadelphia  Council  closed  its  offices  on  July  15,  1919.  Its  historical 
research  work  was  continued  by  the  appointment,  at  the  suggestion  of  Judge 
Martin,  of  the  Philadelphia  War  History  Committee.  The  Executive  Manager  of 
the  Council  became  the  Secretary  of  the  new  committee  and  this  book  is  the  result 
of  the  History  Committee's  work. 

The  Staff  of  the  Council  included,  besides  the  Executive  Manager  and  the 
Associate  Managers:  A.  C.  Wright,  Mrs.  W.  L.  Mann,  Miss  Miriam  Moses, 
Miss  M.  E.  Desmond,  Miss  Sara  Mays  Taggart,  Miss  Agnes  C.  McCann,  Mrs. 
Jane  Illi,  Mrs.  A.  M.  Whyte,  Miss  Elsie  Mandell,  Miss  T.  R.  Jacobs,  Miss  Krantz, 
James  E.  Corneal,  Miss  Anne  McDonough,  Miss  Myrtle  E.  Dunn,  Miss  Elsie 

350 


Burghart,  Miss  Nann  McLaughlin,  Miss  Hilda  Kaplan,  Mrs.  E.  R.  Smith,  Miss 
F.  Laeff  and  Mrs.  A.  H.  Bollman. 

Among  others  associated  in  the  work  of  the  Council  were:  Henry  V. 
Gummere,  Henry  S.  Drinker,  Jr.,  W.  J.  Wheatley,  John  Huneker,  Clarence  S. 
Cates,  Henviss  Roesseler,  Charles  C.  Hazlett,  E.  E.  Hogle,  James  O'Neill,  Arno 
P.  Mowitz,  Miss  Edith  Sheldon,  Dr.  Caroline  Colvin,  Dr.  Sarah  Kingsbury, 
Miss  Edith  Lowber,  Miss  Leslie  B.  Stewart,  Miss  Jane  Hanratty,  Miss  E.  Eh- 
land,  Miss  M.  E.  Kern,  Miss  E.  F.  Mclntyre,  Mrs.  N.  S.  Betts,  Miss  G.  F. 
Mulchrone,  Miss  Elsie  Gilbert,  E.  R.  Cheney,  G.  E.  Williams  and  C.  L.  Buck- 
mum. 

WOMAN'S  PHILADELPHIA  COUNTY   COMMITTEE    COUNCIL  OF 
NATIONAL  DEFENSE,  PENNSYLVANIA  DIVISION 

Chairman:     Mrs.  Henry  D.  Jump. 

Vice-Chairmen :  Mrs.  George  A.  Dunning,  Mrs.  A.  A.  Eshner,  Mrs.  Frank 
T.  Griswold,  Mrs.  George  McFadden,  Miss  Clara  Middleton,  Mrs.  Paul  D. 
Mills,  Miss  Mary  M.  Rivinus,  Mrs.  E.  T.  Stotesbury. 

Secretary:    Mrs.  George  A.  Piersol. 

Chairman  of  District  Committees:  Miss  Beulah  Fennimore,  Mrs.  Bowman 
Leaf,  Mrs.  B.  F.  Richardson,  Mrs.  Wilmer  Krusen. 

The  Woman's  Committee,  Council  of  National  Defense,  for  Philadelphia 
County  was  organized  in  October,  1917,  following  the  Hoover  campaign  to  conserve 
food,  which  was  carried  on  during  the  summer  months  by  a  splendid  body  of 
women  who  came  forward  to  assist  in  the  distribution  of  the  Hoover  food  pledge 
cards.  A  registration  of  305,000  Philadelphia  women  was  sent  to  Washington. 
The  State  Chairman,  Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin,  naturally  turned  to  this  group  for 
leadership  and  appointed  Mrs.  Henry  D.  Jump  as  Chairman  for  Philadelphia 
County. 

An  organization  of  women  covering  all  parts  of  the  city  was  immediately 
started,  and  the  colossal  task  of  house-to-house  visiting,  arranging  the  streets,  wards 
and  districts  of  the  city  in  card  catalog  form  for  future  reference  was  tirelessly 
carried  on  during  the  hot  summer  months.  This  campaign  proved  to  be  one  of 
the  most  constructive  pieces  of  work  accomplished  by  the  Philadelphia  Council. 
All  clubs  and  organizations  of  women  were  called  upon  to  help,  regardless  of  color, 
creed  or  condition;  everywhere  the  chairman  received  hearty  cooperation  and 
generous  offers  of  assistance.  From  this  group  of  women  the  chairman  appointed 
an  efficient  executive  committee,  as  well  as  district  chairmen  in  all  parts  of  the 
city,  with  directors  for  all  departments.  The  Council,  the  State  and  City  owe 
a  deep  debt  of  gratitude  to  Mrs.  Edward  T.  Stotesbury,  through  whose 
generosity  it  was  enabled  to  maintain  headquarters  and  an  adequate  office  force 
at  1607  Walnut  Street,  until  such  time  as  the  Committee  of  Public  Safety 
invited  it  to  share  their  offices  in  the  Finance  Building,  and  paid  all  overhead 
charges. 

Registration  Department,  Mrs.  George  A.  Dunning,  Director.  Mrs.  Dun- 
ning splendidly  organized  this  department,  but  was  obliged  to  resign  early  in 
the  year,  after  which  the  first  active  piece  of  work  was  the  registration  of 
women,  under  the  efficient  direction  of  Mrs.  Louis  B.  Taylor.  This  campaign 
was  conducted  by  means  of  special  drives  and  then  by  organized  committees 

351 


Women  working  on  Army  hats  at  the  John  B.  Stetson  Co. 


in  the  various  wards  until  the  total  of  95,000  women  had  signed  these  cards. 
The  work  of  filing  them  was  alone  an  enormous  task.  They  were  filed  and 
cross-filed  under  occupations  so  that  a  woman  required  for  a  certain  piece  of 
work  could  be  immediately  obtained.  From  this  department  munition  workers, 
and  recruits  for  all  sorts  of  war  activities  were  obtained,  and  registration  proved 
its  value  in  numerous  ways.  The  Director  of  Registration  became  a  member  of 
the  Federal  Employment  Bureau,  and  used  these  files  very  actively  in  her  work. 

When  this  source  of  assistance  became  generally  known,  many  and  frequent 
calls  were  made  upon  it  by  government  as  well  as  by  the  local  industrial  plants. 
Not  the  least  interesting  feature  of  this  work  was  the  recruiting  and  placing  of 
women  on  the  land  in  cooperation  with  the  Woman's  Land  Army,  and  an  amusing 
incident  occurred  when  an  actress  registered  for  farm  work,  stating  that  she  was 
ready  to  work  all  the  year  round,  but  was  naturally  untrained.  Shortly  after,  a 
woman  farmer  applied  to  the  Department  of  Women  in  Industry  for  a  helper 
willing  to  do  all-the-year-round  work  in  any  and  every  capacity.  She  was  a  wee 
bit  skeptical  about  taking  an  actress  whose  sole  qualification  was  an  altogether 
untested  love  of  the  outdoors,  but  at  last  consented,  and  the  registrant,  seizing 
the  opportunity,  went  on  the  land  early  in  February.  After  a  three  months' 
trial,  a  letter  came  from  the  farmer,  enchanted  with  the  enthusiasm,  earnestness 
and  skill  of  her  assistant,  and  begging  for  a  woman  who  would  be  willing  to  do  the 
housework.     Again  the  files  were  consulted,  and  though  domestics,  in  the  ordinary 

352 


sense  of  the  word,  were  not  on  the  lists,  it  was  found  that  a  patriotic  woman  of  fifty 
who  had  had  her  own  comfortable  home,  but  was  otherwise  untrained,  stood  ready 
to  answer  the  call,  stating  in  cheerful  terms  that  as  she  too  was  an  untrained  worker 
she  was  willing  to  do  a  bit  of  drudgery  as  her  share  of  war  work.  Few  reach  such 
heights  of  patriotism !  These  cards  became  extremely  valuable  during  the  influenza 
epidemic,  when  those  who  had  registered  as  willing  and  able  to  nurse  were  sum- 
moned to  answer  the  many  calls  that  came  to  us  from  all  parts  of  the  city.  Four  hun- 
dred and  eighty  women  were  written  to,  fifty  per  cent  of  whom  reported  at  the  office. 

Food  Production  Department,  Mrs.  George  H.  White,  Director.  While 
there  was  not  a  great  deal  of  ground  available  for  cultivation  within  the  city 
limits,  Mrs.  White  was  able  to  do  valuable  work  in  establishing  school  gardens 
in  vacant  lots  throughout  the  city,  some  of  which  are  still  in  operation,  and  much 
was  done  among  the  school  children  in  stimulating  their  interest  in  backyard 
gardens  and  food  conservation. 

Food  Conservation  Department,  Mrs.  H.  C.  Boden,  Director.  Perhaps 
no  department  had  a  more  colossal  task  than  that  of  the  Food  Conservation 
Department,  to  whose  lot  fell  the  education  of  every  class  of  society  in  the 
necessity  of  self-denial  in  the  use  of  every  available  foodstuff".  This  depart- 
ment was  fortunate  in  having  as  director  Mrs.  N.  D.  Hitchcock,  instructor 
of  home  economics  at  Temple  University,  who  began  the  work  assigned,  but 
was  obliged  to  resign  when  called  to  New  York,  and  her  able  assistant,  Mrs. 
H.  C.  Boden,  was  appointed  to  the  vacancy.  Mrs.  Boden  devoted  much  time 
to  the  opening  of  food  kitchens  in  different  parts  of  the  city  where  daily  demon- 
strations were  given  in  the  making  of  war  breads  and  the  use  of  wheat  flour  substi- 
tutes, and  was  tireless  in  her  efforts  to  present  food  conservation  in  its  most 
agreeable  and  practical  form.  Thousands  of  posters  and  recipes  were  distributed 
among  the  foreigners,  written  in  the  language  of  each  nationality;  the  drive  for 
food  conservation  among  foreigners  became  the  next  important  phase  of  the 
work,  and  in  Philadelphia  alone,  during  three  months,  more  than  four  thousand 
people  of  alien  birth  were  visited.  The  work  began  primarily  as  a  war  measure, 
but  led  often  to  permanent  Americanization  propaganda,  developing,  as  it  does, 
a  certain  unity  of  thought  between  the  foreign  element  and  our  native  population. 

The  foreigners  were  powerfully  influenced  by  the  knowledge  that,,  as  a  result 
of  war's  devastation,  they  could  not  return  again  to  their  native  countries. 

The  method  of  approach  was  through  the  medium  of  informal  meetings; 
demonstrators  who  had  the  ability  to  "mix  in,"  and  were  experienced  in  social 
service  work,  organized  neighborhood  groups  of  Italians,  Poles,  Russians, 
Lithuanians  and  Roumanians. 

Surveys  were  made  of  conservation  work  done  in  the  hospitals,  showing  that 
hundreds  of  loaves  of  bread  per  day  and  hundreds  of  pounds  of  butter  per  week 
had  been  saved,  and  that  the  consumption  of  sugar  had  been  reduced  more  than 
half.  Later  the  department  of  food  became  federalized,  and  went  under  the  Federal 
Food  Administrator  for  Philadelphia.  A  remarkable  food  army  of  thousands  of 
women  was  organized  and  was  doing  active  service  when  the  armistice  was  signed. 
A  war  bread  shop  was  run  in  the  center  of  the  city  where  all  sorts  of  war  bread 
and  muffins  were  sold  and  war  bread  recipes  were  distributed. 

Women  in  Industry  Department,  Mrs.  Thomas  Robins,  Director.  It 
was  soon   discovered  that  all  over  the   State   the  call  for  women  workers  was 

353 


becoming  more  and  more  insistent,  so  that  this  department  had  a  difficult  time 
to  fill  all  the  applications  made  upon  it.  Certain  standards  were  insisted  upon 
by  the  director  of  this  department  and  women  were  recruited  only  for  those 
plants  in  which  living  conditions  were  good,  serious  basic  needs  such  as  housing 
and  transportation  were  carefully  studied,  and  a  booklet  was  published  giving 
a  list  of  boarding  houses,  cafeterias,  places  of  amusement,  churches,  etc.,  for  the 
convenience  and  protection  of  strangers  and  itinerant  workers. 

The  aim  of  this  department  was  not  only  to  secure  work  for  women,  but  in 
so  doing  to  improve  the  conditions  under  which  they  worked ;  to  advance  woman's 
position  economically,  politically  and  socially;  to  ask  from  the  working  woman  a 
spirit  of  cooperation  and  loyal  service;  to  arouse  all  women  to  the  fact  that  the 
savings  of  every  worker  are  an  asset  to  the  country,  as  well  as  a  guarantee  of  her 
own  economic  security  in  the  future.  This  department  did  valuable  service  in 
familiarizing  itself  with  the  rulings  of  the  Secretary  of  Labor  and  the  Secretary 
of  War  on  questions  of  women's  work,  as  well  as  state  laws,  and  insisted  that  they 
be  carried  out  in  all  plants,  both  governmental  and  private,  where  women  were 
employed. 

A  very  notable  piece  of  work  accomplished  by  the  director  of  this  department 
acting  with  a  committee  of  public-spirited  men  and  women  in  Philadelphia  under 
the  direction  of  Dr.  Lucy  W.  Wilson,  was  a  War  Emergency  Summer  High  School, 
opened  to  give  intensive  training;  and  for  this  purpose  the  use  of  the  building  of 
the  William  Penn  High  School  for  girls  was  offered  by  the  Board  of  Education. 
This  school  was  patronized  by  workers  of  all  ages,  and  the  pupils  were  taught  the 
reading  of  blue  prints,  stenography,  typewriting,  stenotyping,  filing,  etc. 

No  class  of  Pennsylvania  citizens  responded  more  promptly  and  more  patrioti- 
cally to  the  call  to  work  than  the  colored  women  of  the  State.  Approximately 
four  thousand  were  employed  in  arsenals,  chemical  plants,  oil  and  sugar  refineries, 
the  railroads,  and  the  munition  and  rifle  plants. 

The  Department  also  undertook  to  recruit  the  requisite  number  of  workers 
to  establish  several  units  for  the  Woman's  Land  Army,  and  financed  the  necessary 
office  staff  until  such  time  as  they  established  their  own  headquarters. 

Child  Welfare  Department,  Mrs.  Wilmer  Krusen,  Director.  Mrs. 
Krusen  had  an  able  assistant  in  Dr.  Hartley,  who  gave  instructions  by  lectures 
to  women  who  afterwards  accompanied  the  visiting  nurses  to  the  homes  of 
the  people  to  acquire  proper  training;  these  women  later  became  very  valuable 
during  the  epidemic  of  influenza.  The  energies  of  this  department  were 
devoted  to  preserving  the  health  of  children  under  six  years  and  securing 
adequate  care  of  mothers  both  before  and  after  confinement,  providing  proper 
care  for  the  baby  from  the  moment  of  birth,  protecting  the  health  and  maintaining 
nutrition  of  the  child  up  to  pre-school  age.  This  department  gave  hearty  support 
and  active  assistance  to  those  committees  working  for  an  increase  in  mothers' 
pensions. 

Department  of  Education,  Dr.  Maude  Hansche,  Director.  Dr.  Hansche 
established  a  Speakers'  Bureau  for  patriotic  purposes  and  had  the  full  cooperation 
of  the  superintendent  of  public  schools  in  the  work  of  Americanization.  A  survey 
was  made  of  the  foreign  people  in  the  city  and  very  effective  work  was  carried 
out  among  the  Poles,  Italians,  Hebrews,  Russians,  etc.,  who  responded  loyally  to 
every  patriotic  measure.    The  State  Director  was  fortunate  in  securing  speakers, 

354 


who  greatly  stimulated  production  in  the  plants  they  visited  by  graphic 
descriptions  of  the  work  being  done  by  the  English ;  showing  what  a  powerful 
asset  the  women  of  the  British  Isles  had  become  to  the  government.  An 
Americanization  Conference  held  in  conjunction  with  the  Liberty  Loan  and 
Food  Departments  proved  of  great  value  in  bringing  together  men  and  women 
prominent  in  Americanization  work  from  all  over  the  country,  who  spoke  of 
the  work  then  carried  on  by  the  government  as  well  as  private  agencies 
among  the  foreign  population  in  this  country,  not  the  least  important 
feature  of  which  was  the  stimulation  of  patriotism  among  our  own  people.  Perhaps 
this  need  had  not  occurred  to  us  before,  but  became  a  real  issue  to  stem  the  tide 
of  pro-German  propaganda.  Mary  Antin  was  a  forceful  and  interesting  speaker 
at  the  conference.  Giving  an  eloquent  account  of  her  first  experiences  in  America, 
she  demonstrated  what  the  foreigner  can  contribute  to  this  country  as  well  as  receive 
from  it,  and  strongly  urged  for  the  foreigner  free  expression  of  his  native  arts  and 
talents,  which  would  make  for  his  greater  happiness  and  the  greater  develop- 
ment of  this  country. 

Liberty  Loan  Department,  Mrs.  Barclay  H.  Warburton,  Director. 
While  the  organization  of  the  women  for  this  work  was  not  begun  until  the  Second 
Liberty  Loan  was  well  under  way,  Mrs.  Warburton  reported  the  sale  of 
$15,000,000  worth  of  bonds.  In  the  Third  Loan,  under  the  direction  of  Mrs. 
Walter  S.  Thomson,  the  women  of  Philadelphia  raised  $53,020,850,  which  was 
313^  per  cent  of  the  quota.  In  the  Fourth  Loan,  despite  the  ravages  of  influenza, 
a  total  of  $72,020,115  was  raised,  with  over  8,000  women  organized  and  working 
on  various  committees.  The  chairman  of  the  Philadelphia  County  Committee 
of  National  Defense  was  chosen  chairman  of  the  Woman's  Liberty  Loan  Committee 
for  the  Third  Federal  Reserve  District.  Great  interest  was  shown  in  the  Liberty 
Loan  Conference  held  jointly  with  the  Food  Department  when  the  Philadelphia 
committee  invited  the  chairmen  of  all  of  the  sixty-seven  counties  in  the  State  to 
attend  the  three-day  session. 

Department  of  Foreign  Relief,  Mrs  Hutton  Kennedy,  Director.  This 
department  acted  as  a  coordinating  agency  to  bring  together  all  the  war  relief 
organizations  in  the  State,  working  in  unison  and  reducing  to  a  minimum  all 
duplication  of  effort. 

Department  of  Health  and  Recreation,  Miss  Theodora  Butcher, 
Director.  This  Department  was  closely  associated  with  the  Committee  on 
Recreation  for  girls  affected  by  war  conditions.  Its  function  was  to  stimulate 
recreational  interest  and  to  develop  recreational  facilities,  laying  emphasis  on 
the  need  for  patriotic  service  and  the  necessity  for  higher  standards  among 
the  young  girls.  A  colored  woman  was  appointed  for  the  extension  work 
among  the  colored  girls  and  frequent  consultations  were  held  with  Mrs,  T. 
W.  Layton  of  the  Protective  Association  for  Colored  Women  in  regard  to 
improving  the  conditions  under  which  colored  women  were  then  working.  All 
activities  having  to  do  with  women  and  girls  were  brought  together  and  worked 
in  full  accord.  Outdoor  neighborhood  gatherings  in  parks  and  open  spaces  were 
planned  where  frequent  concerts  and  Community  Sings  were  given.  Many 
industrial  plants  showed  notable  cooperation  in  providing  recreational  diversions 
and  patriotic  demonstrations  among  their  employes,  Samuel  Fleisher  himself 
heading  a  Liberty  Loan  parade  in  which  the  workers  in  his  factory  took  prominent 

355 


part.  This  department  in  conjunction  with  other  committees  working  for  pro- 
tection of  women  and  girls  was  instrumental  in  having  women  vigilance  officers 
with  police  power  appointed  by  the  mayor  to  patrol  the  streets  in  lonely  sections 
at  night. 

Department  of  Publicity  and  Information,  Mrs.  Arthur  W.  Sewall, 
Director.  By  means  of  a  weekly  News  Letter,  this  Department  undertook  to 
inform  the  public  of  its  purpose  and  aim  in  the  field  of  war  work,  and  to  publish 
the  reports  of  all  that  was  being  accomplished  by  the  different  departments.  It 
was  also  a  useful  medium  for  communicating  the  necessity  for  hearty  cooperation 
with  government  requirements,  which  were  printed  in  original  form  from  time  to 
time  as  seemed  advisable.  Later  on  the  reports  received  from  all  the  counties 
in  this  State  were  published  in  the  News  Letter  and  proved  a  stimulating 
encouragement  to  all  branches  of  the  work.  A  very  fine  piece  of  work  was  a 
directory  of  vocational  opportunities  for  women  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania, 
issued  by  the  State  Director  of  this  Department,  which  brought  forth  most 
favorable  comment  and  became  of  lasting  value. 

The  development  of  district  committees  formed  a  notable  achievement; 
two  were  doing  active  work  along  all  lines,  and  others  were  in  the  process  of 
formation.  Forty-two  wards  out  of  the  forty-eight  were  organized,  with  special 
groups  of  women  ready  to  take  up  active  work.  A  special  organizer  had  personally 
visited  these  groups  in  order  to  prepare  them  for  future  emergencies.  One  ward 
was  organized  and  ready  to  work  with  both  men  and  women.  In  September, 
a  war  work  conference  was  held  in  Philadelphia,  in  which  the  Philadelphia  County 
Committee  played  an  active  part.  It  called  together  the  first  woman's  war  rally 
ever  held  in  the  United  States,  and  included  munition  workers  and  industrial 
workers  as  well  as  volunteers  in  war  activities.  All  groups  of  women  and  women's 
organizations  attended  in  large  numbers  and  listened  to  a  remarkable  program  of 
patriotic  expression.  Prior  to  this,  the  only  rally  of  the  kind  ever  held  had  been 
the  one  reported  in  Paris  a  few  days  before. 

The  drive  for  25,000  Army  nurses,  requested  by  the  United  States  Surgeon 
General,  was  conducted  in  July  and  August  of  1918.  Philadelphia  County,  whose 
quota  was  440,  went  over  the  top  with  an  enrolment  of  over  600,  with  recruiting 
stations  in  all  parts  of  the  city.  In  this  rally  and  four-minute  speakers  and  all 
the  various  men's  and  women's  organizations  were  used  effectively.  A  big  Liberty 
Sing  was  held,  and  a  strong  appeal  for  enrolment  made. 

During  the  epidemic  of  influenza  the  Woman's  Committee  of  the  Council  of 
National  Defense  called  on  all  organizations  and  groups  of  women  for  volunteers 
and  helpers  to  private  families. 

The  Woman's  Committee  at  all  times  held  itself  ready  to  meet  the  emer- 
gencies that  might  arise,  and  to  call  upon  the  various  organizations  of  women  in 
the  city  for  help  in  different  lines  of  war  work.  It  is  most  grateful  to  the  men 
and  women  in  the  city  for  the  financial  support  which  they  gave  since  the 
beginning  of  1918,  and  which  enabled  them  to  do  the  necessary  work.  But  for 
the  signing  of  the  armistice  a  big  and  active  group  of  women  and  women's  organiza- 
tions would  have  been  ready  to  direct  their  services  in  the  furthering  of  the  war. 
This  same  group  could  be  easily  used  to  further  other  civic  problems. 


356 


THE  PORT, OF  PHILADELPHIA* 


PHERE  was  a  time  when  it  was  said  that  the  Delaware 
River  was  the  "Clyde  of  America,"  but  the  time  has 
come  when  the  Clyde  may  be  aptly  called  the  "Delaware 
of  Great  Britain." 

Such  a  claim  need  not  be  considered  extravagant 
when  we  consider  the  recognition  given  the  port  of 
Philadelphia  during  the  period  of  the  war,  and  when  we 
further  summarize  the  maritime  interests  of  the  port. 

Within  the  limits  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia  and  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  are  established  the  following  ship- 
building companies:  Merchant  Shipbuilding  Corporation;  Wm.  Cramp  &  Sons  Ship 
&  Engine  Building  Co.;  New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation;  Sun  Shipbuilding  Co.; 
Chester  Shipbuilding  Co.;  Pusey  &  Jones  Co.  and  the  Bethlehem  Shipbuilding 
Company.  During  the  war,  the  following  companies  had  plants  in  or  near  Phila- 
delphia: American-International  Shipbuilding  Corporation;  Traylor  Shipbuilding 
Corporation;  Pennsylvania  Shipbuilding  Co.;  New  Jersey  Shipbuilding  Co.,  and 
Jackson  &  Sharp  Co. 

The  port  of  Philadelphia,  as  defined  for  customs  purposes,  comprises  such 
waters  of  the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill  rivers  bordering  on  the  municipality  of  the 
city  of  Philadelphia  as  are  navigable.  The  municipal  limits  of  Philadelphia  on  the 
Delaware  River,  as  defined  by  the  Director  of  Public  Works,  extend  from  a  point 
immediately  south  of  Fort  Mifflin,  below  the  mouth  of  the  Schuylkill  River,  to 
the  mouth  of  Poquessing  Creek,  immediately  north  of  Torresdale.  The  authority 
of  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  Navigation  extends  from  the  State  line  on  the 
south  to  the  head  of  the  navigable  water  of  the  Delaware  River  on  the  north. 

The  customs  district  of  Philadelphia  as  defined  by  law  (March  3,  1919) 
comprises  all  that  part  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  lying  east  of  seventy-nine 
degrees  west  longitude,  all  of  the  State  of  Delaware,  and  all  of  that  part  of  the 
State  of  New  Jersey  not  included  in  the  district  of  New  York,  with  district  head- 
quarters at  Philadelphia,  in  which  Philadelphia  (to  include  Camden  and  Gloucester 
City,  N.  J.),  Thompsons  Point,  Tuckerton,  Chester,  Wilmington  and  Lewes  shall 
be  ports  of  entry. 

The  tonnage  shipped  through  the  port  of  Philadelphia  establishes  the  posi- 
tion of  this  city  as  the  second  port  in  the  United  States.  Figures  compiled 
officially  show  the  following  totals  of  trade  at  Philadelphia: 

TONNAGE 

.   1918  1919  1920 

Domestic 15,107,815  7,527,723  10,105,068 

Foreign 5,895,820*  11,632,437  14,961,736 


Totals 21,003,635  19,160,160 

*Includes  508,325  tons  of  war  material  not  passed  through  Customs  House. 


25,066,804 


*Summarized  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Philadelphia  War  History  Committee  from  the  reports 
of  the  Philadelphia  Maritime  Exchange,  and  from  various  publications  of  the  Department  of 
Wharves,  Docks  and  Ferries. 

357 


VALUES 

Domestic $1,909,279,986  $1,772,514,216  $1,755,193,364 

Foreign 686,817,078*  676,265,606  733,201,047 

Totals $2,596,097,064  $2,448,779,822  $2,488,394,411 

♦Includes  $145,000,000  in  value  of  war  material  not  passed  through  Customs  House. 

Figures  announced  by  the  Surveyor  of  the  Port  showed  that  the  sum  of 
$16,610,733.72  was  received  in  import  duties  at  Philadelphia  in  1918.  He  also 
stated  that  this  port  is  the  cheapest  from  which  to  ship  goods  to  foreign  countries, 
a  statement  borne  out  by  facts  and  figures  compiled  by  the  Treasury  Department. 

The  import  duties  received  in  1919  and  1920  amounted  to  $20,019,617.74 
and  $22,304,096.70  respectively. 

In  1918  the  export  shipments  of  grain  from  this  port  reached  approximately 
thirty  million  bushels.  The  capacity  of  the  port  is  far  greater  but  the  shipments 
were  decreased  last  year  because  of  lack  of  tonnage.  In  1916  a  total  of  47,250,059 
bushels  were  shipped  from  this  port,  and  in  1917,  43,095,489  bushels.  In  1919  the 
number  of  bushels  was  50,983,856. 

The  export  of  petroleum  products  from  the  Customs  District  of  Philadelphia 
during  1918  amounted  to  385,034,114  gallons,  including  Illuminating,  fabricating, 
paramne  and  fuel  oils,  and  gasoline  and  naphthas  and  in  1919,  342,031,052  gallons. 

The  sugar  receipts  at  this  port  in  1918  totalled  480,342  tons,  22.14  per  cent 
of  the  total  received  at  North  Atlantic  seaports.   In  1919  the  tonnage  was  699,147. 

During  the  year  1919,  a  total  of  7,003  vessels  entered  and  cleared  this  port. 
In  the  foreign  trade  the  exports  were  valued  at  $522,391,091,  and  the  imports  at 
$153,874,515,  a  total  of  $676,265,606.  During  1920,  8,350  vessels  entered  and 
cleared  at  Philadelphia.  The  exports  had  a  value  of  $451,043,216,  and  the  imports 
a  value  of  $282,157,831,  a  total  of  $733,201,047. 

This  traffic  involved  the  handling  of  4,827,092  tons  of  freight,  of  which 
approximately  2,185,000  tons  were  of  petroleum  and  by-products;  367,000  tons 
iron  and  manganese  ores;  523,148  tons  coal;  592,304  tons  grain  and  56,600  tons 
general  merchandise. 

But  one  other  port  in  the  United  States  did  a  greater  business,  and  there 
the  congestion  caused  delay,  heavy  losses,  and  much  annoyance  to  shippers. 

About  800  more  vessels  from  foreign  ports  visited  Philadelphia  during  1919 
than  in  any  other  similar  period  in  the  history  of  the  port.  A  sufficient  amount 
of  ship  tonnage  arrived  and  cleared  during  that  year  to  move  approximately 
32,163,170  deadweight  tons. 

The  port  of  Philadelphia,  with  its  present  facilities,  is  in  a  position  to  handle 
annually  50,000,000  tons  of  commerce. 

These  facilities  are  being  extended  under  a  comprehensive  plan  of  develop- 
ment entailing  a  cost  of  millions  of  dollars.  The  extensions  are  based  upon  the 
present  enormous  volume  of  trade,  with  the  future  in  view,  and  having  in  mind 
that  within  the  last  thirty  years  the  import  and  export  trade  at  the  port  of  Phila- 
delphia have  increased  in  value  from  $92,000,000  to  more  than  $676,000,000  per  year. 

PIERS 

The  city  owns  twelve  piers,  now  used  for  shipping  oversea  and  coastwise  car- 
goes.   The  semi-public  and  private  piers  on  the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill  rivers 

.358 


include  33  for  foreign  trade;  10  for  coastwise  trade;  2  for  river  and  bay  trade;  12 
coal  piers;  13  miscellaneous  cargo  and  industrial  piers;  4  ore  piers;  3  grain  piers;  6 
lumber  piers;  11  railroad  water-front  freight  stations,  and  various  sections  of 
improved  bulkhead  frontage. 

The  great  shipping  base  built  by  the  United  States  Government,  upon  the 
Delaware  River,  at  Oregon  Avenue,  as  a  Quartermaster's  Terminal,  will  become 
a  part  of  the  shipping  facilities  at  the  port  of  Philadelphia.  This  base  has  cost 
to  construct,  including  the  purchase  of  the  land,  about  $13,500,000.  There  are, 
in  addition  to  the  piers,  adequate  railroad  facilities  for  freight  transportation, 
a  power  plant  and  an  electrical  substation.  There  is  also  a  general  storage  ware- 
house constructed  at  an  estimated  cost  of  $3,408,973,  and  an  expeditionary  storage 
depot  completed  at  a  cost  of  $1,023,550.  The  capacity  of  these  piers  is  over 
one  million  square  feet. 

Plans  for  municipal  piers  were  interrupted  by  the  war,  but  during  the  year 
1918  Pier  78,  South  Wharves,  was  completed  and  taken  over  by  the  Government. 
This  pier  is  two  stories  in  height,  900  feet  long  and  250  feet  wide  and  cost  $1,730,000. 
It  is  flanked  by  300-foot  docks  on  each  side,  constructed  of  reenforced  concrete 
and  steel,  and  is  the  first  of  a  group  of  ten  to  be  known  as  the  "Moyamensing 
Group."  Work  was  also  started  on  dredging  the  sites  for  piers  at  Porter  and  Wolf 
streets,  each  of  which  will  exceed  in  length  Pier  78  by  100  feet. 

Over  fifty  steamship  lines  have  offices  at  this  port,  which  means  that  Phila- 
delphia products  are  carried  under  many  flags  to  practically  every  port  throughout 
the  world. 

If  it  is  asked  why  Philadelphia  has  attained  the  rank  as  a  United  States  port 
second  only  to  New  York  City,  the  following  reasons  may  be  advanced:  Phila- 
delphia is  a  fresh-water  port,  which  of  itself  is  a  financial  asset.  When  a  ship 
docks  in  fresh  water  the  barnacles  and  other  salt-water  growths  on  its  bottom 
drop  off  and  the  expense  of  scraping  the  keel  is  minimized  and  the  life  of  the  ship 
lengthened.  The  cost  of  lighterage  is  almost  entirely  eliminated  here.  Ships 
docking  at  any  one  of  the  267  piers  unload  on  cars,  which  can  then  be  run  over  a 
belt  line  connecting  with  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  Philadelphia  &  Reading  Rail- 
way and  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad.  Moreover,  cargoes  intended  for  export  are 
hauled  directly  on  to  the  piers  and  hoisted  from  car  to  hold. 

There  are  three  graving  docks  at  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard.  The  dimen- 
sions of  these  are:  No.  1,  459  feet  10  inches  long,  23  feet  4  inches  depth  on  sill; 
No.  2,  731  feet  10  inches  long,  30  feet  depth  on  sill;  No.  3,  1005  feet  long,  39  feet 
11  inches  depth  on  sill. 

The  drydock  of  the  Kensington  Shipyard  Co.,  which  is  adjacent  to  Cramp's 
Shipyard,  has  an  extreme  length  of  432  feet;  length  at  bottom,  412  feet;  breadth 
at  entrance,  70  feet;  and  depth  on  sill,  20  feet. 

The  Philadelphia  Ship  Repair  Company's  floating  dock  is  250  feet  long,  with 
a  breadth  of  86  feet  at  the  entrance,  17  feet  depth  on  sill,  and  a  lifting  power  of 
3,500  tons.  The  same  Company's  pontoon  dock  has  a  length  of  184  feet;  breadth 
at  entrance,  85  feet;  depth  on  sill,  16  feet,  and  a  lifting  power  of  1,400  tons.  A  new 
floating  drydock  over  900  feet  long  is  now  in  use  at  the  plant  of  the  Sun  Shipbuild- 
ing Company,  at  Chester,  Pa. 

A  Delaware  River  channel  800  feet  wide,  with  a  (low  water)  depth  of  thirty 

359 


feet,  connects  the  city  with  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Work  on  a  thirty-five-foot 
channel  has  been  under  way  since  1910. 

Coaling  is  an  important  matter,  and  here  again  Philadelphia  offers  unique 
advantages.  From  the  vast  wealth  of  Pennsylvania's  mines  comes  the  cheap 
bunkered  coal  over  a  relatively  short  haul  to  twelve  coaling  piers,  and  thus  with 
a  minimum  cost  it  is  placed  on  board  the  ships.  There  are  also  fuel  oil  stations 
at  Point  Breeze  and  Marcus  Hook,  supplied  by  the  great  pipe  lines  of  the  Standard 
Oil  Company. 

Among  the  many  other  advantages  offered  by  Philadelphia  to  maritime  in- 
terests may  be  mentioned  the  797  acres  of  anchorage  space,  seventy  derricks  and 
cranes  of  various  capacities,  twenty  or  more  large  warehouses  and  two  grain 
elevators  capable  of  storing  3,225,000  bushels. 

Furthermore,  the  old  canal  systems  which  connected  our  city  with  the  north 
and  south  are  being  reorganized,  and  during  1918  the  New  York  and  Delaware 
Steamship  Corporation  began  to  carry  cargoes  between  Philadelphia  and  New 
York  by  way  of  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  Canal.  The  daily  service  which 
completes  the  journey  in  either  direction  in  twenty  hours  started  with  five  steam- 
ships and  two  barges.  The  exigency  of  transportation  during  the  war  did  much  to 
revivify  interest  in  the  development  of  the  inland  waterways  systems  of  the  country. 

The  merits  of  Philadelphia  as  a  port  were  established  and  proven  during  the 
war.  While  we  may  feel  that  the  future  of  the  port  is  assured,  the  rapidity  with 
which  it  will  be  developed  depends  upon  the  active  and  hearty  cooperation  of  all 
local  maritime  interests. 


LIDLIVI  I  iwi"*™ 


Iff 


WE  MUST  BUY!  BUY!!  BUY!! 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.  Buhler,  Stanley  Co.  of  America. 

A  Diver  Aids  in  the  Recruiting  Campaign. 
360 


SHIPBUILDING  FOR  WAR  AND   PEACE  TIMES 

Work  of  the  United  States  Shipping  Board  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation 

By  W.  J.  Bollenreck* 

p^gHILADELPHIANS  may  well  be  proud  of  the  part  played 
by  their  city  in  the  war,  because  from  this  city  was 
directed  the  vast  and  unprecedented  shipbuilding  activity 
of  the  United  States  which  convinced  Germany  that  her 
unrestricted  submarine  warfare  would  not  bring  the  ex- 
pected victory  over  the  Allies.  The  executive  work 
connected  with  the  biggest  single  industrial  enterprise 
ever  attempted  was  conducted  in  this  city;  namely,  the 
work  of  the  United  States  Shipping  Board  Emergency 
Fleet  Corporation,  and  with  this  city  as  central  head- 
quarters the  world's  record  was  broken  for  speedy  construction  of  ships  to  serve  as 
an  auxiliary  to  that  valiant  body  of  men  constituting  our  Army  and  Navy,  fight- 
ing for  right  and  civilization.  Not  only  did  Philadelphia  house  the  "brains"  of 
this  vast  undertaking  but  it  also  did  its  share  in  the  actual  production,  for  in  this 
vicinity  nearly  20  per  cent  of  the  total  tonnage  on  the  shipbuilding  program  was 
produced. 

Philadelphia  may  justly  be  regarded  as  the  foster-mother  of  America's  revival 
as  a  shipbuilding  nation  and  of  the  resultant  merchant  marine. 


American  Shipping  Before  the  War 

It  will  be  remembered  that  this  country  was  more  or  less  of  a  maritime  power 
in  1860,  but  that  there  was  a  steady  decline  or,  rather,  no  increase  proportionate 
to  the  rapidly  growing  trade  demands,  although  sporadic  construction  was  carried 
on.  This  may  be  better  illustrated  by  recalling  that  while  from  1850  to  1860  the 
average  yearly  tonnage  built  in  this  country  was  559,572,  it  gradually  fell  until 
it  went  as  low  as  338,596  for  the  period  of  1890-1900.  There  was  a  slight  spurt 
from  1900  to  1909  (921,324  deadweight  tons  in  1908  being  the  largest  yearly  pro- 
duction before  the  war),  but  for  the  period  1910-1916  the  average  was  only  445,465 
deadweight  tons,  despite  the  tremendous  increase  in  our  foreign  trade.  Of  the 
total  world's  merchant  tonnage  of  approximately  73,859,540  deadweight  tons  in 
August  of  1914  this  country  owned  about  one-seventh.  While  in  1810  we  were 
carrying  as  high  as  92  per  cent  of  our  foreign  trade  in  our  own  bottoms,  we  could 
boast  of  only  9.7  per  cent  in  1914.  In  other  words,  we  were  90.3  per  cent  de- 
pendent upon  foreign  shipping  for  transporting  our  imports  and  exports. 

What  this  decline  meant  to  the  industries  of  this  country,  not  only  from  the 
viewpoint  of  foreign  markets  for  our  surplus  but  also  because  of  transportation 
charges,  was  foreseen  by  those  who  took  the  initiative  in  the  creation  of  the  United 


*Formerly  Executive  Assistant  to  the  Director  of  Construction  and  Repairs,  Emergency 
Fleet  Corporation. 

361 


Courtesy  of  A.  I.  S.-  C. 


'Fifty  Ways  to  Beat  the  Kaiser"  at  Hog  Island. 


States  Shipping  Board  in  1916.  The  helplessness  of  this  country  as  regards  a 
proper  merchant  marine  to  be  used  as  an  auxiliary  to  the  Army  and  Navy  soon 
became  evident  with  the  war  raging  in  Europe,  and  it  became  a  stern  and  unpleasant 
reality  when  the  submarine  devastations  of  the  enemy  began. 


Creation  of  Shipping  Board  and  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation 

The  United  States  Shipping  Board  was  created  by  an  Act  of  Congress  on 
September  7,  1916,  "For  the  purpose  of  encouraging,  developing  and  creating  the 
naval  auxiliary  and  naval  reserve  and  a  merchant  marine  to  meet  the  requirements 
of  the  commerce  of  the  United  States  with  its  territories  and  possessions  and  with 
foreign  countries;  to  regulate  carriers  by  water  engaged  in  the  foreign  and  inter- 
state commerce  of  the  United  States,  and  for  other  purposes." 

The  original  act  did  not  contemplate  ship  construction  work,  but  merely  to 
encourage  it.  The  Shipping  Board  was  to  regulate  merchant  marine  matters 
the  same  as  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  exercised  jurisdiction  over 
railroads. 

On  April  6,  1917,  this  country  was  drawn  into  the  World  War,  and  aside  from 
the  work  of  the  Army  and  the  Navy  the  necessity  of  ships  to  carry  our  troops  and 
supplies  became  a  stern  necessity.  Our  neglect  in  not  having  a  naval  auxiliary 
in  the  form  of  a  merchant  marine  became  apparent. 

Under  authority  of  the  Shipping  Act  of  1916  the  Board  organized  the  United 
States  Shipping  Board  Emergency  Fleet  Corportation  on  April  16,  1917,  with  a 
capital  stock  of  $50,000,000,  which  was  subscribed  for  by  the  Shipping  Board  on 
behalf  of  the  United  States.  The  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  became  the  agency 
of  the  Shipping  Board  in  its  active  work  of  constructing  and  operating  ships,  but  for 
the  purpose  of  this  article  only  the  various  construction  activities  will  be  discussed. 

The  President  of  the  United  States,  acting  under  authority  vested  in  him  by 
the  Act  of  Congress  of  June  15,  1917,  entitled  "An  Act  Making  Appropriations 
for  the  Military  and  Naval  Establishments  on  Account  of  War  Expenses,"  on 

362 


July  11,  1917,  directed  that  the  United  States  Shipping  Board  and  the  United 
States  Shipping  Board  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  should  "have  and  exercise 
all  powers  and  authority  vested  in  him  .  .  .  in  so  far  as  applicable  to 
and  in  furtherance  of  the  construction  of  vessels,  the  purchase  or  requisitioning 
of  vessels  in  process  of  construction,  whether  on  the  ways  or  already  launched, 
or  of  contracts  for  the  construction  of  such  vessels,  and  the  completion  thereof, 
and  all  power  and  authority  applicable  to  and  in  furtherance  of  the  production, 
purchase  and  requisitioning  of  materials  for  ship  construction"  and  in  the 
"operation,  management  and  disposition  of  such  vessels,  and  of  all  other 
vessels  heretofore  or  hereafter  acquired  by  the  United  States."  Later,  similar 
authority  was  given  for  the  acquisition,  extension,  etc.,  of  transportation  and 
housing  facilities,  of  shipyards  and  shipyard  plants,  of  drydocks,  marine  rail- 
ways, piers  and  all  other  necessities  for  ship  construction  and  operation.  The 
Shipping  Board  designated  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  to  act  as  its  agent 
in  carrying  out  the  executive  order  of  the  President.  The  Shipping  Board  consisted 
of  five  members,  who,  in  turn,  were  also  members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the 
Corporation. 

Seizure  of  Enemy  Ships 

One  of  the  first  steps  of  the  United  States  was  to  seize  all  enemy  shipping 
interned  in  our  ports.  This  was  done  under  authority  given  to  the  President  by 
Congress  on  May  12,  1917,  which  authority  was  delegated  to  the  Shipping  Board 
by  the  President  on  June  30,  1917.  Approximately  eighty-eight  vessels  were 
thus  seized,  most  of  them  being  turned  over  to  the  Army  and  Navy  for  transport 
work.  Later,  similar  authority  was  delegated  to  take  over  all  port  facilities  of 
enemy  companies.  In  addition  to  the  ships  thus  seized  this  country  also  purchased 
or  chartered  enemy  vessels  interned  in  other  countries,  particularly  in  South 
America. 


Courtesy  of  A.-l.  S.  U. 


Thawing  Ground  at  Hog  Island  with  live  steam. 
363 


("curtesy  of  A. -I.   S.  C. 


Showing  Progress  made  during  the  winter  at  Hog  Island. 

Commandeering  of  American  Vessels 

In  order  to  give  the  Government  control  over  all  ships  flying  the  American 
flag,  all  steel  vessels  of  more  than  2,500  deadweight  tons  were  commandeered  and 
operated,  in  many  cases  by  their  former  owners,  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Board. 

Requisitioning  or  Vessels  Under  Construction 

As  a  result  of  the  requisitioning  Order  of  August  3,  1917,  all  vessels  building 
or  contracted  for  private  or  foreign  account  in  the  shipyards  of  this  country  were 
requisitioned.  In  this  way  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  acquired  some  431 
vessels  of  3,074,306  deadweight  tons  which  were  under  construction,  or  about 
to  be  constructed,  and  supervised  their  completion.  (This  number  was  later 
reduced  to  384  of  2,687,266  deadweight  tons  by  cancelations.)  The  nationality 
of  the  former  or  prospective  owners  of  these  requisitioned  vessels  follows:  American, 
185;  British,  163;  French,  34;  Norwegian,  38;  Italian,  4;  Danish,  4;  Russian,  2; 
and  Japanese,  1. 

With  these  three  important  steps  taken  the  Government,  through  the  United 
States  Shipping  Board  and  its  agency,  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation,  both 
being  the  direct  agents  and  representatives  of  the  President,  controlled  all  ship- 
building and  shipping  in  the  United  States,  with  the  exception  of  that  conducted 
by  the  Navy.  The  Government  was  now  ready  to  proceed  with  its  task  of  turning 
out  ships  faster  than  the  enemy  submarines  could  sink  Allied  shipping.  Ships  to 
combat  submarine  sinkings  were  needed,  for  the  enemy  was  destroying  some 
750,000   tons   per  month,  thus   rapidly  depleting   the   world's    shipping.     The 

364 


English  output  was  but  200,000  tons  per  month  and  that  of  American  yards 
but  forty-nine  vessels  of  301,000  tons  from  July  1  to  December  31,  1917.  The 
total  submarine  losses  of  Allied  shipping,  from  February  1,  1917,  to  October  31, 
1917,  were  approximately  7,709,298  tons,  and  before  the  war  ended  the  loss  by 
enemy  action  increased  to  approximately  a  total  of  19,273,273  tons  for  the  period 
June  30,  1914,  to  November  11,  1918. 

The  following  shows  the  average  yearly  tonnage  produced  in  the  United 
States,  both  private  and  Government  account,  exclusive  of  the  United  States 
Navy,  from  1813  to  1818,  and  from  1910-1916,  and  the  yearly  tonnage  from  1916. 

Years  Deadweight  Tonnage 

1813-1819 131,730  Average  yearly 

1910-1916 445,465  Average  yearly 

1917 997,018  Yearly 

1918 3,223,506  Yearly 

1919 6,558,823  Yearly 

1920 4,291,087  Yearly 

1921  (6  months) 2,863,465 

The  United  States  entered  the  war  at  a  crucial  time,  not  only  with  its  Army 
and  Navy  but  also  with  its  resources.  Next  to  troops  and  supplies  the  Allies  needed 
ships,  and  needed  them  very  much.  Had  American  ships  been  available,  when 
needed,  the  tide  of  battle  might  have  been  turned  before  that  memorable  and 
significant  day  in  August  of  1918  when  our  troops  turned  the  enemy  back  at 
Chateau-Thierry.  Our  neglect  of  shipping  came  to  be  almost  a  catastrophe,  but, 
with  characteristic  American  industry  and  pluck,  this  country  rose  to  the  occasion 
and  turned  out  "ships,  ships  and  yet  more  ships,"  and  thereby  helped  our  gallant 


Courtesy  of  A. -I.  S.  C. 


Shop  No.  1,  Hog  Island. 
365 


Courtesy  of  A. -I.  S.  C. 


Typical  Lighting — 10:30  P.  M. — at  Hog  Island. 


fighters  to  destroy  the  morale  of  the  enemy  and  bring  about  a  realization  that  vic- 
tory was  a  forlorn  hope.  The  shipbuilders  of  the  country  responded  to  the  call 
and  exerted  their  utmost  to  provide  the  much  needed  tonnage  to  transport  troops, 
munitions,  foods  and  supplies.     They  constituted  the  "second  line  of  defense." 

Problems  to  Meet 

The  problems  confronting  the  officials  in  charge  of  producing  ships  were  not 
only  those  of  actual  ship  construction  but  many  related  activities,  such  as  expanding 
the  existing  and  erecting  additional  shipyards,  securing  additional  shipyard  workers, 
providing  for  their  housing,  safety,  sanitation  and  transportation,  purchasing 
and  transporting  vast  quantities  of  materials,  securing  and  training  executives  to 
supervise  the  work,  attending  to  letting  of  contracts,  safeguarding  the  legal  rights 
of  the  Government,  handling  and  supervising  all  financial  matters,  setting  up  a 
proper  and  correlated  organization,  defining  the  methods  and  procedure,  securing 
office  space  and  a  force  both  in  the  Home  and  Field  offices;  in  short,  attending  to 
the  multitudinous  details  of  setting  up  a  business  larger  than  any  ever  existing, 
and  have  it  functioning  almost  immediately.  It  seemed  like  a  superhuman  task, 
but,  thanks  to  Yankee  pluck  and  skill,  it  was  performed  almost  overnight  and 
America  again  became  a  shipbuilding  nation. 


Shipyard  Facilities  and  Workers 

Before  the  war  there  were  less  than  sixty  shipyards  in  the  United  States  capable 
of  constructing  ocean-going  merchant  vessels.  These  had  a  total  of  235  shipways. 
To  increase  shipbuilding  ten-fold  it  was  necessary  to  greatly  expand  the  facilities, 

366 


and  by  November  of  1918  there  were  190  yards,  with  1,020  shipways,  engaged  in 
government  construction  in  this  country,  and  fourteen  in  the  Orient. 

In  1916  there  were  but  50,000  experienced  shipyard  workers.  Through  the 
labor  recruiting  and  the  training  policies  the  number  was  increased  to  385,000. 

Actual  Ship  Construction 

The  original  war  program  called  for  a  total  of  3,270  vessels  of  18,407,276 
deadweight  tonnage. 

When  the  war  emergency  passed,  contracts  for  ships  required  for  the  war 
but  not  needed  for  a  well-balanced  merchant  marine,  and  others  on  which  construc- 
tion had  not  proceeded  too  far,  were  suspended,  followed  by  cancelations  wherever 
a  saving  could  be  effected.  In  this  way  the  program  was  reduced  by  958  ships 
of  4,770,565  deadweight  tons,  leaving  an  active  program  of  2,312  of  13,636,711 
deadweight,  or  a  decrease  of  25.8  per  cent. 


Original  and  Active  Program 


Class 


Original  Program 

Number 


Deadweight 
Tons 


Requisitioned  steel 419  2,963,406 

Contract  steel 1,741  11,914,670 

Contract  wood 1,017  3,052,200 

Contract  composite 50  175,000 

Contract  concrete 43  302,000 

Total 3,270  18,407,276 


Canceled 

Deadweight 
Number  Tons 


35 

432 

428 

32 

31 


276,140 

2,986,975 

1,166,950 

112,000 

228,500 


Active 


Number 

384 
1,309 

589 
18 
12 


Deadweight 
Tons 


2,687,266 

8,927,695 

1,885,250 

63,000 

73,500 


958       4,770,565 


2,312       13,636,711 


The  present  active  program  by  type  of  ship  follows: 
Active  Program  by  Types 


Steel 


Cargo 1,429 

Tanker 138 

Refrigerator 19 

Transport 22 

Passenger  and  cargo 25 

Rarges 6 

Tugs  (ocean) 46 

Tugs  (harbor) 8 

Hulls  converted  to  barges 

Finished  hulls 

Hulls  converted  to  sailers 

Barges  converted  to  schooners 

Harbor  tugs .  .  . 

Total 


1,693 

"A"     No  tonnage  given  on  tugs 


Wood 

Com-      Con- 
posite     crete 

18         4 

Total 

Deadweight 
No.                   Tons 

304 

1,755 

10,777,434 

1 

8 

147 

1,427,730 

19 

161,400 

22 

179,775 

25 

308,972 

28 

34 

93,200 

13 

59 

A 

56 

64 

A 

56 

56 

206,000 

115 

115 

447,700 

8 

8 

30,500 

2 

2 

4,000 

6 

6 

A 

589 

] 

8       1 

2 

2,312 

13,636,711 

A  total  of  204  shipyards  (including  fourteen  in  China  and  Japan)  were  en- 
gaged in  shipbuilding  for  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation. 

367 


The  fact  that  the  Government  took  over  ships  already  under  construction 
in  American  yards  made  it  possible  to  deliver  some  of  these  so-called  requisition 
ships  more  rapidly  than  the  contract  ships  (those  directly  contracted  for  by  the 
Corporation).  Accordingly,  the  first  requisitioned  ship  had  its  keel  laid  April  20, 
1916,  was  launched  April  21,  1917,  and  delivered  August  30,  1917. 

The  keel  for  the  first  ship  contracted  for  by  the  Corporation  was  laid  on  July 
29,  1917;  the  first  launching  was  on  November  24,  1917,  and  the  first  delivery 
January  5,  1918. 

By  July  of  1918  a  total  of  129  keels  were  laid  per  month.  This  was  the  record 
month  for  keel  layings.  This  was  also  the  war  record  month  for  launchings  with 
124  ships,  although  the  highest  number  was  134  in  May,  1919. 

The  world's  launching  record  for  one  day  was  broken  on  July  4,  1918,  when 
ninety-five  ships  were  launched  in  American  yards.  Philadelphia  has  the  record 
for  the  greatest  number  of  individual  launchings  in  one  day,  namely,  seven  in 
approximately  ninety  minutes.  This  event  occurred  at  Hog  Island  on  July  21, 
1920,  when  the  last  of  the  122  vessels  built  by  the  American  International  Ship- 
building Corporation  were  sent  off  the  ways  in  the  presence  of  several  thousand 
people. 

The  war  record  for  deliveries  was  seventy-six  (395,225  deadweight  tons)  in 
October,  1918.  The  greatest  deliveries  were  151  (841,886  deadweight  tons)  in 
September,  1918. 

It  will  be  noted  that  this  country  was  delivering  more  ships  in  one  month  than  had 
been  built  in  any  one  year  immediately  preceding  the  war.  This  exceeded  British 
construction  by  some  U00  per  cent.     It  not  only  shows  that  we  were  making  up  for  lost 


Record  Pile-driving  Crew,  Raymond  Concrete  Co.,  at  Hog  Island.     One  hundred  sixty-five  60-foot 
piles  driven  in  nine  and  one-quarter  hours. 


368 


time  by  not  being  prepared,  but  also  how  well  we  were  prepared  to  carry  on  the  war  for 
an  indefinite  period.  But  for  the  fact  that  the  armistice  was  signed  just  when  ship- 
building was  "Hitting  its  Stride,"  even  this  record-breaking  achievement  would  have 
been  surpassed,  because  this  country  alone  was  not  only  producing  enough  ships  to 
overcome  the  enemy's  destruction  by  "  U"  boats,  but  a  comfortable  excess.  It  was  a 
record  which  many  hoped  for  but  few  expected  to  see  accomplished. 

The  speed  with  which  individual  ships  were  finished  illustrates  American 
ingenuity. 

The  Tuckahoe,  a  5,500  deadweight  ton  steel  collier,  built  at  the  New  York  Shipbuilding 
Corporation  at  Camden,  N.  J.,  required  twenty-seven  working  days  from  keel  laying  to  delivery, 
and  was  in  operation  within  thirty-seven  days  from  date  of  keel  laying. 

The  Aberdeen,  a  4,000  deadweight  ton  wood  ship  built  by  the  Grays  Harbor  Motor  Ship 
Corporation,  Grays  Harbor,  Wash.,  was  completed  within  twenty-seven  days. 

The  Crawl  Keys,  a  3,350  deadweight  ton  steel  cargo  ship,  built  by  the  Great  Lakes  Engineer- 
ing Works,  Ecorse,  Mich.,  required  but  twenty-nine  working  days  from  keel  laying  to  delivery. 

Production  Exceeded  all  Expectations 

At  the  beginning  it  was  felt  that  if  2,000,000  tons  of  shipping  could  be  delivered 
in  1918  and  5,000,000  tons  in  1919  it  would  be  a  record  to  be  proud  of.  These 
estimates  were  considered  the  "peak  of  accomplishment,"  and  not  a  few  doubted 
the  possibility  of  its  attainment. 

This  record  was  exceeded  by  more  than  1,000,000  tons  each  year,  as  is  evident 
from  the  following  table  of  deliveries  of  the  Corporation,  by  years,  to  the  end  of 
the  fiscal  year,  June  30,  1921 : 

Ships       Deadweight 
Year  Delivered  Tons 

1917 50  305,215 

1918 533         3,025,806 

1919 1,180         6,384,423 

1920 473         3,129,567 

1921  (6  months) 52  514,900 

2,288       13,359,911 
Note. — Decline  in  1920  and  1921  due  to  curtailment  of  program  after  war  emergency  made 
same  possible. 

By  November  11,  1921  (Armistice  Day),  a  total  of  479  vessels  of  over  2,750,000 
deadweight  tons  had  been  constructed  and  delivered,  and  by  the  end  of  that  year 
the  total  had  reached  583  and  the  deadweight  tonnage  3,331,021.  (This  was 
exclusive  of  seized  ex-enemy  ships  and  other  existing  merchant  vessels  which  had 
been  commandeered,  all  of  which  were  in  operation,  and  covers  only  new  vessels 
constructed  for  Government  account.) 

Further  convincing  evidence  that  the  Corporation  was  pushing  shipbuilding 
beyond  all  expectation  is  the  fact  that  by  November  1,  1918,  a  total  of  1,429  keels 
had  been  laid  for  vessels  of  7,664,045  deadweight  tons.  Of  this  number  470  com- 
pleted ships  had  been  delivered,  276  were  being  outfitted  in  the  wet  basins  and 
683  were  on  the  ways  being  made  ready  for  early  launching,  a  record  of  speed 
and  progress  never  before  equalled. 

The  total  number  of  merchant  ships  and  deadweight  tonnage  for  Government 

369 


account  for  the  entire  active  program,  by  districts  into  which  the  country  was 

divided  for  ship  construction  purposes,  follows: 

Deadweight 

District  No.  Tons 

North  Atlantic 386  1,978,130 

Delaware  River 317  2,633,381 

Middle  Atlantic 135  978,660 

Gulf 202  884,100 

Pacific 759  5,254,150 

Great  Lakes 479  1,625,000 

Japan  and  China 34  283,290 

2,312       13,636,711 

The  enormity  of  the  shipbuilding  program  is  shown  by  the  following  original 
estimates  of  costs  to  complete  the  program : 

Ships $3,319,000,000 

Plant  and  property 177,000,000 

Housing 75,000,000 

Foreign  shipyards  construction 55,000,000 

Drydock  and  marine  railways 25,000,000 

Transportation 20,000,000 

Total $3,671,000,000 

Not  all  of  this  money  was  expended,  and  of  that  which  was  expended  a  con- 
siderable amount,  loaned  to  shipyards,  public  utilities,  realty  companies,  etc., 
was  returnable.  At  the  time  of  this  writing  the  figures  for  the  close  of  the  fiscal 
year  are  not  available  and  therefore  the  above  original  approximations  are  given. 
At  the  time  of  greatest  activity  the  outlay  ranged  from  $3,000,000  to  $5,000,000  per 
day.     (The  war  cost  the  United  States  $50,000,000  a  day.) 

Steel  Ships 

Of  the  2,312  ships  of  13,636,711  tonnage  built  or  being  built  on  the  active 
program,  1,693  with  a  deadweight  tonnage  of  11,614,961  are  of  steel  construction, 
divided  as  follows: 

Kind  Number 

Cargo 1,420 

Tanker 138 

Refrigerator 19 

Transport. , 22 

Collier 9 

Passenger-cargo 25 

Barge 6 

Tug  (ocean) 46 

•  Tug  (harbor) 8 

Total 1693 

The  superiority  of  steel  for  ship  construction  purposes  is  recognized,  and  only 
the  necessity  for  speed  and  fear  of  inability  to  secure  enough  steel  during  the  war 
period  made  it  necessary  to  resort  to  other  materials,  but  their  use  was  discontinued 
as  soon  as  possible  after  the  war  emergency. 

370 


Courtesy  of  A. -I.  S.  C. 


Keel  Blocks  of  Shipway  No.  i. 


Wood  Ships 


On  account  of  the  necessity  of  producing  ships  as  rapidly  as  possible  during 
the  war,  the  use  of  wood  was  resorted  to  and  a  total  of  1,017  wood  vessels  of  the 
original  total  program  of  3,270  ships  were  planned.  Of  this  number  428  were 
subsequently  canceled,  leaving  589  to  be  completed,  or  partially  completed. 

There  has  been  considerable  criticism  of  this  class  of  construction,  but  at  a 
time  when  there  was  a  demand  for  any  kind  of  ships,  especially  when  the  mills 
were  filled  with  orders  for  steel  needed  for  other  purposes,  it  became  imperative 
to  turn  to  wood  as  a  temporary  means  of  bridging  the  emergency.  After  the 
armistice,  cancelations  were  effected  wherever  possible,  and  conversions  were  made, 
as  follows:  115  were  finished  as  to  hulls  only;  fifty-six  were  converted  to  barges; 
eight  were  changed  to  sailers,  etc.  Therefore,  the  wood  ship  construction  was  not 
a  total  loss.  Some  of  the  steamers  have  been  sold  and  others  are  now  in  the  pro- 
cess of  being  disposed  of  by  sale  or  otherwise. 


Concrete  Ships 

The  pressure  and  demand  for  tonnage  caused  the  experiments  in  concrete 
for  ship  construction.  As  this  class  of  construction  was  only  in  the  experimental 
stage,  but  forty-three  vessels  of  302,000  deadweight  tons  were  contemplated.  Later, 
the  program  was  reduced  to  twelve  vessels  of  73,500  tons.  Of  these,  four  are  cargo 
ships  and  eight  are  tankers  (for  oil).  In  comparison  with  steel  this  class  of  con- 
struction, though  intended  to  be  more  economical,  is  not  as  satisfactory. 

371 


Passenger  and  Cargo  Vessels 

A  total  of  twenty-three  steel  combination  passenger  and  cargo  vessels  of 
299,000  deadweight  tons  are  being  built  to  round  out  the  merchant  marine.  Of 
these,  sixteen  are  being  built  at  the  New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation  at  Camden, 
N.  J.  These  ships  were  originally  intended  for  troop  transports,  and  after  hos- 
tilities ended  they  were  converted  to  passenger-cargo  ships.  They  are  of  the  latest 
design  of  passenger  ships,  having  every  comfort  and  convenience.  Of  the  twenty- 
three  ships  of  this  type,  sixteen  are  of  518  feet  length  and  13,000  deadweight  tons. 
They  have  accommodations  for  260  first-class  and  300  third-class  passengers,  210 
officers  and  crew  and  7,000  tons  of  cargo,  of  which  2,590  cubic  feet  can  be  used  for 
cold  storage  freight.     They  have  a  speed  of  17|  knots  per  hour. 

The  seven  smaller  vessels  are  of  502  feet  length  and  have  accommodations 
for  78  first-class  passengers  and  118  officers  and  crew,  in  addition  to  9,069  tons  of 
freight,  of  which  52,300  cubic  feet  can  be  used  for  refrigerated  cargo.  The  speed 
is  fifteen  knots  per  hour.  (Some  of  these  also  have  third-class  passenger  accom- 
modations.) 

All  of  these  passenger  ships  are  of  the  oil-burning  variety.  Inasmuch  as  they 
are  to  operate  in  the  European,  South  American  and  Oriental  trade,  in  competition 
with  foreign  ships,  no  effort  has  been  spared  to  make  them  attractive  to  the  trade. 
They  are  provided  with  the  latest  maritime  equipment  and  elaborate  furnishings 
and  are  modern  ocean  liners  in  every  respect.  More  than  50  per  cent  of  these 
ships  have  been  delivered,  and  are  in  operation,  while  the  others  are  being  completed 
as  the  "wind-up"  of  the  Government's  ship  construction  program. 

The  S.  S.  Keystone  Stale,  named  in  honor  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  is  typical 
of  these  passenger  vessels.  The  keel  was  laid  May  13,  1919,  and  the  launching 
was  on  May  15,  1920.  The  sponsor  was  Mrs.  M.  A.  Neeland,  wife  of  the  President 
of  the  New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation,  the  builders.  Delivery  was  on  May 
28,  1921.  At  this  writing  the  Keystone  State  has  completed  her  voyage  from  New 
York  through  the  Panama  Canal  to  Seattle,  and  is  about  to  proceed  on  her  maiden 
voyage  to  the  Orient,  her  ports  of  call  being  Honolulu,  Yokohama,  Kobe,  Shanghai, 
Manila  and  Hongkong.  She  will  be  operated  in  the  Pacific  trade,  from  Seattle  to 
the  Orient. 

Fabricated  Ships 

Fabricated  ships  were  built  at  the  three  so-called  Agency  Yards  of  the  Cor- 
poration, namely,  at  the  American  International  Shipbuilding  Corporation  at 
Hog  Island,  Pa.,  the  Merchant  Shipbuilding  Corporation  at  Bristol,  Pa.,  and  the 
Submarine  Boat  Corporation  at  Newark,  N.  J. 

The  fabricated  steel  ship  was  a  radical  change  from  accepted  methods  of  con- 
struction. Instead  of  having  all  the  hull  material  fabricated  in  the  shipyard  it- 
self, it  was  decided  to  have  the  standard  parts  made  at  bridge  and  structural  steel 
plants  throughout  the  country  and  assembled  at  the  shipyards,  thereby  permitting 
expansion  of  the  shipbuilding  industry.  Quantity  production  was  thus  made  pos- 
sible. A  total  of  280  fabricated  vessels  resulted  from  this  method,  and  its  feasibility 
as  a  means  of  construction  has  been  demonstrated  by  the  splendid  performance  of 
of  these  vessels. 

The  facility  with  which  these  ships  can  be  repaired  was  demonstrated  in  the  case 
of  the  S.  S.  Liberty  Glo,  a  Hog  Island  ship  which  struck  a  mine  on  December  5,  1919, 

372 


Courtesy  of  ffra.   H.   Baldwin. 

U.  S.  S.  "Liberty  Glo,"  after  beaching. 

and  was  beached  on  the  coast  of  Holland.  On  account  of  the  severe  gale  and 
high  seas,  the  vessel  parted  in  two;  but  the  after  part  was  salvaged,  needed  material 
to  replace  190  feet  of  the  bow-section  was  sent  from  Philadelphia,  and  the 
vessel  was  practically  rebuilt  and  is  again  in  as  good  shape  as  originally.  The 
report  of  Captain  John  Stousland,  her  brave  master,  who  stood  by  his  ship  when 
only  the  after  section  remained  and  after  most  of  the  crew  had  abandoned  the  vessel 
as  lost,  reads  like  the  wildest  of  sea  "yarns"  of  olden  days.  This  intrepid  skipper, 
who  faced  almost  certain  death  during  this  ordeal,  had  the  satisfaction  of  steaming 
up  the  Delaware  in  the  spring  of  1921  on  the  bridge  of  his  ship.  Needless  to  say, 
he  was  given  a  hearty  reception  by  his  associates  and  admirers. 

Yards,  Docks  and  Marine  Railway  Construction 

As  explained  earlier,  the  large  expansion  of  shipbuilding  facilities  from  some 
60  to  204  shipyards  in  the  United  States  required  large  investments  for  plant 
construction  and  extension.  Even  though  the  expenditures  for  all  plant  con- 
struction, including  yards  owned  entirely  by  the  Corporation,  were  less  than  6 
per  cent  of  the  cost  of  ships,  179  yards,  including  installation  plants,  were  given 
financial  assistance.  All  of  this  work  was  supervised  by  a  carefully  selected  corps 
of  plant  engineers. 

After  the  armistice  all  such  work  ceased  and  the  task  of  liquidating  the  in- 
vestments was  started.  The  speedy  completion  of  ships  brought  about  the  neces- 
sity of  increasing  the  drydocking  and  repair  facilities  of  the  country.  All  ships 
require  periodical  docking  (usually  every  six  or  eight  months)  in  addition  to  docking 
for  underwater  repairs  necessitated  by  accidents  at  sea  and  other  causes. 

A  complete  survey  of  such  facilities  in  the  United  States  was  made  in  conjunc- 
tion with  the  Port  and  Harbor  Facilities  Commission,  and  the  minimum  require- 
ments were  determined  as  follows: 

Floating  drydocks 17 

Marine  railways 13 

Graving  docks 2 

373 


Work  on  the  above  was  started  under  various  forms  of  contract,  and  most  of 
it  is  completed.     Those  owned  by  the  Corporation  have  been  or  are  being  sold. 

Housing  and  Transportation 

Proper  housing  and  transportation  of  shipworkers,  especially  on  the  Atlantic 
coast  where  these  facilities  close  to  shipyards  were  lacking,  had  to  be  provided. 
Of  the  385,000  shipworkers  many  were  brought  from  their  home  cities,  and  the  short- 
age of  houses  had  to  be  remedied. 

Under  Act  of  Congress,  approved  in  March  of  1918,  an  appropriation  of 
$50,000,000  was  made  for  housing  projects.  This  sum  was  later  increased  to 
$75,000,000.  The  sum  of  $20,000,000  was  appropriated  for  improved  transporta- 
tion facilities. 

A  total  of  thirty-four  housing  projects,  costing  $68,275,034.82,  were  provided 
throughout  the  country.    These  projects  consisted  of  the  following  units: 

8,644  houses 
849  apartments  in  92  buildings 
94  dormitories 

5  hotels 

6  boarding  houses 

They  also  included  cafeterias,  stores,  power  houses  and  miscellaneous  buildings. 

In  nearly  every  case  the  type  of  house  construction  was  permanent,  so  that  the 

projects  became  substantial  additions  to  the  existing  towns  and  cities  where  housing 

facilities  were  greatly  needed.     Vacant  properties  within,  or  adjacent  to,  manu- 


CourtMy  of  A. -I.  S.  C. 


Shiptoays  at  Hog  Island,  East  from  Bridge  Crane. 
374 


Courtesy  of  A. -I.  S.  C. 


General  View  of  Hog  Island,  from  Way  No.  1. 


facturing  cities  have  been  converted  into  thriving  residential  villages,  with  paved 
streets,  cement  walks,  sewer,  water,  electricity  and  gas  utilities.  "Along  the 
Delaware,"  in  the  country  within  and  adjacent  to  Philadelphia,  fifteen  of  these 
housing  projects,  or  about  66%  per  cent  have  been  constructed  at  a  total  ex- 
penditure of  $46,283,762.     These  projects  include  the  following: 

Hog  Island,  Pa.     1,989  houses  and  16  dormitories  with  accommodations  for  6,020  people. 

Camden,  N.  J.  (New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation) — 1,578  houses  and  59  apartments, 
with  accommodations  for  3,312  people. 

Chester,  Pa.  (Sun  Shipbuilding  Company  and  Merchant  (Chester)  Shipbuilding  Corpora- 
tion)— 991  houses,  162  apartments  and  1  hotel,  with  accommodations  for  1,168  people. 

Wilmington,  Del.  (Pusey  &  Jones  and  Bethlehem  Shipbuilding  Corporation) — 503  houses 
and  7  apartments,  with  accommodations  for  1,020  people. 

Essinglon,  Pa.  (Westinghouse  Electric  and  Manufacturing  Company) — 200  houses  and 
three  dormitories,  with  accommodations  for  1,041  people. 

Bristol,  Pa.  (Merchant  Shipbuilding  Corporation) — 320  houses,  212  apartments,  56 
dormitories  and  1  hotel,  with  accommodations  for  3,778  people. 

Gloucester,  N.  J.  (Pusey  &  Jones  Company) — 147  houses  and  1  apartment,  with  accom- 
modations for  896  people. 

All  of  the  housing  projects  were  financed  by  the  Corporation  advancing  money 
on  liberal  terms  to  local  realty  or  housing  companies  organized  by  the  shipbuilder 
(concerned)  to  construct  houses  on  land  owned  by  them  and  taking  back  from 
the  realty  companies  mortgages  covering  the  houses.  Since  the  armistice  the  Cor- 
poration has  liquidated  much  of  the  moneys  advanced  for  such  purposes,  less  write- 
off for  excess  cost  of  war-time  construction. 

The  total  expenditures  for  housing  also  include  the  cost  of  installing  public 

375 


utilities  such  as  water,  sewer,  gas,  electricity  and  paving.  A  portion  of  this  cost 
is  returnable  to  the  Corporation  by  the  various  cities  and  public  service  corpora- 
tions to  whom  the  cost  was  advanced  in  the  form  of  loans. 

For  transportation  facilities,  a  total  of  $9,490,982  was  expended.  Of  this 
amount  $5,794,143  is  returnable  under  loan  agreements  made  with  the  different 
public  utility  organizations.     Some  of  the  accomplishments  along  this  line  follow : 

Purchase  of  320  new  street  cars  and  thirty-five  used  street  cars  for  service  to  seventeen 
shipyards. 

Street  railway  extensions  built  or  financed  in  eleven  other  shipyards. 

Relaid  street-car  tracks  and  loops  in  seventeen  yards  and  financed  this  work. 

Increased  power  plant  facilities  in  seventeen  shipyards  and  manufacturing  plants. 

Chartered  thirty  steamboats  for  use  in  connection  with  twenty  shipyards  and  instituted 
sixty  special  steam  railway  trains  to  serve  twenty-six  shipyards. 

Of  the  $9,490,982  expended  for  transportation  improvements,  the  sum  of 
$4,566,084  was  expended  in  and  around  Philadelphia.  These  special  activities 
were: 

Delaware  County  Electric  Company — Installation  of  additional   equipment. 

Southern  Pennsylvania  Traction  Company — Purchase  of  twenty-two  passenger  cars;  re- 
habilitation of  one  and  one-half  miles  of  street-car  track;  construction  of  six  miles  of  single  track 
and  roadway  along  Chester  Pike  between  Darby  and  Eddystone. 

Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Company — Purchase  of  one  hundred  street  cars;  installation 
of  track  and  power  equipment  and  terminal  facilities. 

Philadelphia  Railways  Company — Purchase  of  thirty  street  cars,  installation  of  track  and 
power  equipment. 

Supply  Problem 

The  problem  of  obtaining  shipping  material  was  as  great  as  securing  shipyard 
labor  at  a  time  when  the  Government  was  mobilizing  an  army  of  4,000,000  men. 
Steel  mills  and  other  industries  were  working  at  full  capacity  and  transportation 
facilities  were  taxed  to  the  limit.  Nevertheless,  the  Government  was  able  to  secure 
enough  steel  and  wood  to  keep  all  the  shipyards  supplied.  Enough  steel  was  pur- 
chased and  distributed  to  build  31,600  miles  of  railroad. 

Sufficient  lumber  was  obtained  to  build  a  solid  "bridge  of  ships"  25  feet  wide 
to  reach  from  America  to  France,  with  about  4,000,000  feet  of  lumber  unused. 

In  spite  of  railroad  congestion,  and  shortage  of  rolling  stock,  steel  shipments 
alone  aggregated  119,294  tons  a  week  during  the  rush  period. 

To  insure  materials  being  on  hand  it  was  necessary  to  have  a  large  number 
of  traffic  experts,  supply  men  and  numerous  warehouses.  The  activities  extended 
to  the  rolling  mills,  boiler  and  engine  factories,  lumber  camps  and  to  numerous 
other  industries. 

Contact  with  Other  Agencies 

Close  relations  and  contact  with  other  Government  departments  and  agencies 
were  necessary.  The  Shipping  Board  either  had  representation  on  them  or  worked 
in  close  harmony.  Among  these  were  the  Allied  Maritime  and  Transport  Council, 
which  exercised  central  control  over  the  world's  shipping  and  especially  transport 
work;  the  War  Industry  Board,  which  controlled  and  had  charge  of  the  allocation 
of  fundamental  materials  required  from  industries;  the  War  Trade  Board,  which 
controlled  the  import  and  export  policy  of  the  United  States;  the  Labor  Policies 
Board  had  charge  of  the  control  labor  recruiting,  and  the  Exports  Control  Committee, 

376 


Courtesy  of  A. -I.  S.  C. 


President  Wilson  and  Mrs.  Wilson  arriving  at  Hog  Island. 


which  determined  the  freight  to  be  exported  for  the  war,  the  best  means  of  trans- 
portation to  ports,  etc.     Close  contact  was  maintained  with  the  War,  Navy 
Justice,  State,  Treasury,  Commerce  and  Labor  Departments,  and  the  Railroad 
Administration.      In  addition  to  this  outside  contact  numerous ' '  inside ' '  committees 
and  organization  units  were  maintained. 

Protection  of  Ships  During  War 

Various  methods  for  protecting  American  merchant  ships  during  the  war 
were  adopted. 

One  of  these  was  to  equip  the  vessels  with  guns,  "fore  and  aft,"  for  battling 
submarines,  and  with  depth  bombs  for  subaqueous  explosions. 

Another  was  the  use  of  the  "otter  gear,"  the  presence  and  working  of  which 
were  secretly  guarded  until  after  the  war.  This  device  was  an  English  invention 
and  was  known  as  the  "paravane"  there,  but  in  America  it  was  called  the  "otter 
gear."  The  "paravane"  was  a  torpedo-shaped  steel  structure  (the  resemblance 
of  which  to  an  otter  gave  it  the  name  used  here)  which  was  attached  to  the  ship's 
bow  by  cables  so  arranged  that  the  "paravane"  was  drawn  through  the  water  at 
a  constant  distance  from  the  ship's  side  and  at  such  a  depth  that  the  towing  cable, 
leading  from  the  "paravane"  to  the  stem  (extreme  forward  end)  of  the  ship,  would 
catch  the  moving  cables  of  the  mines  below  the  mines  themselves.  When  this 
cable  came  in  contact  with  a  moving  mine,  the  mine  was  dragged  along  the  cable 
until  it  reached  the  "paravane"  (or  "otter"),  the  mooring  was  severed,  the  mine 
rose  to  the  surface  and  was  exploded  by  gun  fire.  The  low  percentage  of  marine 
losses  through  mines  is  unquestionably  due  to  this  protective  device. 

377 


A  third  method  was  to  deceive  the  enemy  by  means  of  camouflage  painting. 
The  idea  was  to  bewilder  the  enemy  as  to  the  movement  of  the  ship  and  not  so  much 
to  hide  the  ship,  as  is  generally  supposed,  but  to  make  it  difficult  for  the  submarine  to 
know  in  what  direction  to  send  torpedoes.  Numerous  bold  and  striking  designs, 
planned  in  the  headquarters  in  Philadelphia,  were  in  use.  Some  150  camofleurs 
were  utilized  in  this  work.  About  1,000  American  vessels  were  given  a  "dress" 
of  camouflage  in  variegated  colors. 

Ship  Construction  in  and  Around  Philadelphia 

Of  the  total  number  of  ships  on  the  active  program  of  the  Emergency 
Fleet  Corporation  approximately  20  per  cent  of  the  tonnage  and  14  per  cent 
of  the  ships  were  or  are  being  constructed  in  and  around  Philadelphia,  designated 
as  the  Delaware  River  District. 

The  total  number  is  317  ships  with  a  deadweight  tonnage  of  2,633,381.  Of 
this  number  155  were  built  at  contract  yards  and  162  at  the  so-called  agency  yards, 
namely,  Hog  Island  and  Bristol.     The  distribution,  by  yards,  follows : 

Vessels  Constructed  in  the  Delaware  River  District 

Number  Deadweight 
Name  of  Builder  of  Ships       Tonnage 

Wm.  Cramp  &  Sons  Ship  and  Engine  Building  Company  (Philadelphia). . .        13  102,097 

New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation  (Camden) 38  393,995 

Pusey  &  Jones  (Gloucester) 20  194,500 

Pusey  &  Jones  (Wilmington) 14  58,400 

American  International  Shipbuilding  Corporation  (Hog  Island) 122  921,000 

Merchant  Shipbuilding  Corporation  (Bristol) 40  360,000 

Merchant  Shipbuilding  Corporation  (Chester) 28  250,179 

Sun  Shipbuilding  Corporation  (Chester) 18  199,400 

Bethlehem  Shipbuilding  Corporation  (Harlan  Plant,  Wilmington) 24  153,810 

317  2,633,381 

Approximately  $600,000,000  was  expended  for  ship  construction  in  this  Dis- 
trict: There  was  also  expended  $4,566,084  for  transportation  and  $46,283,762 
for  housing,  and  with  the  expenditures  for  salaries  and  office  maintenance  and  sup- 
plies for  the  shipyards  and  Home  Office  of  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  the 
total  amounted  to  nearly  three-quarters  of  a  billion  dollars.  In  addition,  Phila- 
delphia also  had  the  benefit  of  the  money  expended  by  shipyard  workers  and  office 
employes  of  the  Fleet  and  their  families,  many  of  whom  came  here  for  war. work. 
Nearly  100,000  shipworkers  were  engaged,  of  whom  35,000  were  at  Hog  Island. 
Probably  10,000  more  were  engaged  in  administrative  work  in  the  various  shipyards. 
The  total  number  of  ships  delivered,  by  years,  in  the  Delaware  River  District 
to  June  30,  1921,  follows: 

Number  Deadweight 

* ear  of  Ships  Tonnage 

1917 4  40.280 

1918 52  380,806 

1919 135  1,105,925 

1920 104  855,470 

1921 _14  146,900 

Totals 309  2,529,381 

Todeliver 8  104,000 

Total  to  completion  of  program 317  2,633  381 

378 


Courtesy  of  A. -I.  S.  C. 


Mrs.  Wilson  Christening  the  "Quistconck. 


In  addition  to  the  above,  eleven  wooden  ships  of  28,000  deadweight  tons  were 
built  in  this  District  by  the  Traylor  Shipbuilding  Corporation,  Cornwells,  Pa.,  but 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  North  Atlantic  District  Office.  The  actual  total  for 
this  vicinity  is,  therefore,  328  vessels. 


Hog  Island 

The  largest  shipyard  in  the  world  was  built  at  Hog  Island.  This  was  generally 
referred  to  as  the  "  eighth  wonder  of  the  world. "  The  original  program  at  this  yard 
called  for  180  fabricated  ships,  but  this  number  was  reduced  to  122  of  921,000 
deadweight  tons  after  the  armistice. 

This  yard  arose  Aladdin-like  from  an  almost  useless  tract  of  marshy  lowland, 
south  of  the  city,  and  in  less  than  a  year  was  a  gigantic,  energetic  industrial  plant 
the  like  of  which  had  never  been  known. 

The  contract  for  ships  was  signed  September  13,  1917.  Actual  construction 
of  the  yard  was  started  September  20,  1917.  The  first  keel  was  laid  February 
12,  1918.  The  first  ship,  the  Quistconck,  was  launched  on  August  5,  1918,  in  the 
presence  of  President  Wilson,  officials  of  the  Shipping  Board  and  the  Emergency 
Fleet  Corporation  and  more  than  75,000  others.  Mrs.  Wilson  was  the  sponsor 
of  this  vessel.  The  first  ship  (Quistconck)  was  delivered  December  3,  1918,  and 
thereafter  ships  were  launched  at  the  rate  of  one  every  3%  working  days  or  28% 
working  hours,  and  delivered  at  the  rate  of  one  ship  every  43^  working  days  or  36 
working  hours. 

Without  going  into  details  of  the  manner  in  which  this  tract  of  swamp  land 

379 


was  transformed  into  a  vast  industrial  city,  with  its  own  public  utilities,  a  few  figures 
will  be  given  to  show  its  size  and  activity. 

Area,  947  acres;  length  of  water  front,  2.25  miles;  number  of  shipways,  50;  number  of  out- 
fitting piers,  7;  length  of  railroad  track,  82  miles;  number  of  warehouses,  36;  floor  space  of  build- 
ings, 103  acres;  lumber  used  on  plant,  150,000,000  B.  M.  F.;  piles  driven,  151,000;  water  chlo- 
rinated and  filtered  daily,  1,300,000  gallons;  length  of  water  piping,  29  miles;  length  of  sewer  and 
drains,  26  miles;  length  of  electric  wiring,  675  miles;  length  of  telephone  wiring,  3,000  miles; 
number  of  concerns  who  furnished  supplies  and  materials,  including  ships  and  plant,  3,500. 

The  American  International  Shipbuilding  Corporation  bought  the  land  and  the 
Government  furnished  the  buildings  and  plant.  At  the  close  of  the  construction 
program  the  Government  exercised  its  option  and  purchased  the  land,  thus  coming 
into  complete  possession. 

This  yard  was  built  under  what  appeared  to  be  unsurmountable  difficulties, 
during  the  excessively  cold  winter  of  1917-18,  when  it  was  necessary  to  thaw  the 
frozen  ground  with  steam,  use  electric  drills  to  prepare  openings  for  the  piles  and  do 
considerable  blasting,  all  of  which  required  a  larger  force  of  men  and  resultant 
greater  expenditures  in  order  not  to  impede  progress.  Probably  no  undertaking 
was  ever  pursued  under  more  difficult  or  trying  circumstances.  The  cost  of  the 
yard,  approximately  $66,000,000,  seemed  excessive  to  people  until  they  realized 
that  it  was  about  ten  times  the  size  of  the  average  shipyard,  and  that  the  total  cost, 
divided  by  ten,  was  a  normal  investment  for  an  average  plant  of  this  kind. 

Hog  Island  was  just  in  full  swing  when  the  war  ended,  and  58  of  the  ships  to 
be  built  were  canceled,  leaving  a  net  program  of  122  divided  as  follows: 

110  cargo  ships  of  7,500  deadweight  tons  each 
12  army  transports  of  8,000  deadweight  tons  each 

122  Total 

On  May  30,  1919,  this  yard  surprised  the  shipping  world  by  launching  five 
ships  in  48  minutes  and  10  seconds.  On  July  21,  1920,  seven  ships  were  launched 
within  an  hour  and  a  half. 

To  build  these  ships  required  the  driving  of  some  64,573,486  rivets  and  the 
erection  of  356,018  tons  of  steel.  The  "master  mind"  responsible  for  this  great 
achievement  was  Matthew  C.  Brush,  President  of  the  American  International 
Shipbuilding  Corporation.  All  of  the  ships  received  the  highest  rating  of  Lloyd's 
and  the  American  Bureau  of  Shipping. 

Up  to  January  21,  1921,  the  Hog  Island  ships,  regarded  as  among  the  best 
built  for  the  Government,  had  carried  a  total  of  3,633,694  tons  of  cargo  and  had 
steamed  3,824,990  miles.  The  record  of  splendid  performance  has  been  maintained. 
The  last  ship  was  delivered  January  22, 1921,  and  the  plant  was  turned  over  to  the 
Government  on  February  1,  1921,  awaiting  disposition.  At  present  it  is  being 
utilized  as  a  supply  and  ship  concentration  yard. 

Hog  Island  was  a  marvel  of  industrial  enterprise,  and  was  designated  by  the 
Secretary  of  the  War  in  1920  as  "one  of  the  great  monuments  of  the  war. "  It  is 
generally  conceded  that  Hog  Island  played  an  important  part  in  convincing  Ger- 
many of  the  futility  of  its  hopes  of  victory,  and  in  that  respect  alone  it  was  worth 
all  it  cost. 

380 


Other  Yards  Around  Philadelphia 

The  second  best  record  was  by  the  Merchants  Shipbuilding  Corporation, 
at  Bristol,  with  a  record  of  forty  vessels  of  360,000  deadweight  tons.  This  plant, 
with  its  model  housing  project,  was  built  during  the  war. 

The  one  with  the  next  largest  production  was  the  New  York  Shipbuilding 
Corporation,  with  thirty-eight  vessels  of  393,995  deadweight  tons,  of  which  sixteen 
are  the  modern  combination  cargo-passenger  ships  now  in  process  of  completion. 

Administration  of   Shipruilding 
Personnel 

In  addition  to  the  force  of  385,000  workmen  required  in  the  yards  for  the 
Government's  shipbuilding  program,  a  large  administrative  force  was  needed  to  plan 
and  supervise  the  work. 

Starting  with  twenty -one  employes  in  April  of  1917,  an  office  and  field  force 
was  built  up,  and  a  month  before  the  armistice  a  total  of  8,273  men  and  women 
were  engaged,  divided  about  equally  between  the  Home  and  District  offices,  in- 
cluding field  forces. 

When  the  Corporation  began  and  expanded  in  Washington  in  1917  the  offices 
were  housed  in  twenty-three  buildings.  Because  of  the  great  influx  of  war  workers 
there  and  the  crowded  conditions,  it  was  decided  to  remove  the  headquarters  to 
Philadelphia.  This  was  done  the  latter  part  of  May,  1918.  Within  a  few  days, 
and  scarcely  without  serious  interruption  to  the  work,  the  task  of  transporting  the 
records  and  the  families  and  household  goods  of  the  office  employes  was  accom- 
plished. Augmented  by  necessary  additional  employes  engaged  in  Philadelphia, 
the  Home  Office  force  on  June  1,  1918,  consisted  of  3,991  people.  The  main  office 
building  was  the  ten-story  structure  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Broad  and 
Cherry  streets,  consisting  of  approximately  275,000  square  feet.  This  building 
had  been  erected  as  a  display  room  and  warehouse  for  a  local  automobile  concern, 
but  before  occupancy  all  but  the  first  floor  display  room  was  taken  over  by 
the  Government  and  converted  into  a  modern  office  building. 

The  nine-story  building  at  253  North  Broad  Street,  and  space  in  four  other  office 
buildings  in  Philadelphia,  were  later  required  to  house  all  the  employes  of  the  Home 
Office,  who  numbered  nearly  5,000. 

The  rapid  expansion  of  shipbuilding  required  a  constantly  growing  executive 
and  supervisory  force,  which  is  indicated  by  the  growth  of  the  payroll  for  the  Home 
and  Field  forces  from  $35,751  annually  in  1917  to  $14,597,569.08  at  the  time  of 
the  armistice. 

Organization 

A  fair  idea  of  the  numerous  and  complex  activities  connected  with  carrying 
out  the  vast  shipbuilding  program  will  be  obtained  by  indicating  the  main  organi- 
zation units,  or  departments,  among  which  the  administrative  work  was  divided, 
in  the  Home  Office,  as  follows:  General  administration,  financial,  legal,  contracts, 
plant  protection,  publication  and  information,  requirements,  supply  and  sales, 
planning  and  statistics,  industrial  relations,  shipyard  plants,  cancelations,  claims, 
transportation  and  housing,  and  steel,  wood  and  concrete  ship  construction.  A 
model  organization  was  set  up  in  the  Home  Office  and  this  organization  plan  was 
followed  in  the  districts,  of  which  there  were  eleven.     A  special  staff  of  experts 

381 


was  engaged  to  plan  the  organization  and  methods  and  procedure,  and  all  dupli- 
cation and  overlapping  of  authority  was  thereby  avoided.  In  spite  of  the  rapidity 
of  its  growth,  the  Corporation  endeavored  to  function  as  efficiently  as  any  long, 
well-established  private  business,  and  did  so. 

Conclusion 

From  the  preceding  account  of  the  ship  construction  activities  of  the  Emer- 
gency Fleet  Corporation  it  will  be  evident  that  a  two-fold  purpose  was  accomplished : 
first,  the  building  of  ships  for  war  purposes  and  later  for  the  much  desired  merchant 
marine.  The  construction  of  the  remaining  twenty-four  vessels  constituting 
the  program  is  nearing  completion. 

There  has  been  considerable  agitation,  pro  and  con,  as  to  the  value  of  the 
Government's  work  as  a  shipbuilder,  and  no  little  criticism.  Some  of  it  un- 
doubtedly was  merited,  but  much  of  it  was  not,  and  it  is  extremely  doubtful  whether 
those  who  have  been  loudest  in  their  criticism  could  have  done  as  well  in  meeting 
the  problems  and  requirements,  had  they  been  called  upon,  as  those  who  were  in 
charge.  Like  everything  else,  when  the  three  years  of  intensive  shipbuilding 
are  considered  in  the  retrospect,  it  is  no  difficult  matter  to  point  out  weaknesses 
in  methods  which  could  now  be  improved.  No  one  is  in  a  better  position  to  profit 
by  this  experience  than  the  men  who  were  directly  concerned.  However,  details 
of  procedure,  refinements  of  accounting,  closer  inspection,  etc.,  for  which  there 
was  no  time  when  lives  were  at  stake,  could  be  given  minute  attention  if  the  work 
was  done  again,  but  at  the  time  the  cry  of  our  nation  and  the  Allies  was  for  "ships, 
ships  and  more  ships,"  and  the  echo  was  "give  us  ships  at  any  cost,"  it  was  not  only 
necessary  but  most  vitally  essential  that  all  else  be  subordinated  to  the  main 
purpose;  namely,  turning  out  ships  at  any  cost  and  regardless  of  consequences 
or  fear  of  criticism. 

The  construction  work  of  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  has  been  carried 
on  in  a  business-like  manner,  despite  the  fact  that  it  was  a  herculean  task  to  engage 
in  a  practically  new  enterprise  involving  expenditures  ten  times  greater  than  involved 
in  the  construction  of  the  Panama  Canal,  and  under  most  trying  conditions  due  to 
shortage  of  materials,  absence  of  experienced  workers,  congestion  of  transportation 
and  necessary  rush  incident  to  war.  It  was  a  most  remarkable  achievement  and 
the  biggest  constructive  achievement  of  the  war  because,  even  if  a  large  part  of  the 
expenditures  is  written  off  as  war  cost,  the  same  as  the  money  expended  for  training 
men  and  supplying  unused  munitions  and  materials,  there  is  still  a  tangible  asset 
in  the  form  of  an  American  Merchant  Marine  which  is  now  an  established  fact 
and  the  advantages  of  which  will  again  become  evident  when  normal  trade  condi- 
tions are  reestablished. 

Due  to  the  efforts  of  the  United  States  Shipping  Board,  and  its  agency,  the 
Emergency  Fleet  Corporation,  America  has  reestablished  herself  as  a  maritime 
nation.  The  fleet  of  merchant  vessels  which  she  owns,  with  privately  owned  vessels 
under  American  registry,  gives  her  a  merchant  marine  of  nearly  28,000,000  dead- 
weight tons.  She  is  practically  independent  of  foreign  nations  in  shipping.  These 
ships  increased  the  percentage  of  the  foreign  trade  carried  in  our  own  bottoms 
from  9.4  per  cent  in  1914  to  44.8  in  1920,  and  we  are  in  a  position  to  carry  practi- 
cally all  of  it,  even  with  the  increased  trade  which  will  come  when  foreign  condi- 

382 


tions  improve.  New  trade  routes  have  been  developed  and  new  markets  for  our 
exports  have  been  made  available.  Our  foreign  trade  increased  unexpectedly  in 
1920,  and  undoubtedly  would  have  shown  a  greater  increase  for  1921  if  business 
conditions  had  not  slumped  temporarily.  The  increased  foreign  trade  meant 
greater  prosperity  for  us.  Our  merchants  were  no  longer  at  the  mercy  of  foreign 
ship  owners  as  regards  rates,  facilities,  routes  and  markets.  Greater  employment 
was  given  to  our  own  seamen.  Pioneer  work  has  been  done  to  lighten  the  load 
and  task  of  American  ship  operators  who  will  eventually  own  the  fleet.  Many 
other  benefits,  direct  and  indirect,  resulted  and  are  yet  to  come. 

The  United  States  is  now  the  largest  single  owner  of  merchant  vessels  in  the 
world.  The  total  tonnage  under  her  flag  is  exceeded  only  slightly  by  Great  Britain. 
From  an  unimportant  place  in  maritime  matters  she  has  come  into  the  greatest 
prominence  and  has  attained  the  distinction  which  has  not  been  hers  since  1860. 

The  policy  of  this  country  in  regard  to  shipping  was  provided  for  in  the  Mer- 
chant Marine  Act  of  June,  1920.  Under  it  the  merchant  marine  is  expected  to  be 
fostered  and  to  grow  so  that  we  will  be  independent  of  foreign  countries  in  shipping 
matters,  as  we  are  independent  in  other  respects. 

The  shipbuilding  record  of  the  United  States  for  war  purposes  has  never  been 
equalled,  and  probably  never  will  be.  The  establishment  of  the  American  Merchant 
Marine,  which  followed,  will  lead  to  untold  benefits  to  this  country  and  its  people. 

WORK  OF  THE  CRAMP  SHIPYARD  DURING  THE  WAR 
By  Francis  L.  Cramp 

The  Cramp  Shipyard  as  it  existed  at  the  beginning  of  the  World  War  in  1914 
was  the  result  of  the  growth  begun  by  William  Cramp  in  1830,  and  it  is  now  and 
for  many  years  has  been  the  oldest  shipyard  in  continuous  existence  in  America. 

The  Cramp  Company  was  incorporated  in  1872  as  the  William  Cramp  and 
Sons  Ship  &  Engine  Building  Company  and  in  its  present  form  it  represents  the 
combination  of  a  number  of  industries  in  a  single  organization. 

The  Shipyard  at  the  Beginning  of  the  World  War 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  in  August,  1914,  shipbuilding  in  the  United  States 
had  diminished  to  small  proportions.  The  Cramp  Company  employed  in  all 
departments  during  the  summer  of  1914  a  total  of  about  4,600  men,  a  figure  which 
gradually  decreased  until  the  low  ebb  of  2,506  was  reached  in  March,  1915. 

In  the  early  summer  of  1915,  however,  a  complete  change  took  place  in  the  ship- 
building situation  and  great  activity  became  manifest  in  all  the  shipyards  along 
the  Atlantic  coast.  A  heavy  demand  developed  for  the  construction  of  cargo- 
carrying  vessels  which  continued  to  increase  at  a  rapid  rate. 

The  growing  effects  of  the  World  War  on  American  shipping  were  so  far  reach- 
ing that  by  the  summer  of  1917  the  industry  had  attained  a  position  of  prominence 
such  as  a  few  years  before  would  have  been  thought  impossible.  The  loss  of  ships 
by  submarines  and  the  heavy  demands  of  the  war  had  filled  practically  all  of  the 
American  shipyards  to  capacity,  and  the  demands  exceeded  the  available  facilities. 

The  Cramp  Company  had  under  construction  at  the  time  of  our  entrance 
into  the  war  two  torpedo  boat  destroyers,  the  Conner  and  Stockton,  for  the  United 

383 


Mine  Destroyers  in  Fitting-out  Docks. 

States  Navy,  and  a  number  of  tankers  and  freight  and  passenger  vessels  for  com- 
mercial interests. 

The  War  Program  of  the  Cramp  Yard 

One  of  the  most  vital  requirements  of  the  Navy  at  this  time  was  the  rapid 
increase  in  its  flotilla  of  torpedo  boat  destroyers  for  the  protection  of  transports 
and  shipping  against  the  submarine  menace.  The  Cramp  Company  offered  its 
services  to  the  Government,  and  70  per  cent  of  the  full  capacity  of  the  yard  was 
immediately  assigned  to  construction  for  our  Navy,  and  this  capacity  was  increased 
to  95  per  cent  during  the  war.  The  eight  building  slips  were  rearranged  so  that 
as  many  as  thirteen  destroyers  could  be  under  construction  simultaneously.  In 
addition  to  the  two  destroyers  then  under  way,  the  Navy  Department  placed  with 
the  Cramp  Company  contracts  for  forty-six  destroyers  and  five  scout  cruisers, 
the  destroyers  being  given  precedence  on  account  of  their  vital  importance. 

The  commercial  contracts  which  the  Company  had  were  all  commandeered 
by  the  United  States  Shipping  Board  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  in  August, 
1917,  so  that  from  that  date  all  of  the  Company's  shipbuilding  facilities  were  de- 
voted to  work  for  the  Government. 

The  following  statement  shows  the  result  of  operations  from  the  outbreak 

of  the  war,  July,  1914,  to  April  6,  1917: 

Keels  laid     Launched     Delivered 

Destroyers 5  6  6 

Freights  and  passenger  (and  transports) ....  6  4  4 

Oil  tankers 5  3  3 

Freighters 3  3  2 

Car  ferries 1  2  2 

Yacht Ill 

Dump  barges  (Panama  Canal) 3  3  3 

Total 24  22  21 

384 


Launching  of  U.  S.  S.  "Barney,"  September  5,  1918. 

The  following  statement  shows  the  result  of  operations  from  April  6,  1917, 
the  date  of  America's  entrance  into  the  war,  to  December  31,  1919: 

Keels  laid  Launched     Delivered 

Torpedo  boat  destroyers 46  37  31 

Freighters 2  12 

Transports 2  6  6 

Oil  tankers 4  5  4 

Total 54  49  43 

As  a  contrast  to  the  low  ebb  in  number  of  employes  in  March,  1915,  namely, 
2,506  men,  may  be  noted  the  peak  of  employes,  namely,  10,982  in  August,  1919. 
To  the  latter  figure  there  should  be  added  1,100  employes  at  the  plant  of  the 
De  La  Vergne  Machine  Company  in  New  York  and  350  at  the  Federal  Steel  Foun- 
dry Company  in  Chester. 

Type  of  United  States  Destroyers  Included  in  War  Program 

The  type  of  destroyer  built  at  the  Cramp  Yard  is  of  1,100  tons  displacement 
and  the  contract  speed  calls  for  35  knots.  Destroyer  No.  155,  U.  S.  S.  Cole,  main- 
tained a  speed  of  41.1  knots  between  14  Fathom  Bank  and  Brandy  wine  Shoals 
Light,  making  the  distance  of  4.8  nautical  miles  in  7  minutes  f  second.  All  the 
Cramp  destroyers  have  developed  on  trial  a  speed  of  over  36  knots. 

Transports  and  Cargo  Vessels 

In  addition  to  the  production  of  destroyers,  this  shipyard  contributed  during 
the  war  a  number  of  transports  and  cargo  vessels  that  have  made  most  enviabl 

385 


records  for  reliability  of  service  and  satisfactory  performance  in  transporting 
troops  and  supplies  to  Europe  during  the  war.  Among  these  were  the  Siboney, 
Orizaba,  Santa  Luisa,  Santa  Teresa,  Santa  Malta,  Santa  Ana,  Santa  Olivia, 
Santa  Rosa,  Santa  Paula  and  two  vessels  built  just  prior  to  the  war,  the  Great 
Northern  and  the  Northern  Pacific.  The  two  last  named  were  acquired  by  the 
United  States  Government  and  fitted  out  as  troop  transports.  Their  service 
was  so  remarkable  that  special  reference  to  them  is  made.  They  were  originally 
built  to  run  from  Astoria  to  San  Francisco  in  order  to  complete  the  carrying  of 
passengers  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco  via  the  Great  Northern  Route.  The 
machinery  is  direct  turbine  drive  of  the  Parsons'  type  with  an  installation  of  water 
tube  boilers  using  oil  fuel.  Their  contract  speed  was  23  knots  with  f  of  the 
boilers  in  operation.  They  are  500  feet  in  length  and  accommodated  580  passen- 
gers. At  no  time  in  the  history  of  marine  architecture  have  sea-going  passenger 
vessels  of  equal  length  approached  the  speed  of  the  Great  Northern  and  Northern 
Pacific.  Other  transatlantic  vessels  from  200  to  300  feet  greater  in  length  have 
done  no  better. 

It  is  of  interest  to  quote  as  part  of  the  war  record  of  the  shipyard  a  resume  of 
the  Great  Northern's  performances,  as  illustrative  of  the  way  by  which  Cramp's  ships 


tiaLM-LU 


U.  S.  S.  "Cole,"  on  trial  at  sea,  maintaining  a  speed  of  UlA  Knots  between  iU-Faihom  Bank 

and  Brandywine  Shoals  Light. 

maintained  the  traditions  of  the  Company.  "  It  made  twenty  trips  through  the 
war  zone  in  war  time,  completed  72,000  miles  in  ten  months,  and  established  the 
world's  record  round  trip  to  Europe — 12  days,  1  hour,  35  minutes. 

"  It  beat  the  Leviathan  by  three  hours  in  a  3,200-mile  race  from  Brest  to  Am- 
brose Channel  on  the  homeward  leg  of  the  eighth  trip. 

"  It  stands  number  one  in  the  transport  service,  having  landed  more  American 
troops  per  day,  per  1,000  tons,  than  any  other  troopship. 

"It  completed  the  tenth  round  trip,  November  18th,  and  landed  about  30,000 
troops  in  France  during  eight  months'  period  ending  November  11,  1918." 

In  addition  to  these,  many  other  Cramp  built  vessels  were  utilized  by  the  Allies 
during  the  war.  The  steamers  Massachusetts  and  Bunker  Hill,  built  for  the  trade 
between  New  York  and  Boston,  were  successfully  used  in  mine-laying  in  the  North 
Sea.  The  St.  Louis,  Kroonland,  Finland  and  Mohawk  were  among  the  transports, 
while  the  Havana  and  Saratoga,  built  for  the  Ward  Line,  were  transformed  into  the 
hospital  ships  Comfort  and  Mercy. 

Another  vessel  designed  and  built  here  became  famous  from  the  manner  of  her 

386 


"taking  off"  and  is  noted  as  the  "Mystery  Ship."     Thh  was  the  collier  Cyclops, 
concerning  whose  end  no  tidings  have  ever  been  received. 

The  manner  in  which  these  vessels  served  the  needs  of  the  Government  can 
be  best  judged  from  the  reports  of  those  in  command,  similar  in  tone  to  the  one 
quoted  concerning  the  Great  Northern.  It  should  be  noted  that  the  Leviathan  and 
the  Great  Northern  and  Northern  Pacific  made  their  trips  in  company,  the  latter 
two  ships  being  the  only  ones  in  service  as  transports  that  could  maintain  or  exceed 
the  speed  of  the  tremendous  and  powerful  Leviathan. 

The  Work  of  the  Kensington  Shipyard  Department 

One  of  the  imperative  needs  of  the  Government  was  the  fitting  of  merchant 
vessels  with  guns,  gun  foundations,  mine-sweeping  apparatus  and  accommodations 
for  the  armed  guard  operating  the  guns.  The  large  amount  of  work  of  this  nature 
which  had  to  be  done  in  the  early  stages  placed  the  Kensington  repair  yard  and 
drydock  on  a  plane  of  the  greatest  importance,  and  it  was  essential  that  its  facilities 
should  be  utilized  to  their  fullest  extent.  The  record  given  below  shows  the  scope 
of  the  work  for  two  years,  from  April  6,  1917,  to  April  6,  1919: 

Vessels  in  drydock 184 

Vessels  on  railways 285 

Vessels  fitted  with  mine-sweeping  devices 12 

Veseels  fitted  with  guns,  foundations  and  magazines  for  navy  equipment  30 
Vessels  repaired  for  the  United  States  Shipping  Board,  Naval  Overseas 
Transportation  Service  and  United  States  Quartermaster's  Depart- 
ment    162 

Commercial  vessels  repaired 400 

Propeller  Wheels 

This  Company  having  contracted  with  the  Navy  Department  for  the  con- 
struction of  forty-six  destroyers,  it  became  necessary  to  provide  a  large  number 
of  propeller  wheels.  These  are  made  of  manganese  bronze  and  so  designed  as  to 
transmit  the  force  of  the  propelling  machinery  through  two  wheels  for  each  vessel, 
the  total  shaft  horsepower  of  the  installation  being  about  28,000.  As  the  pro- 
pellers are  driven  at  high  speed,  it  is  necessary  that  they  should  be  accurately 
machined  and  balanced  in  order  to  run  at  the  required  revolutions  without  setting 
up  vibrations.  Eight  special  machines  for  finishing  these  propellers  were  developed 
and  built  by  the  Cramp  Company.  An  entire  bay  of  one  of  the  machine  shops  was 
devoted  to  machining  and  finishing,  in  order  that  the  manufacture  of  propellers 
could  be  completed  as  rapidly  as  the  ships  were  being  built.  Having  successfully 
provided  this  special  equipment  for  our  own  requirements,  other  shipbuilders  under 
contract  with  the  Government  for  destroyers  and  miscellaneous  vessels  arranged 
with  us  to  manufacture  and  machine  the  propellers  for  them.  So  far  as  known, 
no  undertaking  of  the  nature  and  magnitude  engaged  solely  in  the  manufacture  of 
propeller  wheels,  from  the  design  and  casting  to  the  finished  article,  has  ever  been 
accomplished  except  at  this  yard.  The  wheels  approximated  1,000  in  number. 
It  is  enough,  perhaps,  to  state  that  they  were  successfully  made  and  in  no  instance 
was  a  vessel  held  up  through  delay  at  Cramp's  in  supplying  its  wheels. 

387 


Petty's   Island 

One  of  the  most  serious  restrictions  affecting  the  work  of  the  shipyard,  due  to 
lack  of  space,  was  insufficient  storage  capacity  for  material.  To  meet  this  diffi- 
culty, the  property  on  Petty's  Island,  directly  opposite  the  shipyard,  which  had 
been  acquired  just  previous  to  the  war,  was  utilized  for  a  large  storage  yard. 

Labor  and  Material 

The  history  of  the  rise  in  price  of  labor  and  material  due  to  war  conditions  is  so 
well  known  that  it  is  needless  to  refer  to  the  matter  in  detail,  except  to  note  that 
in  the  three  years  from  1916  to  1919  labor  had  advanced  some  178  per  cent  on  an 
average  and  material  about  150  per  cent.  This,  of  course,  made  the  cost  of  the 
finished  product  greater  than  has  ever  been  known  in  the  history  of  this  country. 
Through  the  system  adopted  by  the  Navy  Department  in  allocating  the  production 
of  steel  structural  materials  to  the  various  mills  throughout  the  country,  such 
material  was  supplied  to  us  without  any  embarrassing  delay. 

Inspection 

In  addition  to  our  own  force  of  inspectors,  all  Government  work  was  done 
under  the  supervision  of  its  inspectors  both  in  hull  and  machinery,  and  where  the 
vessels  were  built  for  the  Merchant  Marine  they  were  under  the  inspection  of  the 
classification  societies. 

The  cooperation  and  assistance  of  the  naval  representatives  assigned  to  this 
yard  during  the  war  contributed  measurably  to  the  success  and  rapidity  with 
which  the  work  was  carried  on. 


THE  MERCHANT  SHIPBUILDING   CORPORATION 
By  J.  H.  Loughran,  Manager  of  Publicity 

Repeating  its  history  during  the  last  three  score  years,  the  Chester  Yard  of 
the  Merchant  Shipbuilding  Corporation  played  an  important  part  in  the  World 
War.  The  history  of  this  yard,  situated  on  the  Delaware  River,  a  few  miles 
below  Philadelphia,  within  a  stone's  throw  of  where  William  Penn  first  landed  in 
Pennsylvania,  has  invariably  borne  a  markedly  close  relationship  to  the  American 
Navy  and  Merchant  Marine. 

With  keen  patriotic  foresight  W.  A.  Harriman,  a  young  genius  in  railroading 
and  kindred  pursuits,  bought  the  Chester  Yard  a  few  weeks  before  the  declaration 
of  war  on  Germany  by  Congress.  His  ambition  to  be  of  service  to  his  country  in 
this  crisis  was  marked  by  the  production  of  many  ships,  including  not  only  mer- 
chantmen, which  were  so  urgently  needed,  but  four  mine-sweepers  for  the  Navy. 

The  Chester  Yard  was  built  in  1859  by  Reaney,  Son  &  Archbold,  and  operated 
by  them  until  1871,  when  John  Roach,  the  "Pioneer  in  American  Iron 
Shipbuilding,"  purchased  it  at  a  receiver's  sale.  These  interests  operated  the 
yard  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Roach's  son,  John  B.  Roach,  in  1907.  The  yard  was 
idle  until  it  was  purchased  from  the  Roach  heirs  in  1915  by  Charles  P.  M.  Jack,  a 
marine  engineer  of  New  York  City,  who  in  turn  sold  it  to  the  Harriman  interests. 

During  the  Reaney  regime  several  war  craft  were  built  for  the  Navy.  Mr. 
Roach  in  his  time  built  ten  vessels  for  Uncle  Sam,  and  during  the  World  War  the 

388 


Photo   by   J.    K.    GTreen,   Chester,    Pa. 

One  of  the  Four  Aline  Sweepers  built  by  the  Merchant  Shipbuilding  Corporation. 

historic   shipyard   delivered    the    mine-sweepers    Turkey,    Woodcock,    Quail   and 
Partridge. 

Thirty  9,000  D.  W.  T.  tankers  and  freighters,  four  mine-sweepers,  and  two 
10,500-ton   cargo-passenger  vessels  have  been  built  at  the  Chester  Yard  since 


Photo  by  J.   K.    Green,   Chester,   Pa. 


Another  Ship  for  Uncle  Sam. 
389 


1915,  under  the  present  management,  operating  seven  ways,  and  delivered  to  the 
Shipping  Board.  Two  10,000-ton  tankers,  two  11,000-ton  cargo-passenger  ships 
and  one  fire-boat  were  under  construction  at  this  time,  September,  1921,  for 
private  contract. 

The  Harriman  Yard  at  Bristol,  Pa.,  was  built  by  the  Emergency  Fleet 
Corporation  on  a  tract  of  260  acres  owned  by  the  Merchant  Company  and  oper- 
ated by  that  company  as  agent.  Mr.  Harriman  revealed  his  inherited  genius  for 
organization  in  the  Harriman  project,  inasmuch  as  the  shipyard  had  to  be  erected 
before  ships  could  be  built;  and  before  the  shipyard  could  be  operated  a  town  suffi- 
ciently large  to  house  3,000  men  and  their  families — the  equivalent  of  a  population 
of  15,000 — had  to  be  created.  This  town,  said  to  be  the  largest  town  site  financed 
by  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation,  contained  a  post-office,  hotel,  hospital,  206 
group  houses,  26  single  houses,  25  duplex  houses,  and  212  apartment  houses, 
besides  a  large  number  of  boarding  houses,  bachelor  quarters,  etc. 

The  Harriman  Yard,  which  was  the  farthest  of  any  of  the  shipyards  up  the 
Delaware  Biver,  delivered  to  the  Shipping  Board  forty  8,800  D.  T.  standardized 
fabricated  steel  freighters  designed  by  the  Chester  Yard  organization  and  equipped 
with  Westinghouse  3,000  horse-power  turbines,  together  with  three  Babcock  & 
Wilcox  oil  burning  boilers. 


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Name                          Type  Launched  Delivered 

Malmanger Tanker 8-26-16  2-10-17 

Golaa Tanker 11-25-16  6-29-17 

Sudbury Freighter 9-29-17  3-  5-18 

Overbrook Tanker 11-17-17  4-26-18 

Avondale Tanker 3-16-18  6-4-18 

Phoenix Tanker 5-31-18  9-5-18 

Silverbrook Tanker 12-  5-18  5-25-19 

Burnwell Tanker 2-18-19  8-18-19 

Auburn Freighter 10-25-18  12-31-18 

Mystic Freighter 1-  1-19  4-18-19 

Ipswich Freighter 4-25-19  7-  8-19 

Iceland Freighter 7-29-19  11-  3-19 

Hisko Tanker 4-21-17  12-6-17 

Summerleaf Freighter 1-16-20  3-29-20 

Lockport Freighter 5-24-19  9-28-19 

Terre  Haute Freighter 8-23-19  11-21-19 

Texarkana Freighter 6-27-19  10-14-19 

Lansdowne Freighter 9-24-19  11-22-19 

John  Roach Freighter 10-28-19  12-23-19 

Amcross Freighter 11-28-19  12-30-19 

Wm.  H.Webb Freighter 12-26-19  2-4-20 

Donald  McKay Freighter 2-21-20  3-29-20 

Greenland Freighter 3-18-20  4-20-20 

Henry  Steers '. .  Freighter 4-  5-20  5-  3-20 

Loretta Freighter 5-27-20  6-19-20 

Chester  Kiwanis Freighter 7-  2-20  7-21-20 

John  Engils Freighter 7-21-20  8-17-20 

John  Stevens Freighter 8-28-20  9-20-20 

George  E.  Weed Freighter 9-30-20  10-30-20 

George  Pierce Freighter 11-  9-20  12-31-20 

U.  S.  S.  Turkey Mine-Sweeper 4-30-18  12-13-18 

U.  S.  S.  Woodcock ....  Mine-Sweeper 5-12-18  2-19-19 

390 


No.  Name                           Type                          Launched  Delivered 

33  15     U.  S.  S.  Quail Mine-Sweeper 10-  6-18  4-29-19 

34  16     U.  S.  S.  Partridge Mine-Sweeper 10-15-18  6-17-19 

35  380     Mt.  Carroll Cargo-Passenger 1-10-21  3-  5-21 

36  379     Mt.  Clinton Cargo-Passenger 2-  8-21  2-  8-21 

37  381     Puente Oil  Tanker 4-28-21  6-14-21 

38  382     Playa Oil  Tanker 6-4-21 

39  383     Robert  E.  Hopkins. . . .  Oil  Tanker 8-  6-21 

40  384     Samuel  O.  Brown...   Oil  Tanker 

41  385     Cargo-Passenger 

42  386     Cargo-Passenger 

43  387     Fire-Boat 


NEW  YORK  SHIPBUILDING  CORPORATION 

Spectacular  and  efficient  as  were  the  yards  built  by  the  Government  to  meet 
the  war-time  emergency  for  ships — and  none  of  these  yards  was  more  conspicuous; 
in  accomplishment  than  the  Hog  Island  plant  below  Philadelphia — the  main 
brunt  of  the  huge  task  in  building  America's  bridge  of  ships  fell  upon  the  old  line 
yards  with  their  plants  already  developed,  their  corps  of  workers  already  enrolled 
and  their  reputation  for  the  construction  of  ships  already  established.  Conspicu- 
ous among  these  plants  is  that  of  the  New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation, 
which  now  spreads  for  a  mile  along  the  Delaware  River  in  South  Camden,  and 
Gloucester,  N.  J. 

Starting  at  the  beginning  of  the  twentieth  century,  when  the  idea  of  large  scale 
production  and  efficient  operation  through  labor-saving  machinery  was  first  begin- 
ning to  develop,  this  plant  had  taken  an  important  part  in  the  construction  of  such 
deep-sea  merchant  tonnage  and  of  warships  for  the  Navy  as  were  built  in  the  first 
fifteen  years  of  the  century.  In  1916  the  original  company  was  bought  out  by 
new  interests,  which  formed  the  New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation  and  started 
immediately  upon  a  program  of  expansion.  This  was  hardly  under  way  when 
the  United  States  entered  the  war,  and  all  vessels  on  the  ways  in  American  ship- 
yards were  commandeered  by  the  newly  created  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation. 

Some  measure  of  the  task  involved  will  be  seen  from  the  following  brief  record: 
In  October,  1917,  the  Navy  Department  ordered  ten  destroyers;  three  months  later 
it  ordered  an  additional  twenty  destroyers  of  a  slightly  larger  type,  and  authorized 
the  company  to  construct  on  its  own  property  a  complete  destroyer-building  unit 
of  six  covered  ways,  four  open  ways  and  appurtenance  shops.  At  about  the  same 
time  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  ordered  three  troop-ships  of  the  535-foot 
type,  seven  troop-ships  of  the  522-foot  type,  and  then  an  additional  six  ships  of  the 
535-foot  type,  and  authorized  the  construction  of  a  plant  which  is  virtually  a  good- 
sized  yard  in  itself,  consisting  of  four  open  ways  (103  feet  broad  by  750  feet  long) 
and  complete  shop  facilities. 

Illustrative  of  the  speed  with  which  ship  construction  was  maintained,  de- 
spite the  inevitable  dispersion  of  energy  and  the  confusion  occasioned  by  the  plant 
expansion,  is  the  record  of  the  collier  Tuckahoe,  5,500  DWT,  which  was  completed 
thirty-seven  days  after  the  laying  of  her  keel,  and  on  the  fortieth  day  was  carrying 
coal  between  Atlantic  Coast  ports. 

The  production  record  of  New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation  for  1917  and 
1918,  the  years  of  our  active  participation  in  the  war,  totalled  twenty  merchant 

391 


Copyright  by  N.  T.   Shipbuilding  Corp. 

Eleven  destroyers  in  one  of  the  wet  docks  at  the  Camden  plant. 


ships  of  175,965  DWT,  and  the  U.  S.  Army  Mine  Planter  General  Wm.  N.  Graham. 
The  list  included  seven  tankers  of  78,231  DWT,  ten  colliers  of  81,227  tons,  and 
three  freighters  of  16,507  tons,  and  these  were  the  types  of  ships  which  the  world 
was  crying  for  to  fuel  the  Navy  overseas  and  to  transport  the  essential  supplies  to 
the  Allies. 

Added  to  the  tasks  of  plant  expansion  and  ship  production,  New  York  Ship- 
building Corporation  was  confronted  with  the  very  serious  problem  of  finding 
housing  for  its  constantly  increasing  staff.  To  meet  this  problem  the  Emergency 
Fleet  Corporation  authorized  the  Company  to  put  through  an  extensive  housing 
project,  embracing  what  were  known  as  Morgan  Village  and  Yorkship  Village, 
with  a  total  of  1,600  homes  within  easy  walking  distance  of  the  yard.  Morgan 
Village,  the  smaller  part  of  this  development,  consists  of  200  brick  houses  built 
wherever  vacant  lots  could  be  obtained  along  the  streets  back  of  the  plant.  They 
are  unpretentious  in  design,  but  are  well  built  and  comfortable,  and  were  quickly 
erected.  Yorkship  Village,  which  has  since  been  renamed  Fairview,  was  designed 
to  provide  something  more  than  mere  living  accommodations — modern  homes 
in  permanently  attractive  surroundings.  A  250-acre  farm  within  the  city  limits 
of  Camden  was  bought  and  developed  into  a  self-contained  "garden  city." 

The  architect  entrusted  with  the  project,  designed  a  pleasing  variety  of  brick, 
frame  and  stucco  house  from  a  basic  colonial  design  to  form  a  village  of  1,386 
houses,  56  apartments  and  a  dozen  stores.  The  ground  plan  of  the  village  comprises 
a  central  square,  from  which  a  long  rectangular  common  and  broad  avenues  radiate 
with  smaller  squares  and  ovals  between  them.  Sites  were  reserved  for  churches, 
and  the  municipal  authorities  cooperated  by  building  a  school  and  a  fire  house.    The 

392 


water  system  is  connected  with  the  artesian  wells  at  Camden,  and  the  sewerage, 
built  separately  with  its  own  disposal  plant,  has  been  joined  with  the  city's. 

At  the  same  time  that  the  executives  of  New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation 
were  engrossed  with  their  direct  contribution  to  the  bridge  of  ships,  and  with  the 
plant  construction  to  increase  their  outputs,  they  were  called  upon  to  assist  in  the 
preliminary  plans  for  the  Government's  production  of  fabricated  ships  at  Hog 
Island;  and  it  can  safely  be  said  that  American  International  Corporation  under- 
took the  construction  and  operation  of  Hog  Island,  the  most  stupendous  undertak- 
ing in  the  history  of  shipbuilding,  largely  because  the  Corporation  had  available 
the  skill  and  experience  of  so  competent  a  corps  of  shipbuilders  as  compose  the  staff 
of  New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation. 

The  need  for  troop-ships  having  suddenly  ended  with  the  signing  of  the  armis- 
tice, the  Shipping  Board  decided  to  complete  these  vessels  as  combination  passenger 
and  cargo  liners,  worthy,  in  their  fittings  and  provisions  for  the  comfort  and  plea- 
sure of  their  passengers,  and  of  the  highest  ambitions  that  the  new  American  mer- 
chant marine  enjoyed.  Thus  with  sixteen  of  these  vessels  under  construction,  New 
York  Shipbuilding  Corporation  was  given  over  night  the  greatest  order  for  specialized 
passenger  ship  production  within  the  history  of  shipbuilding.  Despite  the  inevi- 
table delays  incident  to  the  conversion  of  these  transports  into  luxurious  passenger 
liners,  and  the  many  changes  ordered  during  the  course  of  their  completion,  New 
York  Ship  by  August  1,  1921,  had  delivered  all  seven  of  the  522-foot  class  and  four 
of  the  nine  535-foot  class. 

The  signing  of  the  armistice  within  such  a  few  months  after  the  Emergency 
Fleet  Corporation  got  its  shipbuilding  program  under  way,  found  New  York 
Shipbuilding  Corporation  coming  into  the  full  swing  of  its  increased  productive 
capacity.  The  best  index  as  to  how  the  plant  grew  in  answer  to  the  demands  put 
upon  it  by  the  Government  is  in  the  personnel  figures  at  the  yard.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  1917  this  force  consisted  of  4,500  men,  by  the  end  of  that  year  the  number 
had  grown  to  7,500,  by  the  end  of  1918  it  had  increased  to  12,000,  the  year  1919 
closed  with  more  than  17,500  men  employed,  and  with  the  end  of  1920  the  peak 
of  nearly  20,000  was  reached.  The  reason  for  this  continued  increase  in  personnel 
after  the  armistice  was  largely  the  immense  work  involved  in  completing  the  troop- 
ships as  passenger  liners. 

The  physical  plant  of  the  Corporation,  in  the  mean  time,  increased  almost 
threefold,  the  number  of  shipbuilding  ways  having  been  enlarged  to  a  capacity 
of  twenty-eight  vessels,  and  the  shop  facilities  and  outfitting  basins  having  been 
correspondingly  expanded. 

Thus  New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation  now  stands  as  the  largest  of  its 
kind  in  the  Western  Hemisphere,  and  equal  to  the  largest  establishments  of  the 
Old  World. 

THE  SUN  SHIPBUILDING  COMPANY 
By  William  G.  Daniels,  Publicity  Manager 

Looking  backward  but  five  short  years,  we  see  the  uninviting  Delaware  River 
frontage  of  one-half  mile  extending  eastward  to  the  Ridley  Creek,  a  haven  for 
mosquitoes,  greenhead  flies  and  frogs — with  reed  birds  in  season. 

Development  was  a  stupendous  task,  due  largely  to  the  impending  strife 
when,  on  August  14,  1916,  it  was  apparent  that  the  United  States  of  America  would 

393 


A  Partial  View  of  the  Sun  Shipbuilding  Company's  Plant. 

be  drawn  into  the  world's  greatest  conflict.  Man-power  was  at  a  premium ;  the 
youth  of  America,  drawn  into  the  vortex  to  such  extent  that  industries,  which 
developed  overnight,  were  affected  by  dearth  of  available  men. 

Necessity  brought  ideas,  and  emergency  pointed  to  a  solution  for,  in  due  time, 
shipbuilding  was  under  way  with  hundreds  of  workers  who  had  lacked  experience 
but  in  view  of  the  spirit  of  it  all,  were  soon  studiously  and  energetically  turning 
out  steamships  which  became  factors  on  the  seas,  and  ultimately  merged  into  the 
composite  whole  which  made  possible  the  turning  of  the  tide  of  events  and  the 
emancipation  of  the  world  from  autocratic  rule. 

Five  shipways  of  concrete  were  erected  on  piling  of  concrete  and  capable  of 
building  ships  up  to  550  feet  in  length  thereon. 

Available  for  use,  almost  at  the  first  stages  of  construction,  was  the  power- 
house, in  which  structure,  at  that  time,  were  but  four  air-compressors,  capable 
of  producing  10,000  cubic  feet  of  compressed  air  per  minute,  whereas,  shortly 
after  the  plant  was  well  under  way,  war-time  needs  compelled  an  addition  to  the 
original  structure  and  five  air-compressors,  each  of  5,000  cubic  feet  capacity, 
were  installed,  thus  augmenting  the  original  power  by  250  per  cent. 

In  the  power  plant,  hydraulic  energy  was  created  to  the  extent  of  1,500  pounds 
to  the  square  inch  by  means  of  an  accumulator,  operated  under  225  tons  pressure. 
All  of  the  air-driven  and  hydraulic  machinery  throughout  the  plant  was  derived 
from  this  power  plant.    The  capacity  of  the  power  plant  was  8,500  kilowatts. 

Fabricating  Plant:  The  fabricating  plant,  a  structure  of  steel  460  feet  in 
width  by  600  feet  in  length,  comprised  the  laying-out  department,  the  fabricating 
plant,  proper,  the  heavy  blacksmith  and  anglesmith  shops,  the  great  bending  floor, 
with  cranes  and  mono-rail  system  to  provide  expeditious  handling  of  steel  in 
process,  from  the  points  of  entry  to  the  inland  end  of  the  shipways. 

Boiler  Shop:  The  boiler  shop,  160  feet  by  400  feet,  including  blacksmith 
and  sheet  metal  shop.  The  boiler  shop  made  a  record  unmatched  in  a  building 
of  like  dimensions  and  equipment,  exceeding  its  estimated  production  over  200 
per  cent  in  a  given  year. 

Other  Shops:  The  pipe  and  copper  shops,  each  in  their  sphere,  rigging 
department,  electrical  shop  and  installation  departments,  situated  at  the  head 
of  the  fitting-out  dock  so  as  to  expedite  the  work  incidental  to  outfitting  the  ships 
when  in  the  wet  basins  adjacent  thereto. 

Wet  Basins:  During  the  period  of  emergency  there  were  two  wet  basins 
at  the  Sun  Shipbuilding  Company's  plant,  the  original  one  being  at  the  eastern 
end  of  the  area  set  aside  for  them.     Basin  No.  1  is  600  feet  long. 

394 


Wet  basin  No.  2  has  an  inland  depth  of  500  feet  from  the  river  front  and  a 
width  of  250  feet. 

Wet  basin  No.  3,  of  recent  construction  and  greater  area,  is  960  feet  in  length 
with  a  width  at  the  river  end  of  385  feet  for  a  distance  inland  of  500  feet;  thence 
at  right  angles  to  an  inland  depth  of  460  feet  for  a  width  of  250  feet.  It  is  of  an 
average  depth  of  40  feet. 

Cranes:  Alongside  of  Wet  Basin  No.  1  a  Hammerhead  crane  is  located. 
This  mechanical  appliance  is  100  feet  from  the  ground  (to  extreme  top  137  feet), 
with  a  boom  120  feet  long  with  a  range  of  lifts  to  120  tons.  At  a  point  60  feet 
from  the  fulcrum  120  tons  may  be  lifted. 

Lumber  Yard  and  Mill:  During  the  period  of  emergency,  on  an  area  of 
five  and  one-half  acres,  seasoned  lumber  was  stored,  mainly  for  construction  of  the 
staging  around  and  about  the  shipways  and  for  temporary  structures  elsewhere. 

The  lumber  mill  was  capable  of  handling  everything  needed  in  its  particular 
line,  as  also  the  joiner  shop  wherein  woods  of  sundry  classes  were  stored  ready 
cut,  painted  and  varnished  for  installation  in  cabin  furnishings  and  fittings,  or 
ship's  furniture,  etc. 

Paint  Shop:  The  paint  shop  was  the  center  of  the  directing  energies  of  its 
foreman  with  300  to  400  men,  in  the  many  branches  of  their  work. 

Store  Room:  The  structure,  substantially  built  of  steel  and  concrete,  was 
200  feet  by  100  feet,  with  a  mezzanine  floor  extending  around  the  four  walls. 
This  building  had  stored  within  entire  outfits  for  all  the  vessels  built  at  this  yard. 
Outfitting  of  vessels  was  done  with  thoroughness  and  dispatch. 

Pipe  Field:  Adjacent  to  the  storeroom  and  contiguous  to  the  pipe  shop, 
an  enclosed  area  of  about  one  acre  was  given  over  entirely  to  the  storage  of  sundry 
classes  and  sizes  of  pipe,  standard  and  wrought  iron,  steel  and  steam,  and  other 
grades. 

Wetherill  Plant:  A  great  factor  in  attaining  and  maintaining  the  Ship- 
building Company's  status  and  invaluable  to  complete  operations,  ship  and  engine 
building,  foundry  work  and  repairs,  engine  boilers,  etc.,  for  sundry  types  of  steel 
steamships,  cargo,  passenger  ships  and  bulk-oil  tankers  was  the  Wetherill  plant, 
with  a  prestige  earned  after  sixty  years  of  business  and  unlimited  facilities  for 
construction  work,  engines,  shafts  or  duplicate  parts,  propeller  blades,  or  any 
internal  mechanism. 

Summary  of  the  steel  ships  built.  Below  is  appended  a  list  taken  from  the 
books  of  the  company : 


Cont.  No. 

Name 

1 

S.  S.  Chester  Sun 

2 

S.  S.  Sabine  Sun 

3 

S.  S.  Radnor 

4 

S.  S.  Lancaster 

5 

S.  S.  South  Bend 

6 

S.  S.  Mariea 

7 

S.  S.  Neponsel 

8 

S.  S.  Deerfield 

9 

S.  S.  Edellyn 

22 

S.  S.  Widgeon 

23 

S.  S.  Teal 

And  three  Mine-Sweepers 


395 


Cont.  No. 

Name 

10 

S.  S.  Sol  Navis 

11 

S.  S.  Hanover 

12 

S.  S.  Dryden 

13 

S.  S.  S.  B.  Hunt 

14 

S.  S.  Geo.  H.  Jones 

15 

S.  S.  Conshohocken 

16 

S.  S.  Cajacet 

17 

S.  S.  Sunbeam 

18 

S.  S.  Sunshine 

irs 

24 

S.  S.  Brant 

The  "Daram" — One  of  the  Wooden  Ships. 

TRAYLOR  IN  THE  WAR 

G.  B.  LlVINGOOD* 

The  Traylor  Engineering  &  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Allentown,  Pa., 
and  Cornwells,  Pa.,  was  in  the  forefront  of  the  many  patriotic  American  corpora- 
tions to  offer  its  facilities  in  entirety,  to  bring  the  devastating  World  War  to  a 
successful  conclusion. 

The  first  expression  of  service  thus  offered  was  its  entry  into  a  contract  with 
the  British  Government,  in  January,  1915,  for  supplying  1,000,000  3.29-inch 
eighteen-pounder,  high  explosive  shells. 

The  energy  with  which  the  work  was  prosecuted  may  be  appreciated  when 
it  is  noted  that  within  forty-five  days  from  the  signing  of  the  contract  the  first 
shell  was  finished,  and  production  thereafter  was  on  such  a  scale  that  shipment 
was  completed  three  days  ahead  of  the  stipulated  contract  time  of  thirteen 
months. 

This  remarkable  showing,  on  the  part  of  a  shop  not  originally  organized  for 
work  of  this  sort,  brought  insistent  demands  for  other  sizes  of  shells,  notable 
among  the  orders  for  which  were  100,000  4-inch  British  Admiralty  high  ex- 
plosive shells,  and  60,000  5-inch  British  high  explosive  shells,  not  to  mention 
numerous  items  of  army,  navy,  target  and  test  shells  for  the  United  States 
Government. 

Four  contracts,  aggregating  forty-seven,  1,400  horse-power,  vertical,  triple 
expansion  marine  engines  were  awarded  to  the  Allentown  plant.  Work  was 
started  September,  1917,  with  a  stipulated  delivery  of  two  engines  per  month, 
to  start  March,  1918.  In  January,  1918,  the  first  engine  was  shipped,  and  it  was 
also  the  first  completed  by  any  of  the  many  manufacturers  in  the  United  States 
having  similar  contracts.  After  the  first  shipment  delivery  was  made  at  the  rate 
of  three  per  month  until  completion  of  the  contracts. 

Simultaneously,  in  other  departments  of  the  plant,  there  were  built  complete, 

*  Assistant  Sales  Manager,  Traylor  Engineering  &  Manufacturing  Company. 

396 


fifty  500  horse-power  horizontal  water-tube  boilers,  to  be  used  in  conjunction 
with  the  above-mentioned  marine  engines,  two  with  each  engine.  Award  of  the 
contract  to  the  Traylor  Company  was  made  in  September,  1917.  Delivery  was 
started  in  December,  at  the  rate  of  three  per  month,  later  increased  to  six 
per  month,  the  contract  being  completed  at  the  same  time  as  the  last  of  those  for 
engines. 

In  addition  to  building  engines  on  its  own  contracts,  the  company  supplied 
many  engine  parts  such  as  cylinders,  crankshafts  and  difficult  small  parts  to  other 
contractors  engaged  in  the  same  work,  such  parts  aggregating  perhaps  25  per  cent 
of  the  completed  work  built  on  its  own  account. 

Also,  during  the  building  of  the  boilers,  the  company  furnished  forged  steel 
plugs  and  dogs  for  closing  the  clean-out  holes  of  the  boiler  tubes,  to  the  number 
of  282,000,  being  the  quantity  required  for  fitting  one-half,  or  350  including  its 
own,  of  the  total  number  of  boilers  of  this  size  purchased  by  the  Emergency 
Fleet  Corporation.  These  plugs  and  dogs  were  shipped  to  different  parts  of  the 
United  States  with  the  exception,  of  course,  of  those  required  for  the  company's 
own  boilers. 

It  might  be  supposed  that  with  the  contracts  enumerated  the  plant  was 
continually  filled  to  capacity,  but  such  was  not  the  case,  and  although  it  was 
always  in  those  days  difficult  to  secure  a  sufficiency  of  labor  and  materials, 
the  plant  somehow  found  time  to  do  a  little  work  for  other  Government 
departments. 

Thus,  during  a  part  of  the  period  noted,  there  were  finished  3,000,000  of 
1-inch  shell  lifting  plugs  for  the  Army.  During  another,  motor  truck  manufac- 
turers were  hard  pressed  and  called  on  the  company  for  thousands  of  small  parts. 
Again,  there  was  manufactured  a  large  number  of  air-drying  units  and  parts  thereof 
for  the  United  States  Explosive  Plant  at  Nitro,  W.  Va. 

In  addition,  there  were,  literally,  hundreds  of  other  orders,  each  a  mere  drib- 
let it  is  true,  but  aggregating  a  large  tonnage,  for  parts  of  equipment  for  some  war 
activity.  Necessarily,  particular  mention  of  these  must  here  be  omitted,  but  one 
further  contract,  almost  the  last,  is  worthy  of  notice. 

In  the  last  Allied  offensive  of  the  war,  the  troops  were  handicapped 
by  the  absence  of  roads,  and  it  was  determined  at  American  headquarters 
that  suitable  ones  must  be  built  forthwith.  This  demanded  the  employment 
of  stone  crushing  machinery,  and  the  service  dictated  the  use  of  portable 
equipment. 

A  survey  of  the  American  market  by  the  Army  engineers,  speedily  demon- 
strated that  only  the  Traylor  Company  possessed  the  combination  of  experience 
in  the  manufacture  of  such  crushing  machinery  and  proper  appreciation  of  the 
importance  of  war-time  production. 

Accordingly,  in  mid-October,  1918,  a  contract  was  awarded  the  company  for 
eight  11-inch  portable  gyratory  crushers  fitted  with  elevators. 

The  conditions  of  the  contract  made  delivery  in  sixty  days  imperative,  in 
order  that  shipment  abroad  might  be  made  by  New  Year's  Day.    The  fact  that 
the  work  was  completed  by  December,  10,  1918,  is  ample  evidence  that  the  con- . 
fidence  of  the  engineers  was  not  misplaced.     The  crushers  were  of  a  new  and 
improved  design  upon  which  the  Traylor  Company  had  been  working  for  some 

397 


time  before,  and  were  thus  the  first  to  be  used  of  the  now  world-famous  Traylor 
Bulldog  gyratory  crusher. 

The  Traylor  Shipbuilding  Corporation  was  formed  in  1917  as  a  subsi- 
diary of  the  Traylor  Engineering  &  Manufacturing  Company,  for  the  purpose 
of  building  ships  for  the  United  States  Shipping  Board,  Emergency  Fleet 
Corporation. 

A  site  was  acquired  at  Cornwells,  Pa.,  in  April,  1917,  and  by  energetic  prose- 
cution of  the  work  of  converting  an  industrial  plant  into  a  shipyard,  it  was  possible 
to  lay  the  first  keel  less  than  five  months  later,  and  to  launch  the  first  ship  in  a 
little  less  than  nine  months  thereafter,  in  the  face  of  heartbreaking  delays  in  the 
delivery  of  machinery  and  construction  material. 

The  contract  was  for  ten  3,500  ton  Ferris  design  wood  cargo-carrying  steam- 
ships to  be  built  and  completely  fitted  by  the  Traylor  Shipbuilding  Corporation. 
Delivery  to  the  Government  was  started  in  September,  1918,  and  completed  in 
June,  1919,  at  the  rate  of  one  ship  every  thirty  days. 

The  statistically  inclined  reader  will  enjoy  a  few  figures,  expressing  in  some 
measure  the  vast  quantities  of  material  consumed  in  the  company's  various  war 
activities. 

The  building  of  the  ships  required  nearly  twenty  millions  of  feet  of  timber, 
or  a  sufficient  quantity  to  cover  with  2-inch  planking,  the  right  of  way  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  between  New  York  and  Philadelphia. 

The  boiler  tubes,  if  laid  in  line,  would  form  a  speaking  tube  from  the 
Bronx  to  the  Battery,  New  York  City,  and  the  sheet  steel  in  the  boilers  would 
cover  an  acre  of  ground  with  a  ^s-inch  thick  steel  carpet,  or  form  a  strip  of 
steel,  3^-inch  thick  and  1  inch  wide,  of  sufficient  length  to  reach  from  New  York 
to  Buffalo. 

Fifty-two  millions  of  pounds  of  metal  were  consumed  for  all  purposes,  sufficient 
to  build  25,000  motor  cars,  or  to  form  a  solid  cube  fifty  feet  in  each  dimension,  or  to 
gird  the  earth  three  times  with  number  four  telegraph  wire.  To  make  shipment 
of  this  material  would  require  nearly  seven  hundred  large  size  freight  cars,  forming 
a  train  nearly  six  miles  long. 

However  entertaining  figures  and  comparisons  may  be,  they  are  likely  to  pall, 
and  they  cannot  tell  the  more  important  story  of  how  America,  by  reason  of  war- 
time exigencies,  came  to  realize  her  wonderful  potentialities. 

The  various  experiences  and  the  numerous  accomplishments  of  the  Traylor 
Engineering  &  Manufacturing  Company,  may  be  considered  to  be  typical  of 
American  industry  as  a  whole,  and  can  therefore  be  used  as  an  illustration  of  what 
can  be  accomplished  when  necessity  urges. 

This  article  is  fittingly  closed  by  naming  the  men  whose  ability  and  energy 
made  possible  what  the  Traylor  Companies  were  able  to  accomplish. 

Samuel  W.  Traylor,  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Directors;  W.  J.  Roberts,  President;  Harry 
Battersby,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  F.  W.  Hopkins,  Vice-President  and  Secretary;  H.  L. 
Miller,  General  Manager;  Richard  Bernhard,  Chief  Engineer. 

Traylor  Shiphuilding  Corporation 

Samuel  W.  Traylor,  President  and  General  Manager;  S.  W.  Traylor,  Jr.,  Vice-President  and 
Assistant  General  Manager;  F.  W.  Hopkins,  Vice-President  and  Secretary;  Harry  Battersby, 
Treasurer;  R.  R.  Shafter,  General  Superintendent. 

398 


PENNSYLVANIA'S  PART   IN   THE  MANNING  OF  THE   NEW 
MERCHANT  MARINE 

Under  John  Frederick  Lewis,  Chief  of  Section  No.  2 
By  Joseph  M.  Davis 

Among  the  pressing  problems  which  the  country  was  obliged  to  face  during 
the  war  was  the  building  and  operating  of  ocean  tonnage  in  the  shortest  possible 
time.  To  this  end  the  United  States  Shipping  Board  was  organized  ostensibly  as 
a  war  organization.  The  scope  of  its  work,  generally  speaking,  resolved  itself  into 
three  main  divisions — construction,  operation  and  recruiting  officers  and  crews. 

Edward  N.  Hurley  was  made  the  Chairman  of  the  United  States  Shipping 
Board  during  the  war.  At  the  head  of  the  Division  of  Operations  was  John  H. 
Rossiter,  formerly  of  the  Pacific  Steam  Mail  Packet  Company,  and  at  the  head 
of  the  Recruiting  Service  was  Henry  Howard,  President  of  a  large  Boston  chemi- 
cal company,  who  volunteered  to  make  possible  the  manning  of  the  American 
Merchant  Marine.  It  is  with  this  particular  branch  of  the  Shipping  Board  work 
that  this  report  is  concerned,  and  to  show  the  extent  to  which  Pennsylvania  aided 
in  it  as  well  as  being  the  leading  state  in  ship  construction. 

Mr.  Howard,  in  order  to  marshal  most  effectively  the  full  strength  of  the  country 
in  supplying  men  to  man  the  ships,  conceived  the  idea  of  dividing  the  country 
into  eight  sections.  Each  section  was  placed  in  charge  of  one  appointee,  who  should 
have  complete  control  and  be  responsible  for  the  supervision  of  its  entire  work. 

The  Middle  Atlantic  Section  was  very  fortunate  in  being  able  to  have  as  its 
chief  John  Frederick  Lewis  of  Philadelphia,  a  well-known  admiralty  lawyer  and 
international  law  authority.  Purely  from  patriotic  motives  Mr.  Lewis  assumed 
a  hard  task  fraught  with  difficult  and  peculiar  questions. 

This  section,  known  as  Section  No.  2,  comprised  New  York,  Brooklyn,  Jersey 
City,  Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Norfolk,  and  surrounding  country,  and  embraced 
therefore  the  greater  part  of  the  nation's  shipping  sections. 

The  work  resolved  itself  into  securing  seamen,  firemen,  coal  passers,  oilers, 
watertenders,  stewards,  cooks  and  messmen.  Besides  this,  the  ships,  because  of 
our  laws,  had  to  be  manned  with  officers  who  were  United  States  citizens,  with 
the  exception  of  such  aliens  as  were  able  to  have  their  licenses  endorsed  during  the 
period  of  the  war.  Therefore,  it  was  highly  desirable  to  have  American  officers, 
and  also  from  a  standpoint  of  national  sentiment,  the  idea  of  an  American  Mer- 
cantile Marine  officered  by  foreigners  was  intolerable.  If  one  will  pause  and  think 
that  added  to  this  nearly  all  of  the  men  were  subject  to  conscription  and  had  to  be 
exempted,  when  scarcely  any  provision  had  been  made  for  it,  some  idea  may  be 
had  of  the  magnitude  of  the  work. 

This  perplexing  problem  of  the  draft  through  the  initiative  of  Mr.  Lewis  was 
finally  solved  for  the  country,  and  Mr.  Crowder  had  inserted  a  section  in  the 
Draft  Law  exempting  mariners  in  training.  This  enabled  the  Recruiting  Service 
to  secure  men  and  train  them  for  duty  aboard  ship. 

A  training  ship  was  sent  from  the  Boston  headquarters  and  placed  at  Mr. 
Lewis's  disposal  at  Philadelphia.  Over  500  apprentices  were  recruited  for  the 
new  merchant  marine  and  sailed  away  for  training.  Many  hundreds  of  Pennsyl- 
vania men  afterwards  went  overland  to  the  Boston  headquarters. 

399 


Probably  the  most  important  part  of  the  work  was  the  training  of  men  to 
become  duly  licensed  navigators  and  marine  engineers.  Schools  were  established 
by  Mr.  Lewis  in  all  of  the  before-mentioned  cities  comprised  in  Section  No.  2 
for  engineers  and  navigators.  These  schools  were  schools  of  a  high  order,  and  the 
instructors  were  university  trained  astronomers  and  practical  navigators  as  well 
as  mechanical  engineers  with  marine  experience. 

Section  No.  2  at  the  time  of  this  writing  has  turned  out  1,643  navigation 
graduates,  of  whom  1,505  secured  navigators'  licenses,  and  2,158  engineering 
graduates,  the  most  of  whom  now  hold  marine  engineers'  licenses.  Probably 
two-thirds  of  the  engineers  are  natives  of  Philadelphia,  and  about  one-fourth  of 
the  navigators  come  from  Philadelphia  and  its  vicinity. 

Section  No.  2,  under  the  indefatigable  efforts  of  Mr.  Lewis,  turned  out  over 
five-sixths  of  the  officers  for  the  new  merchant  marine  in  the  face  of  the  draft,  and 
the  great  increments  of  men  needed  in  the  war  industries.  It  is  all  the  more  re- 
markable when  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  of  late  years  America  has  not  really 
been  a  shipping  nation  and  that  practically  all  deep-sea  tonnage  has  been  registered 
under  alien  flags  and  manned  by  alien  crews.  Today,  America  is  in  a  fair  way  to 
become  the  leading  maritime  nation, of  the  world,  and  Pennsylvania  may  feel 
justly  proud  of  its  contribution  to  that  end. 

Mr.  Lewis  succeeded,  as  Chief  of  Section  No.  2,  Professor  C.  C.  Thomas,  of 
Johns  Hopkins  University,  who  had  been  appointed  June  26,  1917,  and  resigned 
October  26th  of  that  year  to  enter  the  employment  of  the  Emergency  Fleet  Cor- 
poration. Mr.  Lewis  served  continuously  from  the  latter  date  until  November  1, 
1919,  when  he  was  succeeded  in  turn  by  his  then  assistant,  Joseph  M.  Davis. 
The  Headquarters  of  the  Section  had  been  in  Baltimore ;  but  after  Mr.  Lewis  was 
appointed,  he  moved  the  Headquarters  to  Philadelphia,  and  his  law  firm  gave  to 
the  Government,  free  of  rent,  the  fifth  floor  of  the  office,  108  South  Fourth  Street. 

Navigation  and  Engineering  Schools  were  organized  at  different  places  in 
the  Section  as  the  need  therefor  became  more  urgent.  A  Navigation  School  was 
organized  in  New  York  at  the  Seamen's  Church  Institute,  and  another  at  Uttmark's 
Nautical  Academy.  A  Navigation  School  was  opened  at  Brooklyn,  another  at 
Baltimore,  Atlantic  City,  Newport  News,  Jersey  City,  Hoboken  and  Norfolk; 
while  Engineering  Schools  were  organized  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  Jersey  City, 
Hoboken,  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  there  being  at  the  height  of  the  demand  a 
total  of  twelve  schools  in  the  Section.  All  students  who  entered  the  school  were 
exempted  from  draft  by  the  Chief  of  the  Section,  and  thus  competent  material  was 
obtained  for  the  service,  and  the  power  was  subsequently  entrusted  to  the  Section 
Chief  to  requisition  men  actually  in  the  Army,  provided  they  possessed  qualifica- 
tions as  navigators  or  marine  engineers,  which  made  them  more  valuable  to  the 
Government  in  those  capacities  than  by  mere  service  in  the  Army. 

Philadelphia  School  of  Navigation 

The  U.  S.  Shipping  Board  School  of  Navigation  began  in  Philadelphia,  July  9, 
1917,  in  charge  of  Professor  Eric  Doolittle.  Professor  Doolittle  was  taken  ill  during 
the  first  week  and  the  school  was  closed  for  a  day  or  so;  but  was  resumed  the  second 
week  under  the  charge  of  Professor  S.  A.  Mitchell,  of  the  University  of  Virginia, 
assisted  by  Dr.  H.  W.  Smith,  of  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology. 

The  School  first  held  sessions  in  the  Franklin  Institute  building,  but  was  later 

400 


removed  to  the  Engineering  Building  (Room  229)  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  first  session  of  the  School  had  about  25  men  enrolled  for  the  morning 
class  and  about  40  men  for  the  evening  class.  The  last  week  in  July,  Dr.  Smith 
was  sent  to  Savannah  and  Professor  W.  R.  Ransom,  of  Tufts  College,  took  his 
place.  Sixty-four  men  continued  throughout  the  first  session  of  the  School. 
There  was  some  uncertainty  at  the  end  of  the  first  session  as  to  whether  the  men 
should  take  examinations  immediately  or  not.  A  supplementary  week  of  forenoon 
work  was  given  to  those  who  felt  they  were  not  quite  ready  for  the  examination. 
No  attempt  was  made  to  keep  track  of  these  men  at  first,  and  many  of  them  may 
have  gone  to  New  York  or  to  Baltimore  to  take  their  examinations.  Up  to  Sep- 
tember 1,  1917,  only  twenty-three  had  received  licenses  in  Philadelphia.  A  few 
men  from  the  first  session  applied  for  re-admission  to  the  second  session. 

The  general  plan  of  the  school  work  was  as  follows: 

First  week :  Correction  of  compass,  use  of  logarithms,  and  plain  sailing. 

Second  week :  The  other  sailings  and  day's  work. 

Third  week:  Determination  of  time  for  a  noon  sight  and  working  out  of 
Meridian  altitude. 

The  rest  of  the  time  the  School  was  divided  into  two  classes:  Men  eligible 
only  for  third  mate  took  up  chart  work  and  distance  from  fixed  object,  with  plenty 
of  review  of  former  problems.  The  advance  class  took  up  latitude  by  Polaris 
and  Meridian  sights  with  other  stars,  longitude  by  the  sun,  azimuth,  and  amplitude. 

During  the  second  session  of  the  School  it  was  found  necessary  to  have  evening 
classes  only.     Only  two  requests  for  morning  classes  were  received. 

During  the  last  two  weeks  of  the  course  arrangements  were  made  by  which 
six  men  at  a  time  were  taken  to  Franklin  Field  with  a  sextant  apiece  and  given 
two  hours'  practice,  from  ten  until  twelve,  in  handling  the  instrument.  The  curve  of 
altitude  was  plotted  in  advance ;  and  men  took  longitudes  sights  for  an  hour,  being 
checked  by  the  instructor's  reference  to  his  plotted  curve.  Some  vertical  and 
horizontal  angles  were  measured  and  then  a  series  of  sights,  like  noon  sights,  were 
taken  on  signal  from  the  instructor,  closing  with  a  genuine  latitude  sight  at  noon. 

The  Philadelphia  School  of  Navigation  was  always  conducted  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  which  allowed  its  classrooms  to  be  used  free  of  rent, 
and  was,  from  time  to  time,  in  charge  of  the  following  instructors: 

S.  G.  Barton,  Stanley  P.  Shugert,  Robert  L.  Lucas  and  Karl  H.  Fussier.  Mr.  Barton,  who 
served  as  Director  from  September  17,  1917  to  February  1,  1919,  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Shugert. 

Besides  instruction  in  navigation,  Mr.  Lewis  lectured  upon  the  Rules  of  the 
Road  at  Sea,  as  he  did  in  other  schools  of  the  section.  Lectures  were  also  given 
upon  Practical  Stevedoring  by  Daniel  G.  Murphy. 

The  School  was  largely  attended  by  students  who  desired  to  qualify  to  become 
deck  officers  in  the  Merchant  Marine,  and  it  continued  until  after  the  war  and 
when  the  need  of  navigators  for  the  Merchant  Marine  had  been  completely  met. 
The  school  enrolled  about  800  students. 

Philadelphia  Free  School  of  Marine  Engineering 

The  Philadelphia  Free  School  of  Marine  Engineering  was  started  as  a  result 

of  a  conference  between  Emil  P.  Albrecht,  President  of  the  Philadelphia  Bourse, 

and  William  G.  Rice,  Chief  Engineer,  who  subsequently  became  identified  with 

the  Sea  Service  Bureau.    Correspondence  was  had  with  Mr.  Howard  of  Boston, 

401 


and  the  school  opened  following  a  visit  from  Professor  Miller  of  the  Massachusetts 
Institute  of  Technology.  An  Advisory  Committee  was  appointed,  consisting  of 
Walton  Clark,  John  M.  Lukens,  together  with  Mr.  Albrecht  and  Mr.  Rice. 

Clinton  E.  Shaw  was  appointed  Principal  of  the  School,  and  the  following 
acted  from  time  to  time  as  instructors: 

John  Bernard,  Walter  S.  Carman,  Earl  Collmer,  William  J.  Cotterall,  Samuel  Crossley, 
John  Ebaugh,  Robert  W.  Given,  Fred  P.  Hall,  John  T.  Landolt,  Robert  P.  Sanborn,  John  B. 
Shoe,  George  H.  Smith,  W.  Westley  Stevenson  and  Rodger  Taylor. 

Arthur  Littleton,  William  J.  Taylor  and  Anna  Whartonby  served  as  Enrolment  Secretaries. 

Classes  were  begun  in  the  public  school  building  at  Howard  Street  and  Girard 
Avenue,  August  20,  1917,  with  about  twenty-four  day  students  and  about  seventy 
in  the  night  class.  The  School  was  subsequently  transferred  to  one  of  the  city  ice- 
boats which  was  moored  at  Race  Street  pier,  and  about  the  middle  of  November, 
when  the  city  prepared  to  put  the  ice-boat  into  service,  the  classes  were  moved  to 
the  Philadelphia  Rourse,  whose  directors  allowed  free  of  rental  the  use  of  its  main 
floor  and  also  a  good  room  on  the  second  floor.  The  quarters  were  finally  transferred 
to  the  Ruchanan  Ruilding,  at  420  Sansom  Street,  where  they  remained  until 
February  5,  1919.  The  Federal  Roard  for  Vocational  Education  then  took  over 
the  school,  and  it  ceased  to  be  identified  with  the  Shipping  Roard.  The  last  day 
class  finished  in  March,   1919,  and  the  last  night  class  in  July  of  that  year. 

The  Philadelphia  Free  School  for  Marine  Engineering,  as  it  was  called,  was 
the  largest  Marine  Engineering  School  under  Government  auspices,  in  the  entire 
section,  from  Connecticut  to  Norfolk.  Students  came  to  it  from  all  parts  of  the 
country  to  obtain  instruction  in  Practical  Marine  Engineering.  About  1,000 
students  were  graduated.  Philadelphia  seemed  to  be  peculiarly  advantageous 
as  a  city  for  obtaining  students  in  Marine  Engineering;  her  rail,  river  and  bay  lines 
all  served  as  sources  of  supply,  and  all  the  railroads  entering  Philadelphia  were 
especially  helpful  in  putting  up  posters  in  stations,  and  by  disinterestedly  bringing 
to  the  attention  of  their  employes  the  urgent  necessities  of  the  Merchant  Marine, 
and  the  advantage  which  accrued  from  obtaining  a  marine  engineer's  license. 

Graduates  of  the  school,  after  being  qualified  for  examination,  appeared 
before  the  local  inspectors  at  Philadelphia,  and  were  then  passed  and  licensed, 
usually  as  third  engineers,  sometimes  as  second,  and  sometimes  as  first. 

The  Sea  Service  Rureau 

The  work  of  placing  officers  and  men  on  shipboard  fell  at  first  upon  Mr. 
Lewis  as  Chief  of  the  Section;  but  it  grew  to  such  enormous  proportions  that  it 
became  necessary  to  organize  a  separate  Rureau  to  take  charge  of  it,  and  Sea 
Service  Agents  were  appointed  in  the  larger  cities  in  Section  No.  2.  These  agents 
were  delegated  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  ships  in  officers  and  men.  The  Agent  at 
Philadelphia  was  Chief  Engineer  William  G.  Rice,  who  worked  for  the  Government 
gratuitously  until  the  Recruiting  Service  determined  he  should  be  salaried,  when 
he  was  paid  a  nominal  compensation. 

During  Mr.  Rice's  service  as  Agent  at  Philadelphia  about  1,500  men  were 
shipped  during  the  war  period,  between  February,  1918,  and  November,  1918; 
but  the  totals  up  to  August,  1921,  show  that  over  30,000  men  were  shipped,  about 
600  marine  engineers  and  300  deck  officers.    The  Rureau  still  continues. 

402 


ARMY  ORDNANCE— PHILADELPHIA  DISTRICT 


T 


fWO  billion  dollars'  worth  of  ordnance  was  supplied  by 
the  Philadelphia  District,  or  one-sixth  of  the  total 
amount  produced  in  the  United  States.  The  fact  that 
such  quantities  of  supplies  could  be  furnished  within 
a  limited  time  is  but  another  conclusive  proof  of  the 
importance  of  this  city  as  a  manufacturing  center. 
Although  not  all  of  the  ordnance  of  the  district  was 
actually  produced  within  the  territorial  limits  of  the 
city,  nevertheless,  a  high  percentage  of  it  was  made 
here,  and  practically  all  other  production  was  directed 
from    Philadelphia    offices. 

The  committee  is  indebted  to  Colonel  M.  D.  King,  Ordnance  Department, 
Washington,  D.  C,  for  permission  to  reprint  certain  matter  from  the  handbook 
prepared  by  Clark  B.  Firestone,  of  the  Historical  Branch,  Executive  Section,  office 
of  the  Chief  of  Ordnance. 

Special  acknowledgment  is  due  to  Colonel  James  L.  Walsh,  Executive  Assistant 
to  the  Chief  of  Ordnance.  The  facts  dealing  exclusively  with  the  Philadelphia  Dis- 
trict were  supplied  to  Mr.  Firestone  by  Wm.  Bradford  Williams. 

The  Philadelphia  ordnance  district  reflected  to  a  noteworthy  degree  activities, 
problems,  casualties  and  militant  spirit  of  the  fighting  front,  with  just  an  echo  of 


Photo  by  Replogle. 


Seven-inch  Guns,  Mark  V.,  Caterpillar  Mounts,  at  Navy  Yard. 
403 


its  tumults.  It  was  a  district  in  which  large  things  were  done  and  large  difficulties 
surmounted;  a  district  which  started  with  unusual  advantages,  many  and 
varied,  and  its  contribution  to  nearly  all  the  major  items  of  the  munitions  program 
was  of  the  first  importance.  With  the  exception  of  artillery  carriages  and  small 
arms  ammunition,  its  ordnance  production  was  almost  all-inclusive.  It  was  the 
chief  rifle  district.  It  was  the  chief  explosives  district.  It  was  the  district  where 
the  Allies  obtained  most  of  their  American  gun  forgings.  It  was  the  big  bolo 
district.  In  a  sense  it  was  the  sole  helmet  district.  It  was  an  immense  loading 
district.    Incidentally,  it  was  the  great  influence  district. 

This  area  contained  the  only  two  private  ordnance  plants  in  the  country — 
those  of  the  Bethlehem  and  Midvale  Steel  Companies.  It  had  also  several  powder 
and  high  explosive  plants  which  had  various  shell  plants  which  had  learned  to 
make  munitions  under  entente  tutelage.  The  Bridgeport  and  Philadelphia  ord- 
nance districts  entered  the  war  to  something  better  than  a  standing  start.  But 
Philadelphia  had  transportation  problems  almost  equal  to  New  York's  and  certain 
difficulties  that  in  their  magnitude  were  peculiar  to  itself,  for  it  was  the  theatre  of 
a  rival  governmental  program  of  equal  proportions.  More  than  40  per  cent  of  all 
America's  war  shipbuilding  was  in  process  at  the  same  time  in  the  same  area — the 
Hog  Island  enterprise,  and  new  construction  for  the  navy  and  emergency  fleet, 
which  kept  the  riveting  machines  busy  in  the  shipyards  lining  both  sides  of  the 
Delaware  River,  for  sixty  miles  and  which  absorbed  the  output  of  3,000  plants 
making  parts  in  various  sections  of  the  country.  This  program  made  its  own 
demands  on  machinery,  labor,  fuel,  power  and  transportation. 

In  the  Restricted  Area 

Philadelphia  was  one  of  the  congested  centers  in  the  restricted  area,  and  so 
figured  in  the  maps  of  1918.  It  was  thought  at  one  time  that  it  was  saturated 
with  war  orders  and  that  it  could  not  do  any  more  work.  But  this  opinion  was 
combated  by  representatives  of  the  ordnance  district,  the  Navy,  the  War  Industries 
Board,  the  regional  Director  of  Railways,  and  the  Fuel  and  Food  Administrations, 
who  held  weekly  meetings  to  discuss  common  objects  during  the  war;  and  the 
district  was  permitted  to  shoulder  additional  burdens.  It  received  one  not  in  its 
calculations  when  the  great  Morgan  loading  plant  at  South  Amboy,  N.  J.,  was 
destroyed  by  an  explosion  five  weeks  before  the  armistice,  and  immense  additional 
requirements  were  put  upon  the  loading  plants  near  Philadelphia.  At  the  same 
time  the  influenza  epidemic  broke  with  unusual  virulence  disabling  nearly  40 
per  cent  of  the  district  office  force  and  making  ravages  among  ammunition 
employes. 

The  Philadelphia  district  may  be  described — and  therefore  explained — as 
the  one  steel  region  in  the  country  that  reaches  tide  water.  It  comprised  an  area 
of  less  than  30,000  square  miles,  including  the  eastern  half  of  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  southern  half  of  New  Jersey  and  all  of  Delaware.  Its  western  boundary 
in  Pennsylvania  coinciding  roughly  with  the  course  of  the  Juniata  was  the  eastern 
boundaries  of  the  counties  of  Franklin,  Huntingdon,  Center,  Clinton  and  Potter. 
Its  New  Jersey  section  covered  all  counties  save  those  included  in  the  New  York 
ordnance  district  elsewhere  enumerated.  The  Philadelphia  district  has  a  popula- 
tion of  about  5,200,000  persons.  Among  its  industrial  centers  of  consequence 
outside  the  city  of  Philadelphia  are  Wilmington,  Del.,  Camden,  Trenton  and  Bur- 

404 


Marine  Boilers  manufactured  by  (he  Badenhausen  Boiler  Co. 


lington,  N.  J.,  and  Berwick,  Bristol,  Chester,  Downington,  Frankford,  Harrisburg, 
Phoenixville,  Scranton,  South  Bethlehem  and  Wilkes-Barre,  Pa. 

On  March  13,  1918,  John  C.  Jones,  President  of  the  Harrison  Safety 
Boiler  Works  was  made  production  manager  of  the  Philadelphia  ordnance  district, 
later  becoming  ordnance  district  chief.  The  production  section  ol  the  old  carriage 
division  had  had  an  office  in  Philadelphia  since  January  16,  1918.  District  offices 
were  in  the  Vulcanite  Building,  1710  Market  Street,  Philadelphia.  The  office  also 
occupied  space  in  the  Middle  City  Post  Office  Building,  34  So.  17th  Street, 
and  further  overflow  space  in  a  three-story  building  1726-1728  Ludlow  Street, 
and  one  floor  of  1712  Ludlow  Street.  Civilian  personnel  rose  from  2,095  in 
June,  1918,  to  4,475  in  November.  The  enlisted  detachment  increased  from  144 
men  in  June  to  409  in  July.  Commissioned  personnel  had  reached  86  in  October. 
Allotments  to  cover  payments  on  contracts  placed  in  the  district  approximately 
$750,000,000,  of  which  about  $250,000,000  was  expended  between  the  months  of 
April  and  December,  1918.  On  November  1,  1918,  there  were  1,196  contracts 
outstanding,  calling  for  $484,897,000. 

An  Ordnance  Bourse 

Philadelphia  developed  an  institution  which  promoted  cooperation  among 
contractors  and  accelerated  production  and  which  was  peculiar  to  itself.  This  was 
the  Ordnance  Manufacturer's  Exchange,  which  may  perhaps  be  better  and  more 
briefly  styled  the  Ordnance  Bourse.  The  idea  came  from  Captain  F.  S.  Guerber, 
manager  of  ammunition,  explosives  and  loading,  and  he  had  it  from  a  peace-time 

405 


commercial  experience  in  Belgium,  where  he  found  that  instead  of  making  repeated 
railroad  trips  throughout  Flanders  to  see  certain  producers  in  the  iron  trade,  he 
could  meet  these  same  men  by  attending  a  central  point  where  their  bourse  was 
located.  Instead  of  going  after  them,  they  would  come  to  him.  This  plan  was 
applied  in  Philadelphia  in  order  to  bring  contractors  into  immediate  and  intimate 
contact  with  the  men  who  could  supply  their  necessities,  whether  tools,  materials, 
or  components;  in  order  to  bring  contractor  and  prospective  sub-contractor  together. 
The  Manufacturers'  Club  provided  space,  and  every  Wednesday  from  11  a.m. 
to  1  p.m.  the  Ordnance  Bourse  had  a  session.  Word  was  sent  to  the  newspapers, 
letters  were  sent  to  contractors,  enclosing  a  season  ticket  and  meetings  began  with 
an  attendance  of  300  persons.  Six  hundred  were  at  the  second  meeting,  and  finally 
attendance  reached  1,000.  There  were  placards  for  the  different  production  sections 
of  the  ordnance  office.  A  returned  soldier  was  equipped  with  a  megaphone  from 
which  he  issued  such  messages  as  "  Can  any  one  here  furnish  box  shooks  ?  "  Instead 
of  trips  taken  or  letters  sent  over  the  30,000  square  miles  of  the  district,  or  over 
outside  industrial  areas  many  times  its  size,  business  was  done  by  an  informal 
conference  under  a  single  roof.  Meanwhile  men  in  some  government  capacity, 
competent  to  discuss  fuel,  draft  problems,  priorities,  plant  protection,  labor, 
and  various  production  matters  spoke  at  the  formal  meetings. 

Laboratory  and  School 

In  connection  with  explosives  there  was  established  in  this  district  a  super- 
visory and  control  laboratory  which  remained  under  Washington  direction  and 
the  function  of  which  was  to  inaugurate  control  and  check  methods  of  analysis 
to  standardize  chemical  equipment  and  apparatus,  to  prepare  standard  solutions 
and  reagents  and  to  act  as  referee  in  case  of  disputes  among  chemists.  A  tech- 
nological school  for  chemists  was  opened  at  the  Carney s  Point  plant  of  the  Du 
Pont  Co. 

Transformation  of  plants  in  this  area  included  among  others  the  following 
shifts  from  peace-time  to  war  products:  From  locomotives  to  shell,  from  corks 
to  shell,  from  motors  to  shell,  from  filters  to  shell,  from  oilcloth  to  shell,  from  steam 
pipes  to  shell,  from  pumps  to  adapters  and  boosters,  from  window  sash  to  trench 
mortars,  from  tin  cans  to  gas  masks,  from  candy  to  fuze  containers,  from  pianos 
to  gunstocks,  from  fruit-jar  tops  to  explosive  bullets,  from  doll  stockings  to  silk 
ammunition  bags. 

Gun  Making 

Gun  making  in  the  Philadelphia  ordnance  district  is  the  story  of  three  great 
plants,  two  of  them  experienced  through  prior  contracts  with  the  Army  and  Navy 
and  with  the  Allied  governments,  the  other  swiftly  passing  through  the  stages  of 
construction  and  equipment  of  a  new  enterprise  on  to  production.  One  of  the  two 
veteran  plants  furnished  to  America  and  the  Allies  almost  as  many  finished  cannon 
as  the  entire  artillery  purchases  of  this  country  from  France  and  Great  Britain, 
its  output  being  equivalent  to  nearly  99  per  cent  of  all  the  foreign  guns  used  by 
the  American  Expeditionary  Forces.  Counting  forgings  mainly  shipped  to  France 
for  assembly  there,  its  output  of  finished  and  unfinished  cannon  was  four  times  as 
great  as  General  Pershing's  entire  artillery  equipment.  These  figures  cover  also 
the  plant's  production  for  Allied  orders  before  America  entered  the  war. 

406 


Courtesy  of  the   Hindley  Gear  Co. 

Eleven-inch  Sutton  Trench  Mortar. 

This  plant  was  the  Bethlehem  Steel  Company,  which  had  35,  000  men  employed 
in  its  great  works  at  South  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  21,000  on  ordnance  and  Allied  contracts, 
the  remainder  on  Navy  contracts. 

Teamwork  with  the  French  Government  began  shortly  after  the  war  started 
in  Europe.  Until  near  the  end  of  the  war  it  was  the  sole  American  producer  of 
forgings  for  French  cannon  (this  does  not  apply  to  carriages,  recuperators  and 
miscellaneous  parts).  Its  output  of  forgings  for  French  order  reached  2,000,000 
pounds  a  month  under  the  arrangement  with  the  Ordnance  Department  that 
the  production  for  the  French,  begun  before  April  6,  1917,  should  continue 
thereafter.  At  the  close  of  the  war  the  shipment  of  gun  forgings  to  the  French, 
who  were  finishing  them  and  assembling  them  for  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces  was  sufficient  for  about  900  guns  per  month.  Forgings  were  also  made  for 
the  British  and  Italians.  The  war  shipment  of  ammunition  to  other  governments 
by  this  company  reached  about  1,000,000  rounds  per  month. 

Bailway  Mounts 

Seven  companies  carried  the  entire  ordnance  project  to  avail  of  the 
most  substantial  feature  of  American  military  preparedness — the  use  of  the  great 
guns  and  mortars  with  which  the  seacoast  fortifications  were  defended  and  of 
other  guns,  naval  included,  that  were  on  hand  when  war  came.  The  seacoast 
guns  were  intended  for  defensive  purposes  alone  and  the  other  guns  for  the  mobility 
that  a  battleship  affords  by  its  own  evolutions.  The  program  was  to  make  both 
types  of  weapons  available  for  offensive  operations  and  mobile  on  land  by  putting 
carriages  under  them  and  car  trucks  under  the  carriages  and  railroad  tracks  under 
the  car  wheels.     The  mounts  were  of  three  kinds — the  barbette,  revolving   in 

407 


a  complete  mount,  in  which  the  gun  can  be  pointed  up  and  down  in  a  vertical 
plane  and  traverse,  or  swing  from  left  to  right,  must  be  secured  by  building  curved 
railroad  tracks,  the  recoil  being  absorbed  by  the  retrograde  movement  of  the  car 
along  these  tracks;  and  the  Batignolles  type,  a  modification  of  the  Schneider, 
permitting  a  slight  horizontal  traverse,  and  cushioning  the  reaction  of  fire  both  by 
the  movement  of  the  gun  in  its  cradle  and  by  the  use  of  a  special  track  to  which 
the  car  is  bolted,  with  spades  driven  into  the  ground  to  assist  in  taking  up  recoil 
the  unit  remaining  stationary  in  action. 

The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Company,  the  American  Car  &  Foundry  Co.  (Ber- 
wick, Pa.,  plant),  and  the  Harrisburg  Manufacturing  and  Boiler  Co.,  of  Hamburg, 
were  in  the  Philadelphia  district.  As  the  result  of  the  joint  effort  of  the  seven 
companies  railway  mounts  were  provided  for  twelve  7-inch  rifles,  eighteen  8-inch 
guns,  twenty-two  10-inch  guns,  twelve  12-inch  long-caliber  guns,  forty-five  12- 
inch  mortars,  eleven  14-inch  guns,  the  latter  under  Navy  supervision,  of  which 
six  were  turned  over  to  the  Army,  and  one  16-inch  howitzer.  No  more  powerful 
guns  than  the  larger  of  these,  and  few  so  powerful,  were  to  be  found  on  either 
side  of  the  fighting  fronts. 

Loading 

With  New  York  and  Baltimore,  the  Philadelphia  district  carried  the  loading 
burden  for  nearly  all  American  shell  production,  and  its  operations  were  of  great 
interest  and  consequence. 

In  rifle  cartridges  and  in  artillery  ammunition  up  to  that  for  the  4.7-inch  gun, 
the  projectile  is  fired  by  fixed  ammunition,  the  shell  being  fixed  in  a  metal  container 
holding  the  powder.  In  guns  about  4.7-inch  the  projectiles  are  fired  by  unfixed 
ammunition  powder  loaded  in  silk  bags  and  placed  in  the  breech  of  the  gun  behind 
the  projectile.  Silk  is  used  because  other  textiles  might  leave  a  smouldering  frag- 
ment in  the  barrel  of  the  gun,  causing  a  premature  explosion. 

Munition  Workers 

There  were  about  250,000  ordnance  workers  in  the  district.  Labor  unrest, 
particularly  among  the  machinists,  labor  itineracy,  the  scarcity  of  skilled  labor 
and  the  drafts  of  the  Navy,  and  emergency  fleet  building  programs  on  labor  supply 
were  obstacles  to  full  production,  and  housing  conditions  at  points  like  Eddystone 
and  Chester  became  so  congested  that  for  a  time  no  further  contracts  were  let  in 
that  area.  The  latter  conditions  were  eased  somewhat  by  invoking  the  aid  of  the 
United  States  Housing  Corporation.  Twenty-seven  vestibule  schools  were  opened 
to  train  men  and  women  in  mechanical  operations.'  A  production  engineer,  used 
to  handling  men  on  a  large  scale,  was  appointed  by  the  district  to  give  to  wage  and 
overtime  problems  the  benefit  of  skilled  direction.  The  propaganda  of  patriotic 
appeal  was  brought  to  bear  from  every  angle  on  war  workers.  Some  5,500  soldiers 
were  released  on  industrial  furlough  for  duty  in  the  new  loading  plants.  In  this 
district,  as  elsewhere,  the  woman  munition  worker  was  a  late  recruit  and  proved 
a  vastly  welcome  relief  to  the  employment  problem.  Women  from  home  condi- 
tions ranging  from  the  simplest  to  the  most  luxurious  volunteered  for  shop  tasks 
of  both  drudgery  and  hazard  and  performed  them  with  skill  and  fidelity.  More 
than  60,000  women  and  girls  worked  on  ordnance  contracts  and  it  was  in  the 
planning  to  double  the  number  and  more,  if  needed. 

408 


The  organization  of  the  Philadelphia  Ordnance  District  Office  was  as  follows : 
District  Chief,  John  C.  Jones;  John  Dickey,  Jr.,  Special  Assistant  to  Chief;  Execu- 
tive Officer,  Captain  H.  J.  Adair;  Production  Manager,  Lieutenant  Colonel  R.  A. 
Green;  Inspector  Manager,  Lieutenant  Colonel  W.  M.  Schwartz;  Finance  Manager, 
Captain  Charles  McC.  Matthias;  Stores  and  Scrap  Supervisor,  Captain  A.  G. 
Peter;  Property  Manager,  first:  Captain  C.  N.  Jackson,  then  Captain  (later 
Major)  M.  F.  Ewen  (who  was  also  Contracting  Officer  and  Acting  District  Chief), 
and  then  Lieutenant  H.  E.  Abbott;  Procurement  Manager,  Major  R.  W. 
Appleby;  Personnel  Manager,  Captain  (later  Major)  Thomas  Moore;  Engineer- 
ing Manager,  Captain  (afterwards  Major)  J.  J.  Johnson. 


Employes  at  the  Trojan  Chemical  Works. 


409 


THE  INDUSTRIES  OF  PHILADELPHIA  DURING  THE  WAR 

j^^HE  story  of  Philadelphia's  industrial  development  during 
the  World  War  is  a  record  of  American  invention  and 
accomplishment  worthy  of  the  city  known  for  so  long  as 
"The  Workshop  of  the  World." 

For  many  years  Philadelphia-made  products  have  been 
carried  on  Philadelphia-built  ships  to  every  port.  There- 
fore, when  the  storm  of  war  broke  over  the  Continent  of 
Europe,  its  nations  turned  to  this  city  for  aid.  No  call 
was  unheeded  and  no  demand  too  peremptory,  nor  too 
great  to  be  answered.  New  buildings  were  erected,  new 
equipment  installed,  and  contracts  were  completed  in  record  time. 

In  his  admirable  summary  of  the  accomplishments  of  the  Ordnance  Depart- 
ment in  Philadelphia,  William  Bradford  Williams,  the  Historian  of  the  Ordnance 
Department,  likens  the  ultimate  results  to  the  piecing  together  of  an  old-fashioned 
picture  puzzle.  Every  part,  large  and  small,  had  its  place,  and  the  perfect  whole 
was  dependent  upon  the  proper  dovetailing  of  these  countless  pieces. 

America  had  the  money  and  the  men.     Ten  millions  of  the  latter  were  ready 


Courtesy  of  Wilson  H.  Brown,  Inc. 


Making  Spiral  Putties. 
410 


for  any  duty.  Within  the  territorial  limits  of  the  United  States  were  vast  stores 
of  raw  materials.  It  was  American  training  that  made  it  possible  to  develop 
officers  and  men  in  record  time,  and  it  was  American  ingenuity,  like  the  wand  of 
a  genii,  that  provided  the  buildings  and  equipment.  Thus  was  the  potential 
mass  of  raw  material  transformed  into  the  sinews  of  war. 

To  attempt  to  tell  the  complete  story  of  the  industrial  contribution  which 
Philadelphia  made  would  be  impossible.  However,  in  the  following  pages  a  few 
typical  kinds  of  work  are  reviewed  in  order  that  some  idea  may  be  had  of  the  remark- 
able way  Philadelphia  and  her  citizens  answered  the  nation's  call  for  industrial  aid. 

ALEXANDER  BROTHERS 
C.  M.  Kembrey,  Advertising  and  Sales  Promotion  Manager 

Up  to  the  time  the  United  States  entered  the  World  War,  Alexander  Brothers 
had  never  made  any  harness  leather.  On  the  night  that  diplomatic  relations  were 
broken  off,  the  Executive  Council  gathered  at  the  plant  and  discussed  what  Alex- 
ander Brothers,  as  an  organization,  should  do  in  the  emergency. 

It  was  decided  that,  although  they  had  not  manufactured  any  harness  leather, 
that  the  currying  was  essentially  the  same  as  that  of  belting  leather,  and  that  it 
was  the  duty  of  Alexander  Brothers  to  do  their  part  to  supply  this  great  essential 
of  war  work.  It  was,  therefore,  determined  to  start  at  once  to  curry  harness  leather, 
to  submit  samples  for  approval,  and  to  proceed  with  this  work  in  as  large  a  volume 
as  possible. 

Samples  of  russet  harness  leather  backs  were  put  through  and  submitted  to  the 
Army  Ordnance  Department  on  May  16th.  Alexander  Brothers  received  word 
that  the  four  "backs"  which  they  sent  out  as  samples  were  satisfactory,  and  it  was 
suggested  that  they  make  quotation  to  the  Chief  of  Ordnance  for  transmittal  to  the 
Council  of  National  Defense,  on  the  quantity  of  leather  of  the  different  kinds  which 
they  were  able  to  produce.  Two  additional  backs  were  submitted  to  Rock  Island 
Arsenal,  and  on  June  13th,  the  firm  of  Alexander  Brothers  received  a  letter  advising 
that  this  leather  was  found  to  cut  very  satisfactorily,  and  the  halters  made  up  were 
found  to  be  first  class  in  every  respect. 

It  had  been  the  plan  of  Alexander  Brothers  to  finish  what  leather  they  might 
be  able  to  handle  in  their  3d  Street  plant.  They  figured  they  might  be  able  to 
finish  200  backs  per  day,  refitting  some  of  the  lofts  for  hanging  backs.  When  they 
found  that  the  requirements  for  the  first  year  of  the  war  would  be  about  65,000,000 
pounds  of  leather,  they  realized  that  200  backs  a  day  would  not  amount  to  very 
much. 

They  began  to  look  around  for  floor  space  for  rent,  or  ground  for  a  building. 
It  was  decided,  however,  that  they  would  not  be  able  to  build  a  plant  quickly 
enough  for  the  work.  They  finally  secured  the  sixth  floor  of  the  finishing  building 
of  the  Quaker  Lace  Company,  at  22d  Street  and  Lehigh  Avenue,  with  an  option 
on  yet  more  space. 

While  they  had  been  experimenting  on  the  leather  they  had  ordered 
machinery.  They  had  the  machinery  installed  and  started  the  wheels  turning 
on  the  1st  of  July,  and  on  the  5th  of  July  started  work  in  the  22d  Street  plant. 

Alexander  Brothers  had  been  currying  some  small  quantities  of  leather  at 
their  3d  Street  plant,  and  had  reached  production  of  about  fifty  backs  per  day.    In 

411 


September  they  rented  the  fifth  floor  and  took  over  the  seventh  floor,  thus  giving 
them  three  floors  of  about  100,000  square  feet  of  floor  space.  Alexander  Brothers 
received  their  first  contract  for  harness  leather  on  June  22,  1917,  although  the 
formal  contract  was  not  received  until  August  15,  1917. 

The  work  progressed  and  other  contracts  were  added.  About  the  first  of  the 
year  1918  it  became  desirable  that  the  Government  work  be  divorced  from  Alexander 
Brothers.  The  Alexander  Leather  Company  was  then  formed,  which  was  C.  O. 
Alexander  trading  as  the  Alexander  Leather  Company,  and  all  leathers  and  con- 
tracts with  the  Government  were  handled  through  the  Alexander  Leather  Company. 
Alexander  Brothers  contracted  with  the  Alexander  Leather  Company  to  do  all 
its  work,  both  currying  and  office  work. 

The  number  of  employes  ran  up  to  210.  The  plant  was  in  charge  of  George 
Glendening,  with  William  Frazer  and  Joe  Vetter  as  curriers.  Great  credit  is  due 
to  these  men  for  their  work.  In  June,  1918,  it  became  necessary  to  employ  women, 
due  to  the  scarcity  of  male  labor.  About  sixty  women  were  hired  with  great  success. 
Production  was  increased  to  about  twenty-three  hundred  backs  per  day  during 
the  summer  and  fall  of  1918,  and  steps  were  being  taken  to  increase  this  production 
still  further. 

On  the  16th  of  November,  1918,  five  days  after  the  armistice  was  signed, 
Alexander  Brothers  received  telegraphic  orders  from  Washington  to  stop  pro- 
duction. It  was  impossible  to  stop  the  work  short,  but  in  two  weeks'  time  they 
stopped  entirely  working  on  material,  and  stopped  the  work  on  that  in  process  as 
soon  as  the  leather  was  in  condition  where  it  could  be  allowed  to  stand. 

Alexander  Brothers  were  later  ordered  to  resume  work  and  finish  the  stock 
in  process. 

To  secure  leather  for  this  large  quantity  of  work,  they  used  belting  butts  as 
far  as  possible,  and  made  special  arrangements  with  tanneries  to  draw  all  their 
clear  backs  in  the  fifth  layer  and  finish  them  as  near  belting  butt  finish  as  possible. 
They  took  the  entire  product  of  Armour,  Kistler-Lesh  Co.,  Kistler  Leather  Co. 
and  the  United  States  Leather  Company,  which  met  the  Government  specifications 
for  selection.  From  start  to  finish  Alexander  Brothers  drew  from  thirty-four 
tanneries. 

THEODORE  ALTENEDER  &  SONS 

Almost  up  to  the  time  that  the  United  States  entered  the  World  War  there 
could  be  little  conception  of  the  strain  that  was  soon  to  be  thrown  upon  so  many 
industries  essential  to  the  winning  of  the  war. 

Among  the  industries  that  were  to  be  called  into  requisition  was  the  production 
of  drawing  instruments.  At  first  thought,  the  importance  of  this  industry  to  the 
Government  would  quite  naturally  be  underrated;  yet  a  little  consideration  will 
serve  to  show  how  pivotal  it  is  in  the  general  scheme  of  manufacture.  For  nearly 
all  things  start  on  the  drafting  board. 

This  is  obviously  true  of  ships,  of  aircraft,  of  guns,  of  munitions,  of  locomotives. 
It  also  will  be  readily  understood  that  in  every  phase  of  war  activity — such  as 
equipment,  the  construction  of  cantonments  and  camps,  the  building  of  means  of 
transportation — all  start  with  the  employment  of  drafting  instruments. 

In  recent  years  the  needs  of  this  country  for  drafting  instruments  have  been 
mainly    supplied  by  German  manufacturers,  more  than  75  per  cent  of  all  the 

412 


instruments  used  in  the  United  States  being  imported  from  Germany.  In  former 
years'  Swiss  instruments  formed  an  appreciable  proportion  of  the  imports, 
but  they  were  steadily  crowded  out  by  the  lower  priced,  and  generally  inferior, 
German  product,  which  later  for  a  time  masqueraded  as  "Swiss  Instruments," 
until  the  facts  were  advertised  and  this  course  became  inadvisable,  and,  later  on, 
impossible,  when  the  "Made  in  Germany"  label  was  incorporated  into  our  tariff 
laws.  As  a  matter  of  interest,  it  may  be  stated  that  England,  France,  Italy  and 
practically  every  country  in  the  world  obtained  a  very  large  proportion  of  its  draft- 
ing instruments  from  Germany. 

At  the  outset  of  the  war,  long  before  the  entrance  of  the  United  States,  there 
was  an  abundant  supply  of  drawing  instruments  in  this  country,  either  in  the  hands 
of  importers  or  on  the  shelves  of  dealers.  Unlike  many  other  lines  of  merchandise, 
these  stocks  seemed  to  have  little  bearing  upon  the  activities  in  which  they  were  soon 
to  take  so  fundamental  a  part.  For  a  considerable  period  the  demand  remained 
practically  normal,  and  was  only  slightly  accelerated  by  the  requirements  of  such 
American  plants  as  were  engaged  in  munition  work  for  European  governments; 
and  there  was  no  appreciable  advance  in  price.  With  the  dwindling  of  the  supply 
from  abroad  came  a  loss  of  confidence  in  Germany's  ability  to  make  deliveries, 
and  a  "taking  of  stock"  and  stiffening  of  prices  ensued;  but  it  was  not  until  the 
entrance  of  the  United  States  into  the  war,  with  the  consequent  sudden  expansion 
of  war  industries,  that  there  came  the  realization  that  the  supply  was  virtually 
at  the  point  of  exhaustion,  and  the  facing  of  the  fact  that  for  any  new  supply  to 
meet  the  Government's  needs  there  was  but  one  establishment  in  the  United  States 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  drawing  instruments :  that  of  Theodore  Alteneder  & 
Sons,  Philadelphia. 

This  industry  was  established  in  1850  by  Theodore  Alteneder,  a  craftsman  of 
the  highest  skill,  purposes  and  standards.  It  was  Theodore  Alteneder's  conviction 
that  instruments  for  the  draftsman  should  be  so  perfect  in  every  detail  that  they 
should  become,  in  fact,  a  part  of  the  draftsman  himself;  that  in  the  intricate  work 
which  the  draftsman  was  called  upon  to  perform,  the  tools  should  respond  with  no 
conscious  thought  on  the  part  of  the  user. 

It  was  indeed  fortunate  for  the  industry  that  Mr.  Alteneder's  sons  so  heartily 
imbibed  and  shared  his  ideals  and  knowledge  of  the  craft.  In  fact,  at  an  extremely 
early  age  these  sons  began  their  apprenticeship  and  soon  became  an  important 
factor  in  the  new  establishment,  supplementing  their  father's  skill  and  knowledge 
of  the  craft  with  a  new  business  vision.  Their  entrance  into  the  enterprise  may 
be  said  to  have  been  its  first  step,  from  the  stage  in  which  it  was  the  individual 
effort  of  a  master  craftsman  at  the  bench,  toward  the  stage  in  which  it  became  a 
modern  business. 

This  new  blood  could  perhaps  see  more  readily  than  the  founder  the  prob- 
lems presented  by  foreign  competition.  There  was,  first  of  all,  the  problem  as 
to  labor.  In  the  manufacture  of  fine  drawing  instruments  much  skilled  hand 
work  has  always  been  necessary  because  of  the  character  of  the  design  of  the 
various  instruments.  It  was  this  that  made  the  difficulty  in  combating  foreign 
competition,  which  had  at  its  command  an  almost  inexhaustible  supply  of  mechan- 
ics, expert  in  the  use  of  the  file  and  other  hand  tools. 

The  difficulties  may  be  better  appreciated  from  the  fact  that  though  a  number 

413 


of  attempts  were  made  to  establish  this  industry  in  the  United  States,  the  Alteneder 
plant  was  the  sole  survivor. 

It  was  to  this  plant  that  the  Government  turned  for  many  thousands  of  sets 
of  drafting  instruments.  How  suddenly  the  load  fell  upon  this  single  modest 
establishment,  can  be  realized  by  the  fact  that  prior  to  America's  entrance  into  the 
war,  the  facilities  had  been  used  in  part  in  the  making  of  munitions. 

It  was  a  fortunate  fact  that  prior  to  this  period  the  factory  had  been  modernized 
by  the  introduction  of  the  highest  type  of  machine  tools  to  take  the  place  of  hand 
work  wherever  this  could  be  done  without  affecting  the  efficiency  of  the  instruments. 
While  there  were  necessary  advances  in  prices,  it  may  be  safely  asserted  that  the 
percentage  of  advance  was  extremely  low  in  consideration  of  the  increased  cost 
and  general-  conditions. 

The  requirements  of  the  United  States  Engineer  Department,  the  Navy  De- 
partment, the  Ordnance  Department  and  other  Government  departments  greatly 
increased.  Indeed,  the  requisitions  that  poured  in  upon  the  modest  factory  from 
every  quarter,  were  in  some  instances  so  large  as  to  be  viewed  by  the  firm  as  being 
due  to  clerical  errors  in  Washington. 

It  will  be  plain  that  the  physical  possibilities  were  inadequate  to  fill  the  enor- 
mous Government  orders  and  those  of  private  concerns.  A  serious  problem  was 
thus  presented.  Should  the  establishment  be  turned  over  to  the  making  of  a 
radically  new  product  that  could  be  turned  out  in  larger  quantities?  It  was 
realized  that  such  an  attempt  under  the  critical  conditions  might  cripple,  rather 
than  increase,  production. 

It  was  therefore  determined  not  to  lower  the  standard  of  production,  but  to 
eliminate  private  orders,  and  work  for  the  Government  alone.  The  establish- 
ment was  worked  to  full  capacity,  days,  nights  and  Sundays,  and  so  effectively 
that  ninety  per  cent  of  the  needs  of  the  Government  were  filled. 

AMERICAN  METAL  WORKS 

In  the  beginning  of  1918,  the  French  were  producing  an  11  mm.  incendiary 
bullet,  turned  on  lathes  from  brass  rods. 

In  February,  1918,  Colonel  Clay,  of  the  Frankford  Arsenal,  submitted  to 
Frederick  E.  Swope,  the  President  of  the  company,  a  French  11  mm.  incendiary 
bullet,  with  the  request  that  the  company  consider  the  manufacturing  and  loading 
of  it.    This  bullet  was  a  lathe  product  made  from  brass  rods. 

After  experimenting  for  the  Frankford  Arsenal,  we  produced  a  bullet  from 
sheet  brass  by  a  series  of  press  operations.  The  drawn  type  of  bullet  was  adopted 
for  future  use  by  the  United  States  Government,  therefore,  this  gave  us  two  types 
of  11  mm.  incendiary  bullets,  one  classified  as  "drawn"  and  the  other  as  "turned". 
Owing  to  the  necessity  of  immediate  production,  we  proceeded  with  the  manu- 
facture of  the  turned  type,  but  were  given  contracts  for  the  production  of  20,000,000 
bullets  in  all,  the  majority  of  which  were  to  be  of  the  "  drawn"  type.  This  11  mm. 
bullet  was  known  to  the  Ordnance  Department  as  "Mark  XI." 

The  productions  of  these  bullets,  which  had  not  been  manufactured  before 
in  this  country,  necessitated  the  development  of  new  processes  and  the  changing 
of  different  machines  to  make  them  adaptable  to  these  processes. 

While  the  Frankford  Arsenal  was  perfecting  the  incendiary  compound  for  the 
Mark  XI  bullets,  we  executed  a  contract  with  them  to  load  2,000,000  30-caliber 

414 


tracer  bullets,  with  the  stipulation  that  we  were  at  any  time  to  change  over  to  the 
loading  of  Mark  XI  incendiary  bullets. 

The  manufacturing  and  loading  of  bullets  was  not  a  part  of  our  business 
before  the  war  and  will  not  be  continued  by  us. 

The  American  Metal  Works  was  engaged  in  general  steel  stampings  and  the 
Chelten  Electric  Company  in  the  manufacturing  of  electrical  wiring  specialties. 

The  American  Metal  Works  and  the  Chelten  Electric  Company  are  owned 
by  the  same  persons  and  occupy  the  same  building.  The  facilities  of  both  plants 
were  offered  to  the  Government.  The  contract  for  the  Mark  XI  bullets  was  taken 
in  the  name  of  the  American  Metal  Works,  and  the  contract  with  the  Frankford 
Arsenal  for  loading  2,000,000  30-caliber  tracers  was  taken  in  the  name  of  the  Chel- 
ten Electric  Company. 

The  factory  of  the  American  Metal  Works  and  the  Chelten  Electric  Com^ 
pany  is  located  in  Germantown,  Philadelphia. 

It  was  therefore  necessary,  for  practical  reasons,  as  well  as  on  account  of  city 
ordinances,  to  erect  a  loading  plant  outside  of  the  city  limits. 

A  field  was  leased  at  Cheltenham  and  New  Second  streets,  Oak  Lane,  Pa., 
and  a  powder  and  loading  building  was  erected,  and  roadways  and  necessary 
facilities  installed. 

The  powder  for  both  types  of  bullets  mentioned  above,  required  a  great  deal 
of  care  in  handling  on  account  of  its  highly  inflammable  nature.  It  was  necessary, 
therefore,  to  build  separate  buildings  and  to  separate  the  different  processes,  such  as 
weighing,  mixing,  baking,  blending  and  storing.  Also,  before  loading,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  construct  individual  two-piece  dies  in  which  to  hold  the  bullets  while  the 
compound  was  loaded  under  several  pressures.  After  the  bullets  were  filled  with 
incendiary  compound  and  the  igniting  composition  placed  on  top,  the  base  was 
crimped  over  on  the  press,  and  the  bullets  were  then  ready  for  inspection  and  load- 
ing into  cartridge  cases. 

In  May,  1918,  we  started  the  loading  of  30-caliber  tracer  bullets,  and  in  June 
and  July  we  also  loaded  100,000  Mark  XI  incendiary  bullets — both  styles  of  bullets 
going  through  the  plant  at  the  same  time. 

We  completed  the  work  of  loading  2,000,000  30-caliber  tracer  bullets  in  the 
last  of  December,  1918. 

Immediately  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice  the  Ordnance  Department 
issued  a  suspension  order  on  the  Mark  XI  contract,  reducing  the  quantity  to  be 
delivered  from  20,000,000  to  500,000. 

Although  we  had  successfully  produced  the  Mark  XI  incendiary  bullet  by  the 
drawn  process,  the  reduced  requirements  prevented  any  quantity  production. 

At  the  time  of  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  additional  buildings  and  equip- 
ment were  being  constructed  and  were  nearly  completed.  The  enlarged  plant  would 
have  enabled  us,  within  a  very  short  time,  to  have  produced  over  300,000  bullets 
per  week. 

THE  AMERICAN  PULLEY  COMPANY 

Like  most  other  industrial  concerns,  the  American  Pulley  Company  began 
to  feel  the  result  of  the  demand  created  by  the  World  War  some  time  about  the 
beginning  of  the  year  1915.  As  business  in  this  country  became  increasingly 
active,  the  orders  for  "American"  steel  split  pulleys  constantly  increased  in  numbers. 

415 


Not  only  was  the  domestic  demand  unusual,  but  the  Allied  countries  also  needed 
the  products  of  Philadelphia's  big  pulley  factory.  England  in  particular  was 
eager  for  shipments,  and  for  many  months,  until  submarines  and  dearth  of  ships 
made  it  impossible,  a  steady  stream  of  "American"  pulleys  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  transmit  power  in  the  great  munition  shops  of  the  British  Isles  and  to  assist 
in  turning  out  the  sinews  of  war  for  that  hard-pressed  nation. 

A  little  later,  from  the  office  of  the  French  Commission  in  New  York,  came  an 
inquiry  for  20,000  steel  reels  upon  which  to  wind  telegraph  and  telephone  wire  for 
use  on  the  battlefields  at  the  front.  These  reels  were  like  big  spools,  with  heads 
about  two  feet  in  diameter.  It  was  known  that  the  American  Pulley  Company 
made  other  pressed  steel  articles  besides  pulleys,  and  they  were  called  in  con- 
sultation and  asked  to  design  a  reel.  A  design  was  made  and  a  sample  was  taken 
to  France  for  inspection.  Word  came  back  that  the  sample  was  approved  and 
immediately  the  order  was  placed  with  instructions  to  The  American  Pulley 
Company  to  speed  production.  The  company  was  already  running  day  and  night 
making  pulleys,  and  the  factory  buildings  were  filled  to  overflowing.  The  question 
was  how  to  obtain  space  quickly  to  provide  for  the  assembling  and  finishing  opera- 
tions on  the  thousands  of  reels  which  must  be  completed  and  shipped  in  a  minimum 
of  time.  The  company  owned  a  vacant  lot  back  of  their  warehouse,  and  in  short 
order  two  or  three  big  canvas  tents  were  run  up  and  concrete  floors  provided,  so 
that  ample  assembling  space  was  obtained  at  a  small  cost  and  in  record  time. 
The  entire  original  order  for  reels  was  made  and  another  followed.  Every  reel 
passed  inspection  and  the  French  Government  accepted  the  reels,  with  appreciation 
of  the  excellence  of  the  work  and  the  speed  with  which  delivery  was  accomplished. 

When  the  United  States  joined  the  Allies  an  order  for  25,000  reels  was  given 
by  the  Government. 

A  little  later  the  Bureau  of  Air  Craft  Production,  War  Department,  placed 
an  order  for  some  thousands  of  antennae  reels  to  be  used  in  connection  with  the 
wireless  service  in  the  airplanes.  These  were  a  new  article,  devised  to  fill  a  need 
created  by  the  war.  For  the  American  Pulley  Company  the  job  was  necessarily 
somewhat  experimental;  but  the  work  was  done,  the  difficulties  were  overcome  and 
the  reels  produced  and  accepted  for  service. 

One  day  a  representative  of  the  American  Pulley  Company  dropped  in  at  the 
Trench  Mortar  Section  of  the  Ordnance  Department's  Purchasing  Office  at  Wash- 
ington. He  was  shown  a  good-sized,  heavy,  steel-stamped  piece  called  a  Livens 
Projector  Base  Plate,  and  was  asked  if  he  could  make  it.  The  answer  was  "Yes." 
A  price  was  named,  an  order  for  something  over  fifty  thousand  of  these  bases 
was  given  and  one  thousand  of  them  were  shipped  within  thirty-one  days  there- 
after. These  bases  were  irregular  in  contour,  and  experimental  work  had  to  be  done 
on  the  forming  dies  before  the  final  working  tools  could  be  produced.  Drawings 
of  these  tools  had  to  be  made,  patterns,  castings  and  forgings  obtained,  and  hun- 
dreds of  tons  of  one-quarter  inch  special  steel  plate  were  needed  from  which  to 
manufacture  the  bases  themselves. 

The  Alan  Wood,  Iron  &  Steel  Company,  of  this  city,  turned  out  the  one- 
quarter  inch  plate,  the  War  Industries  Board  giving  an  A-l  classification  The 
company  lived  up  to  its  promises,  and  a  letter  of  congratulation  from  the  Ordnance 
Department  followed. 

These  special  War  Department  orders  were  interesting  and  somewhat  spec- 

416 


tacular,  but  the  really  big  job  that  the  Pulley  Company  did  was  in  its  own  staple 
line  of  pressed  steel  belt  pulleys.  During  the  war  period  it  increased  what  prior 
to  the  war  appeared  to  be  a  maximum  production,  by  one-third,  and  maintained  it 
in  spite  of  difficulties.  There  were  some  anxious  moments  for  a  time  on  account 
of  the  serious  shortage  of  steel  in  the  country,  but  the  company  was  placed  upon 
the  "Preferred  List"  of  the  War  Industries  Board,  and  was  given  the  necessary 
priority  certificates  to  make  their  supply  of  raw  material  sure. 

There  was  hardly  an  arsenal  in  the  United  States  but  had  orders  placed  for 
"American"  pulleys.  "American"  pulleys  went  to  France  to  equip  a  great  United 
States  Arsenal  in  that  country.  Most,  if  not  all,  of  the  great  shops  from  the  At- 
lantic to  the  Pacific  used  "American"  pulleys  in  considerable  quantity.  The 
answer  was  plain:    "American"  pulleys  "had  to  be  made"  and  they  were. 

The  number  of  men  who  entered  the  service  from  the  company's  employ  was 
sixty-four,  of  whom  three  lost  their  lives. 

THE  BALDWIN  LOCOMOTIVE  WORKS 

The  most  striking  thing  about  the  war  activities  of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive 
Works  is  the  fact  that  in  spite  of  the  enormous  work  done  in  the  Philadelphia  and 
other  plants,  the  pre-war  equipment  was  so  great  that  not  a  day  was  lost  in  taking 
over  governmental  contracts.  Moreover,  a  comparison  of  summaries  of  personnel, 
buildings,  etc.,  of  1913  and  1919  shows  that  in  many  important  ways  but  little 
increase  was  made  even  to  meet  what  to  the  average  mind  seemed  insurmountable 
difficulties.  Of  course,  there  was  a  big  development  at  Eddystone  and  certain 
additions  to  the  Philadelphia  plant  but,  by  and  large,  it  is  an  amazing  commentary 
upon  the  wonderful  world-wide  work  of  the  Baldwin  plants  that  when  war  came 
they  were  ready. 

Naturally,  when  one  speaks  of  "Baldwin's"  one  thinks  of  locomotives,  but 
"Baldwin's"  part  in  the  war  was  not  confined  to  the  making  of  these  iron  horses, 
important  as  they  were.  It  was  General  Joffre  who  said,  "This  is  a  railway  war. 
The  battle  of  the  Marne  was  won  by  the  railways  of  France. "  Upon  second  thought 
the  above  statement  is  not  an  exaggeration,  for  victory  or  failure  depended  very 
largely  upon  the  rapidity  of  mass  movements  of  troops  and  the  way  in  which  ord- 
nance and  quartermaster  supplies  were  carried.  For  example,  in  the  attack  and 
defense  of  Verdun,  approximately  60,000,000  shells,  representing  3,000,000  tons 


Fourleen-inch  Naval  Gun,  Railway  Mount. 
417 


Fourleen-Inch  Naval  Gun,  Railway  Mount.     Improved  Type. 

of  steel,  were  fired  in  thirty  weeks.  It  was  the  railroads  that  moved  the  greater 
part  of  this  material  to  the  firing  line.  Therefore,  the  story  of  "Baldwin's  in  the 
war"  is  well  told  by  first  reviewing  the  part  that  locomotives  played  in  bringing 
to  pass  a  speedy  victory. 

In  1914,  the  pressing  need  overseas  was  for  ordnance,  ammunition  and  other 
supplies.  France  and  Great  Britain  were  seriously  handicapped  in  this  respect, 
and  the  way  in  which  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  met  the  need  will  be  told 
in  later  paragraphs.  At  the  beginning  of  the  war,  Russia,  because  of  its  great 
distances  and  desperate  shortage  of  motive  power  and  equipment,  turned  to  this 
plant  for  immediate  delivery  of  locomotives. 

Samuel  M.  Vauclain,  who  was  then  Senior  Vice-President,  visited  Russia  in  the 
autumn  of  1914,  and  also  early  in  1915,  and  secured  from  Russia  and  other 
countries  large  contracts  for  locomotives  and  other  war  material. 

To  quote  from  the  interesting  and  attractive  booklet,  known  as  "Record 
No.  93,"  we  read:  The  first  order  for  locomotives,  resulting  from  Mr.  Vau- 
clain's  overseas  visit  was  placed  in  November,  1914,  and  called  for  thirty  Mallet 
locomotives  of  the  0-6-6-0-  type.   These  were  of  a  gauge  of  3  feet  6  inches,  and  were 


Naval  Gun,  Caterpillar  Mount 
418 


For  use  with  the  A.  E.  F. 


Locomotive  for  British  Railroads. 


rapidly  completed  and  shipped  for  use 

on    the   Vologda-Archangel   Railway, 

connecting  the   broad-gauge  railways 

of  Russia  with  the  port  of  Archangel 

on  the  White  Sea,  the  only  water  outlet 

in  the  west  after  the  closing  of  the 

Black   Sea.     This   order   was  followed  by  others  for  large  numbers  of  heavy 

Decapod  locomotives  of  a  gauge  of  5  feet;  for  gasoline  locomotives  of  a  gauge  of 

75cm.  (2  feet,  5}4 inches);  and  for  gasoline  trucks  and  tractors.  As  it  was  impos- 
sible, on  account  of  the  Bolshevik 
revolution,  to  deliver  all  of  these 
Decapod  locomotives  to  Russia,  one 
hundred  of  them  were  converted  for 
temporary  use  at  home  and  were  pur- 
chased by  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment. The  gasoline  locomotives,  when 
properly  used,  emit  practically  no 
smoke,  and  for  this  reason  are  well 
adapted  for  trench  service,  as  they  are 

less  conspicuous,  especially  during  the  day,  than  steam  locomotives. 

The  French  Government,  late  in  the  summer  of  1914,  sent  a  mission  to  the 

United  States  to  make  certain  purchases.    On  November  3d  the  mission  received 

cable  instructions  to  purchase  twenty  tank  locomotives  of  a  gauge  of  60cm.  (1  foot, 

11^8  inches),  and  on  November  21st 

they  were  all  completed  and  shipped. 

Other  orders  followed  in  rapid  succes- 
sion. 

With  the  advent  of  trench  warfare, 

during  the  winter  of  1914-15,  it  became 

necessary  to  develop  a  vast  system  of 

narrow-gauge   railways   on    the    west 

front  in  order  to  handle  troops  and 

supplies.     These  lines  were  built  by 

the  French  to  a  gauge  of  60cm.,  which 

was  later  adopted  by  the  American  and 

British  armies.    The  track  was  so  built 

that  it  could  be  quickly  laid  or  shifted  to  meet   sudden  requirements.     For  this 

work,  the  French  Government  purchased  280  locomotives  of  a  special  type  known 

as  the  Pechot,  of  French  design,   and  built  throughout  to  the  metric  system. 

Carried  on  two  steam-driven  trucks, 
or  bogies,  these  locomotives  have 
unusual  flexibility  and  excellent  track- 
riding  qualities.  In  addition  to  the 
above  orders,  the  French  Government 
purchased  a  large  number  of  gasoline 
locomotives  and  also  several  fireless 
steam-storage  locomotives.  In  this 
latter   type,  the  boiler  is  replaced  by 


For  the  Russian  Railways. 


Built  for  the  French  Government. 


419 


a  cylindrical  reservoir,  which  is  charged  with  hot  water  and  steam  at  high  press- 
ure from  a  stationary  plant.  The  pressure  of  steam  is  reduced  before  it  is  used  in 
the  cylinders,  and  as  the  steam  is  drawn  off  the  water  in  the  reservoir  gradually 
evaporates  until  the  pressure  is  lowered  to  a  point  where  recharging  is  necessary. 
Locomotives  of  this  type  are  built  for  use  about  explosive  plants  and  in  other 
localities  where  all  fire  risks  must  be  entirely  eliminated. 

In  addition  to  the  orders  enumerated  above,  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works 
built  heavy  freight  locomotives  of  the  Mikado  (2-8-2)  type  for  the  Paris,  Lyons 
&  Mediterranean  Railway  and  for  the  Nord  Railway.  These  locomotives  have 
balanced  compound  cylinders  and  were  designed  and  built  in  accordance  with 
French  practice. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  the  British  Government,  in  addition  to  using 
French  equipment,  ferried  across  the  Channel  several  hundred  locomotives  taken 
from  service  on  the  British  railways.  As  the  operations  of  the  British  armies 
in  France  increased,  however,  Great  Britain  became  a  heavy  buyer  of  American 
locomotives,  the  great  majority  of  which  were  ordered  from  the  Baldwin  plant. 
The  total  number  contracted  for  was  960,  of  which  495  were  of  a  gauge  of  60cm. 
(type  4-6-0)  and  the  remainder  of  various  types  and  of  standard  gauge. 

From  the  summer  of  1917  until  the  termination  of  hostilities  the  United 
States  Government  entrusted  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  with  what  were 
probably  the  largest  and  most  urgent  locomotive  orders  ever  placed  in  the  history 
of  locomotive  building.  The  first  of  these  orders  was  received  on  July  17th  and 
called  for  150  standard  gauge  locomotives  of  the  Consolidation  (2-8-0)  type.  A 
remarkable  record  was  made  in  shipping  these  locomotives,  as  the  first  one  was 
completed  on  August  10th  and  the  last  on  October  1st.  Subsequent  orders  included 
large  numbers  of  similar  locomotives  which  became  popularly  known  as  "Pershing 
engines."  A  number  of  these  were  transferred  while  under  construction  to  the 
French  Government. 

Through  the  energy  and  initiative  of  S.  M.  Felton,  Director  General  of  Mil- 
itary Railways,  and  his  mechanical  aide,  Colonel  Milliken,  an  interesting  method 
was  developed  of  shipping  the  Pershing  locomotives  to  France,  erected  complete 
with  the  exception  of  the  smoke-stack,  cab  and  a  few  other  details.  The 
locomotives  and  tenders  were  placed  in  the  holds  of  the  vessels  on  their  own 
wheels  and  when  unloaded  at  St.  Nazaire,  France,  were  prepared  for  service  with 
but  little  delay.  This  was  a  matter  of  importance,  especially  during  the  last  few 
months  of  the  war;  because  as  the  Allied  armies  advanced  and  the  Germans  re- 
ceded, the  transportation  requirements  of  the  former  naturally  increased  and  the 
need  for  additional  locomotives  became  more  and  more  urgent.  Had  it  been 
necessary  to  carry  active  military  operations  far  into  Germany,  the  need  of  ad- 
ditional locomotives  and  railway  equipment  would  have  become  still  more  press- 
ing. At  the  conclusion  of  hostilities,  the  building  program  of  The  Baldwin  Loco- 
motive Works  called  for  the  completion  of  300  Pershing  engines  per  month;  and 
in  consideration  of  the  difficulties  in  obtaining  materials  promptly  and  in  securing 
an  adequate  supply  of  labor,  the  record  made  in  the  construction  and  delivery  of 
these  locomotives  was  unprecedented.  In  addition  to  the  Pershing  engines, 
orders  from  the  Government  included  narrow-gauge  steam  locomotives  of  the 
2-6-2  type,  and  three  sizes  of  gasoline  locomotives,  the  largest  of  standard,  and  the 
other  two  of  narrow  gauge. 

420 


Thus  Philadelphia-made  locomotives  served  on  the  western  front.  There 
is  little  doubt  that  when  General  Allenby  and  his  men  freed  Palestine  from  the 
Turks,  it  was  a  Baldwin  engine  that  was  puffing  up  from  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem, 
bearing  not  American  tourists  but  American  relief  supplies  as  well  as  ordnance 
and  munitions  for  the  Allied  forces. 

Summarizing  the  shipment  of  locomotives  from  Baldwin's  to  all  belligerent 
countries,  including  our  own,  the  following  figures  are  given: 

Broad-gauge  steam,  various  types 3,246 

Narrow-gauge,  steam,  various  types 1,146 

Broad-gauge,  gasoline 20 

Narrow-gauge,  gasoline 1,139       5,551 

The  Baldwin  products  which  were  supplied  to  the  Allied  governments  were 
not  confined  to  locomotives,  as  orders  were  taken  for  the  machining  of  a  large 
number  of  shells,  varying  in  caliber  from  4%0  inches  to  12  inches.  These  shells 
were  furnished  to  the  British  and  French  governments.  They  were  manufac- 
tured in  such  of  the  locomotive  shops  as  were  available  for  the  purpose,  and  also 
in  new  shops  specially  built  and  equipped  for  this  kind  of  work. 

In  connection  with  the  manufacture  of  shells;  mention  should  be  made  of  the 
construction,  in  1915,  of  two  large  plants  on  the  Eddystone  property  of  The  Baldwin 
Locomotive  Works.  One  of  these  plants  was  leased  to  the  Bemington  Arms  Com- 
pany of  Delaware,  afterwards  acquired  by  the  Midvale  Steel  and  Ordnance  Com- 
pany (Eddystone  Bifle  Plant),  and  was  first  used  for  the  production  of  Enfield 
rifles,  model  of  1914,  for  the  British  Government.  Subsequently  the  plant  manu- 
factured rifles  for  the  United  States  Government,  .300  caliber,  U.  S.  model  1917. 
The  capacity  finally  reached  more  than  6,000  rifles  per  day,  and  the  plant  supplied 
nearly  two-thirds  of  all  the  rifles  used  in  combat  by  the  American  Army  in  France. 
This  was  a  notable  achievement,  and  the  capacity  of  the  Eddystone  Plant  at  the 
termination  of  hostilities  exceeded  that  of  any  other  rifle  plant  then  in  operation. 

The  total  number  of  rifles  manufactured  at  the  Eddystone  rifle  plant  was  ap- 
proximately 2,200,000. 

The  second  plant  referred  to  was  erected  as  a  result  of  the  receipt  of  large 
orders  for  complete  ammunition  from  the  British  Government.  This  ammuni- 
tion was  manufactured  by  the  Eddystone  Ammunition  Corporation,  a  company 
organized  for  the  purpose  by  S.  M.  Vauclain,  and  owing  its  existence  to  his  energy 
and  directive  ability.  The  operations  of  this  company  were  satisfactorily  termi- 
nated in  ]  917.  The  United  States  Government  requested  at  this  time  that  the  equip- 
ment and  machinery  of  the  company  be  kept  fully  employed  in  its  service.  A 
new  corporation  was  accordingly  organized  under  the  title  of  Eddystone  Munitions 
Company,  and  to  it  was  leased  the  property  formerly  occupied  by  the  Eddystone 
Ammunition  Corporation.  The  new  company  manufactured  large  quantities 
of  ammunition  for  the  United  States  Government,  and  continued  in  operation 
until  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice.  Its  entire  capital  stock  was  owned  by 
The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works. 

The  plants  leased  to  the  Midvale  Steel  and  Ordnance  Company  and  the 
Eddystone  Munitions  Company  were  so  designed  that  the  buildings  could,  at 
the  expiration  of  the  leases,  be  utilized  as  locomotive  shops.  The  construction 
of  these  plants  and  the  results  achieved  through  their  operation  constitute  one  of 
the  great  industrial  achievements  of  the  war. 

421 


Shells 

Including  those  manufactured  by  the  Eddystone  Ammunition  Corporation 
and  the  Eddystone  Munitions  Company: 

3-inch  shrapnel 2,300,000 

75  mm.  shells 2,351,555 

4.7-inch  shells 225,399 

5-inch  shells 150,281 

6-inch  shells * 1,068,157 

12-inch  shells 112,553 

12-inch  forgings 9,000 

220  mm.  shells 213,615 

270  mm.  shells 134,795 

Total  number  of  shells 6,565,355 

Cartridge  cases 1,863,900 

Miscellaneous  ammunition  items 1,905,213 


Railway  Gun  Mounts 

Among  the  most  interesting  products  of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  since 
the  entry  of  the  United  States  into  the  war,  have  been  the  railway  gun  mounts 
for  the  United  States  Navy.  These  mounts  were  built  to  carry  14-inch  rifles, 
50  calibers  in  length,  which  had  been  furnished  by  the  Navy.  The  complete  de- 
signs of  the  mount  were  prepared  at  the  United  States  Naval  Gun  Factory,  Wash- 
ington Navy  Yard.  The  mounts  were  erected  and  the  guns  assembled  with  them 
at  the  Eddystone  Plant  of  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works.  The  first  five  mounts 
were  ordered  on  February  18,  1918;  the  first  one  was  completed  and  shipped  to 
Sandy  Hook  Proving  Grounds  on  April  25th,  and  the  last  on  May  23,  1918.  These 
mounts  were  shipped  to  France  by  the  Navy,  and  were  effectively  used  in  action 
against  the  German  lines  of  communication  for  several  weeks  prior  to  the  signing 
of  the  armistice. 

When  firing  at  low  angles  the  entire  weight  of  the  gun  is  carried  by  the  trucks; 
but  when  firing  at  angles  of  from  fifteen  to  forty-five  degrees,  a  structural  steel 
foundation  surrounding  a  pit  is  necessary  for  the  purpose  of  absorbing  a  portion 
of  the  shock,  and  also  providing  room  for  the  recoil  of  the  gun.  The  weight  of  the 
gun  is  transferred  to  the  foundation  by  means  of  jacks.  These  foundations  were 
also  supplied  by  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works. 

An  improved  type  of  mount  for  14-inch  guns  was  built  subsequent  to  those 
just  described.  In  this  type  no  separate  foundation  is  necessary,  as  the  gun  can 
be  fired  at  angles  up  to  forty-three  degrees  without  relieving  the  supporting  truck 
of  its  weight.  . 

The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  has  also  been  engaged  in  the  construction  of 
7-inch  "caterpillar"  mounts  for  the  United  States  Navy.  These  mounts  have 
broad  caterpillar  treads,  similar  to  those  used  on  tractors,  which  are  designed  to 
operate  over  rough  roads  and  soft  soil.  They  were  designed  at  the  United  States 
Naval  Gun  Factory;  and  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  contracted  to  furnish 
them  complete  with  the  exception  of  the  gun  and  breech  mechanisms,  which  were 
supplied  by  the  gun  factory. 

This  mount  complete  with  gun  weighs  about  72,000  pounds,  and  the  bearing 

422 


pressure  under  the  treads  is  approximately  ten  pounds  per  square  inch.     The  guns 
are  transported  in  the  field  by  means  of  Holt  tractors  of  120  horsepower. 

In  addition  to  building  complete  mounts,  The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works 
constructed  several  styles  of  railway  trucks  for  gun  and  howitzer  mounts.  At 
the  time  hostilities  closed,  preparations  were  being  made  for  the  manufacture 
on  a  large  scale  of  heavy  tanks  equipped  with  Liberty  motors.  These  were  intended 
to  destroy  the  wire  defenses  and  machine  gun  nests  put  up  by  the  Germans  in 
their  retreat.  After  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  however,  the  order  for  these  tanks 
was  canceled. 

14-inch  railway  mounts 11 

Foundations  for  14-inch  mounts 20 

14-inch  railway  mounts,  improved  type 2 

7-inch  caterpillar  mounts 38 

Trucks  for  gun  and  howitzer  mounts,  sets 5 

The  aggregate  value  of  the  war  contracts  executed  and  delivered  by  The 
Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  and  its  associated  companies,  the  Standard  Steel 
Works  Company,  the  Eddystone  Ammunition  Corporation,  and  the  Eddystone 
Munitions  Company,  was  approximately  $250,000,000. 

COMPARATIVE  DATA  OF  THE  BALDWIN  LOCOMOTIVE  WORKS 

As  of  September  1,  1919  and  1913 
Based  on  Capacity  of  3,000-3,500  Locomotives  per  Year,  1919 


Philadelphia 


1919 


Shops 1,975,057  square  feet 


Offices 

Yardage . . 
Garage . . . 
Stables. . . 
Dwellings . 


193,777  square  feet 

115,535  square  feet 

17,904  square  feet 

12,684  square  feet 

50,492  square  feet 


1913 
1,699,423  square  feet 
138,397  square  feet 
84,990  square  feet 
None 

12,684  square  feet 
50,492  square  feet 


Totals 2,365,449  square  feet         1,985,986  square  feet 

Increase,  1919  over  1913,  of  379,463  square  feet. 

1919  1913 

Acres  of  ground  —  Philadelphia 19.332  17.812 

Eddystone 596.38  225.59 

Floor  space  —  Philadelphia 54 . 4  45 . 5 

Eddystone 88.6  18.6 

Number  of  men  employed. 21,500  19,000 

Horsepower  employed  —  Steam 16,700  14,890 

Oil 3,400  4,850 

Horsepower  electric  motors  employed  for  power  transmission 57,400  27,624 

Number  of  electric  lamps  —  Incandescent 14,000  8,900 

Arc None  1,590 

Number  of  motors  in  service 3,450  2,355 

Electric  power  purchased 8,500  h.p 

Consumption  of  coal  in  tons,  per  week 4,200  3,850 

Consumption  of  fuel  oil  in  gallons,  per  week 175,000  125,000 

Consumption  of  iron  and  steel  in  tons,  per  week 6,500  6,000 

Consumption  of  other  materials  in  tons,  per  week 3,000  2,500 

Number  of  machines 12,800  6,829 


423 


Eddystone 

Track 25  miles  14  miles 

Buildings  (costing  $1,000  or  more) 185  25 

Boilerp  lants 5  (85  Boilers)  2  (24  Boilers) 

Standard-gauge  cars 43  16 

Narrow-gauge  cars 73  34 

Cranes  (power) 117  75 

Standard-gauge  locomotives 11  4 

Narrow-gauge  locomotives [6  3 

Locomotive  cranes 20  8 

Oil  lines V/i  miles  None 

THE  BETHLEHEM  STEEL  CO. 

The  Bethlehem  Steel  Co.,  before  its  first  European  order  came,  in  the 
autumn  of  1914,  had  been  at  work  for  years  on  gun  forgings,  gun  mounts, 
disappearing-gun  carriages,  finished  guns,  firing  mechanisms,  shields,  battleship 
barbettes  and  turrets,  coast-defense  mounts,  armor-piercing  projectiles,  field 
carriages,  Umbers,  caissons,  armor  plate  for  battleships,  and  battery  range  finders. 
Every  process  in  the  production  of  war  material  was  undertaken  by  its  organiza- 
tion, from  the  mining  of  the  ore  in  the  Chilean  hills  and  its  shipment  northward, 
through  the  Panama  Canal,  to  the  camouflaging  of  the  completed  cannon  after 
a  series  of  metallurgical  and  mechanical  operations.  In  addition  to  its  contract 
engagements  it  was  in  effect  an  immense  ordnance  college,  providing  trained  men — 
superintendents  and  foremen— for  other  gun,  shell,  and  machine  plants.  With 
a  working  force  quadrupled  in  four  years,  it  was  necessary  to  house  its  men  in 
towns  from  twenty  to  thirty  miles  distant  and  to  guarantee  railroad  trains  and 
arrange  a  special  trolley  service  to  transport  them  to  and  from  their  tasks. 

For  the  entire  war,  including  the  interval  before  April  6,  1917,  the  steel  plants 
of  the  Bethlehem  Corporation  shipped  to  the  U.  S.  Army  or  to  the  Allies,  3,570 
finished  guns,  7,582  finished  gun  carriages,  limbers  and  caissons,  599  finished 
naval  gun  mounts,  about  11,000  forgings  for  guns,  18,478,000  rounds  of  complete 
field-gun  ammunition,  1,710,000  projectiles  for  ammunition,  9,527,000  pounds 
of  air-flasks  for  torpedoes,  69,410,000  pounds  of  armor  plate,  and  897,000  gross 
tons  of  shell  steel.  Finished  and  unfinished,  the  gun  product  of  this  plant  amounted 
to  about  five-sixths  of  the  entire  artillery  equipment  of  the  German  Army  at  the 
height  of  its  power  in  the  early  summer  of  1918. 

The  company  conducted  loading  at  Redington,  Pa.,  at  New  Castle,  Del., 
and  at  Mays  Landing,  N.  J.  The  latter  plant  was  built  to  order  for  Ordnance. 
The  other  two  had  been  working  for  the  Allied  Governments.  The  Redington  plant 
turned  out  106,000  shells  of  9.2-inch  caliber,  146,000  shells  of  8-inch  caliber,  and 
1,000  shells  of  240-millimeter  caliber.  On  the  9.2-inch  shell,  it  reached  a  capacity 
of  4,000  per  day.  There  was  a  labor  force  that  reached  about  700.  The  New  Castle 
plant  made  350,000  pounds  of  tetryl  and  loaded  3,500,000  boosters  and  85,000 
10-inch  and  12-inch  shells.     Its  maximum  number  of  employes  was  about  1,400. 

The  plant  at  Mays  Landing  was  begun  in  the  middle  of  April,  1918,  and 
within  ten  weeks,  the  first  155-millimeter  shells  were  loaded.  Two  thousand 
workmen  were  employed  and  the  plant  had  a  daily  loading  capacity  of  25,000 
shells  of  75-millimeter  caliber,  12,000  shells  of  155-millimeter  caliber  and  4,000 
of  8-inch  or  larger  caliber. 

424 


BLAISDELL  PENCIL  COMPANY* 

Even  a  lead  pencil  helped  win  the  war.  On  the  day  war  was  declared  in  April, 
1917,  the  Blaisdell  Pencil  Company  of  Philadelphia  offered  its  facilities  to  the 
Government.  The  humble  lead  pencil  played  a  part  in  munition  plants  every- 
where in  Government  offices,  where  countless  thousands  plied  them  daily,  and  in 
the  fast-filling  camps  and  on  shipboard  for  the  soldiers  who  wanted  to  write  home. 
In  addition  to  the  ordinary  usage  of  the  pencil  there  were  many  unusual  kinds  of 
pencils  sought  after  by  the  Government;  special  pencils  for  many  purposes  that 
are  unknown  to  the  average  person. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  World  War  certain  colors  and  ingredients  necessary 
in  the  manufacture  of  pencils,  crayons,  and  marking  materials  had  been  imported, 
among  them  a  number  from  Germany.  In  fact,  most  of  the  leads  used  in  pencils 
were  foreign  productions,  being  placed  in  the  familiar  wooden  casing  in  the  various 
pencil  plants  in  the  United  States. 

The  Blaisdell  Pencil  Company  has  been  in  business  since  1893,  and  its  prod- 
ucts and  its  slogan,  "  Nick  and  Pull, "  are  familar  in  every  clime.  When  conditions 
in  this  particular  field  of  manufacture  were  chaotic  and  the  need  of  pencils  became 
acute,  the  Blaisdell  Company  placed  their  staff  of  chemists  and  experts  on  their 
hardest  task.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  in  sixty  days'  time  they  were  able  to  declare 
themselves  independent  of  any  foreign  source  of  supplies  or  equipment.  Their 
machines  were  built  by  their  own  men,  and  their  colors  and  raw  materials  prepared 
in  their  own  laboratories  here  in  Philadelphia. 

One  of  the  first  calls  on  the  Blaisdell  Pencil  Company  came  from  the  American 
Bed  Cross.  They  wanted  pencils  for  the  doctors  and  surgeons  which  would  mark 
on  the  skin.  Skin-marking  pencils  are  widely  used  by  the  medical  profession  in 
diagnosing,  operating,  etc.  But  skin-marking  pencils  had  never  been  made  in  the 
United  States.  They  had  always  been  a  product  of  Germany,  and  since  the  war 
had  been  on  for  nearly  three  years,  the  supply  of  skin-marking  pencils  was  exhausted. 
The  need  was  urgent.  The  supply  was  nil.  The  American  Bed  Cross  asked  that 
a  supply  of  red  and  blue  skin-marking  pencils  be  delivered  at  the  docks  in  New  York 
City  for  shipment  to  France  in  twenty  days'  time,  and  the  Blaisdell  Company  ac- 
complished the  task. 

The  field  medical  supply  depot  requisitioned  large  quantities  of  Blaisdell 
wax  pencils.  These  pencils  are  used  for  marking  on  china,  glass,  metal  and  all 
polished  surfaces. 

Later  there  came  a  demand  for  another  German  product  which  had  never 
been  made  in  the  United  States.  And  this  demand  came  from  the  chemists,  the 
scientists  and  the  laboratory  workers  of  the  United  States.  They  wanted  a  pencil 
with  which  they  could  mark  a  beaker  or  retort  or  glass,  and  place  it  in  the  laboratory 
fire,  and  after  heating  or  burning  to  a  high  degree,  still  have  the  mark  remain. 
The  Blaisdell  Company  successfully  produced  this  highly  technical  article  and  it, 
too,  has  already  become  a  staple  article  in  the  Blaisdell  Company's  manufacture. 

So,  while  many  have  made  their  mark  in  the  Great  War  that  is  over,  the  same 
may  truly  be  said  of  the  products  of  one  of  Philadelphia's  well-known  industries, 
the  Blaisdell  Pencil  Company,  whose  products  are  not  only  "Made  in  America," 
but  also  one  more  indispensable  article  "Made  in  Philadelphia." 

*Reprinted  by  permission  of  William  Bradford  Williams. 

425 


The  J.   G.   Brill  Co. 


Eleven- inch  Trench  Mortar. 


THE  J.  G.  BRILL  COMPANY 
Four  Years'  War  Production 

One  prominent  Philadelphia  concern  which  early  diverted  its  facilities  to 
the  production  of  implements  of  war  was  the  J.  G.  Brill  Company,  whose  plant 
located  at  62d  Street  and  Woodland  Avenue,  has  been  engaged  for  many  years  in 
the  production  of  electric  railway  cars  and  trucks.  It  was  readily  recognized  that 
the  thirty-acre  plant  of  the  Brill  Company,  and  its  steel  and  woodworking  machinery, 
necessary  for  the  production  of  its  peace-time  products,  were  admirably  adapted 
to  the  production  of  a  wide  range  of  products  essential  in  the  conduct  of  war. 

Soon  after  the  outbreak  of  the  World  War  in  1914,  and  before  our  Government 
had  entered  the  conflict,  the  Brill  Company  contracted  with  the  Russian  Military 
Commission  visiting  this  country  for  the  construction  of  various  types  of  auto- 
mobile bodies,  including  motor  lorries,  portable  machine  shops,  portable  kitchens 
and  storage  vans.  Similar  equipment  was  subsequently  built  for  the  British, 
French  and  Belgium  governments.  These,  however,  took  but  a  portion  of  the 
facilities  of  this  large  car  building  plant  and  the  company  quickly  adapted  itself 
to  the  production  of  three  and  six-inch  high-explosive  shell  forgings  for  Russia  and 
Great  Britain.  Subsequently,  a  large  contract  was  obtained  from  the  Ordnance 
Department  of  the  United  States  Government  for  4.7-inch  shell  forgings  for  de- 
livery to  the  Frankford  Arsenal,  Philadelphia. 

426 


During  the  year  1916  when  our  troops  were  ordered  to  the  Mexican  border, 
in  view  of  the  disturbance  across  the  Rio  Grande,  the  Brill  Company  furnished  a 
large  number  of  automobile  bodies  to  accompany  them.  Transport  bodies,  am- 
bulance and  portable  machine  shop  bodies  were  included  in  this  equipment. 

When  the  United  States  Government  entered  the  war  in  April,  1917,  it  quickly 
availed  itself  of  the  facilities  of  the  Brill  Plant  for  the  construction  of  a  very  wide 
range  of  products.  Nothing  was  too  large  or  too  small  for  this  company  to  handle. 
It  is,  therefore,  sufficient  to  say  that  included  among  the  various  equipments  built 
by  this  company  for  the  United  States  Government  were  the  following: 

Motor  truck  bodies  of  various  designs,  including  repair  trucks,  hoisting  bodies, 
telephone  bodies,  machine  shops,  work  shop  bodies,  printing  press  bodies  for  carry- 
ing six-color  presses  for  turning  out  officers'  daily  maps,  radio  tractors,  service 
trucks,  stake  bodies,  and  several  designs  of  ambulance  bodies,  signal  corps  wire 
carts,  six-horse  battery  wire  reels  and  carts,  24-inch  portable  searchlights,  a  60- 


The   J.    G.   Brill   Co. 


Sixteen-inch  Howitzer  Railway  Mount. 


inch  portable  searchlight  mounted  on  a  30-foot  revolving  tower  on  a  standard 
railroad  flat  car,  engineers'  tool  wagons,  saddlers'  chests,  carpenters'  chests,  meat 
racks,  16-inch  howitzer  railway  car  mount,  firing  platforms,  trench  mortars,  8-inch 
howitzer  limbers,  United  States  Liberty  motor  cylinder  forgings,  and  3-inch, 
and  4.7-inch  high  explosive  shell  forgings. 

The  first  contract  which  the  Brill  Company  received  for  a  24-inch  portable 
searchlight  outfit,  called  for  the  development  of  a  satisfactory  limber  for  carrying 
the  power  plant,  consisting  of  a  gasoline  engine  and  direct-connected  generator 
of  about  5-kilowatt  capacity,  and  a  caisson  for  carrying  the  elevating  tower  and 
searchlight,  as  those  previously  developed  did  not  satisfactorily  meet  the  require- 
ments. 

One  of  the  largest  Government  contracts  executed  by  this  company  was  for 
some  2,400  six-horse  battery  wire  reels  and  carts  for  the  Ordnance  Department. 
This  is  another  type  of  equipment  which  had  to  be  developed  and  tested  out  before 

427 


production  in  quantity  was  started.  These  outfits,  in  addition  to  carrying  the  field 
telephone  wire  for  use  in  communication  between  field  batteries,  consisted  of  the 
field  battery  communication,  range  finding,  shot  plotting,  and  fire  control  equip- 
ments. This  large  contract,  in  particular,  was  responsible  for  the  expansion  of  the 
company's  plant  in  the  erection  of  new  buildings  in  which  several  thousand  men 
were  employed,  and  many  new  tools  and  equipment  were  purchased  in  order  to 
properly  execute  it. 

Early  in  1918  the  plant  of  the  Brill  Company  was  busily  engaged  in  practically 
100  per  cent  war  material  production,  including  large  orders  of  cars  and  trucks 
for  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation,  for  transportation  of  employes  to  and  from 
shipyards,  and  had  contracts  with  practically  every  bureau  of  the  War  Department. 
In  fact,  the  company  established  an  office  in  Washington  which  closely  cooperated 
with  the  Government  in  connection  with  the  various  details  pertaining  to  these 
contracts.  This  greatly  expedited  production  and  enabled  the  Brill  Company  to 
complete  most  of  the  contracts  which  it  had  made  with  the  Government  for  war 
material.  Through  this  close  cooperation  with  the  various  departments  of  the 
service,  as  its  facilities  were  so  varied,  the  company  was  asked  at  various  times 
to  furnish  minor  items  of  equipment  which  were  required  for  quick  delivery. 
These  consisted  of  carpenters'  chests  and  saddlers'  chests  for  the  Ordnance 
Department,  tent  squares  for  the  tops  of  tents  for  the  Quartermaster's  Depart- 
ment, supply  wagons  for  searchlight  troops,  repair  wagons  for  the  Medical  Corps, 
tent  slips,  adaptors  for  12-inch  shells,  heavy  tool  wagons  for  Engineers,  and 
numerous  items  of  small  parts  of  equipment. 

The  executives  of  the  J.  G.  Brill  Company  during  the  war  were:  Samuel  M. 
Curwen,  President;  W.  H.  Heulings,  Jr.,  First  Vice-President;  J.  W.  Bawle,  Second 
Vice-President;  Henry  C.  Esling,  Secretary;  Edward  P.  Rawle,  Treasurer;  Fred  W. 
Brill,  Assistant  Treasurer;  and  R.  B.  Liddell,  General  Manager. 

EDWARD  G.  BUDD  MANUFACTURING  CO. 

The  steel  helmet,  or  "Doughboy's  Iron  Lid"  of  World  War  fame,  was  one  of 
the  many  articles  of  equipment  designed  for  the  American  Expeditionary  Force 
produced  by  the  Edward  G.  Budd  Manufacturing  Company,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

In  August,  1917,  work  was  begun  and  the  first  shipment  made  within  a  period 
of  four  weeks,  during  which  time  the  proper  grade  of  sheet  steel  was  purchased, 
and  dies  designed  and  built  to  press  the  sheets  into  the  proper  shape  to  fit  over 
the  head. 

The  material  used  was  a  high  grade  manganese  steel,  which  was  received  at 
the  plant  in  square  sheets  16  inches  by  16  inches.  Every  sheet  was  immediately 
subjected  to  a  breakage  test  by  impressing  in  one  corner  a  small  ball-shaped  punch. 
If  the  metal  broke  under  the  punch  the  sheet  was  rejected,  but  if  the  sheet  showed 
a  sound  cup-shaped  depression,  it  was  passed  on  to  a  double  action  press,  in  which 
the  punch  drew  the  flat  sheet  into  the  die  and  formed  the  bowl  or  helmet  shape. 

The  next  step  involved  the  trimming  die,  which  cut  the  rim  to  proper  size 
and  shape.  A  metal  edging  was  then  put  around  the  rim  to  cover  the  raw  edge  of 
steel  left  by  the  previous  trimming  operation,  and  electric  welded  at  the  joint. 
The  edging  was  then  clinched  securely  to  the  helmet  under  a  press. 

Holes  were  then  pierced  in  the  helmet  to  receive  the  rivets  for  holding  the 

428 


lining  as  well  as  the  loops  on  both  sides  to  receive  the  chin  straps.  The  loops  were 
attached  by  riveting  in  a  small  punch  press.  After  buffing  the  welded  joint  of  the 
edging  to  make  a  smooth  finish,  the  manufacturer's  identification  number  was  sten- 
ciled on,  and  every  helmet  submitted  to  the  inspector  for  rigid  examination. 

The  United  States  Government  maintained  a  corps  of  inspectors  at  the  works 
who  would  pick  out  a  certain  number  of  helmets,  approximately  one  in  every 
fifty,  for  a  ballistic  test.  This  was  accomplished  by  attaching  the  helmet  to  one 
end  of  a  10-foot  pipe,  6  inches  in  diameter,  in  such  a  position  as  to  receive  a  blow 
on  its  convex  surface.  At  the  other  end  of  the  pipe  a  45  caliber  army  revolver  was 
mounted.  The  bullets  would  make  an  indentation  in  the  helmet  of  from  34  inch 
to  %  inch  deep  without  breaking  the  steel,  and  would  often  rebound  the  entire 
length  of  the  10-foot  pipe  to  the  revolver  mounting. 

After  passing  inspection,  the  helmets  were  loaded  on  trucks,  and  delivered  to 
the  Ford  Motor  Car  Company,  Broad  Street  and  Lehigh  Avenue,  Philadelphia, 
where  they  were  painted,  had  the  linings  attached,  and  were  packed  for  shipment. 

The  Budd  Company  shipped  a  total  of  1,160,829  helmets,  and  when  the  war 
operations  ceased  had  orders  on  their  books  for  approximately  a  million  and  a 
quarter  more  which  was  subsequently  canceled. 

FORD  MOTOR  COMPANY* 

From  the  triangular-shaped,  ten-story  Ford  plant,  at  the  corner  of  Broad 
Street  and  Lehigh  Avenue,  there  was  shipped  every  steel  helmet  sent  abroad  to 
the  American  forces.  Every  doughboy  of  the  millions  that  helped  to  hurl  back 
the  German  horde  has  reason  to  thank  the  Philadelphia  branch  of  the  Ford  Motor 
Company  for  whatever  portion  was  allotted  to  him  of  the  2,749,600  steel  hats 
that  deflected  many  a  death-dealing  bullet  and  saved  many  an  American  life. 

In  the  experimental  field  also,  the  Quaker  City  plant  did  its  share  of  the  work. 
When  the  War  Department  endeavored  to  produce  a  further  safeguard  for  our 
soldiers  abroad,  namely,  the  eye-guards,  35,622  were  manufactured  at  Broad  Street 
and  Lehigh  Avenue.  A  body  armor  that  recalled  bygone  martial  days,  10,000  suits 
of  it  were  also  assembled,  enameled  and  shipped  from  the  local  plant  of  the  Ford 
Company. 

All  of  the  foregoing  does  not  take  into  account  some  384  Ford  machine  gun 
trucks  that  were  thoroughly  repaired,  overhauled  and  shipped  abroad  to  the 
American  fighting  forces. 

No  Profit  to  Accrue 

In  considering  the  work  done  by  the  Philadelphia  branch  on  its  various  helmet 
and  other  contracts,  the  distinctive  fact  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  it  was  all 
accomplished  under  Henry  Ford's  specific  instructions  that  no  profit  was  to  accrue 
from  any  of  the  work  performed. 

Before  the  Philadelphia  Ford  branch  was  approached  by  the  Government 
officials  as  to  its  willingness  to  undertake  helmet  contracts,  the  lowest  bid  tendered 
by  other  concerns  was  thirty-one  cents  per  helmet. 

The  contract  for  the  first  million  helmets  was  drawn  with  the  understanding 
that  the  maximum  price  would  be  thirty-one  cents  per  helmet,  but  that  if  the 
production  cost  proved  less,  the  difference  would  be  refunded  to  the  Government. 

*Reprinted  by  permission  of  William  Bradford  Williams. 

429 


Completion  of  the  1,000,000  helmets  showed  the  cost  to  be  $.1036  per 
helmet,  a  saving  of  $.2064  per  helmet,  or  a  total  saving  of  over  $197,000  on  955,516 
helmets  delivered  on  the  first  contract. 

During  peace  times  and  previous  to  America's  entry  into  the  war,  each 
day  at  the  Philadelphia  Ford  branch  saw  the  building  of  tops,  bodies  and  the  paint- 
ing and  upholstering  operations  for  the  assembling  and  shipment  of  150  complete 
Ford  automobiles. 

Among  the  Ford  equipment  at  the  plant  was  a  highly  developed  special  depart- 
ment, where  fenders  and  body  stock  received  treatment  that  transformed  them 
from  the  raw  steel  units,  such  as  individual  fenders  and  completed  bodies,  to 
the  enameled  and  highly  polished  finished  products  that  enter  into  completed 
automobiles.  In  doing  this  work,  among  other  equipment,  a  battery  of  the 
largest  and  most  carefully  constructed  ovens  in  the  East  figured  as  most  important. 

Plant  Investigation 

September,  1917,  after  an  investigation  of  the  enameling  equipment  in  this 
section  of  the  country,  by  several  representatives  of  the  Ordnance  Department, 
had  produced  no  definite  results,  the  Philadelphia  branch  of  the  Ford  Motor 
Company  was  visited  and  inspected  by  these  same  Government  officials. 

A  quick  survey  of  the  facilities  there  promptly  convinced  them  that  the  plant's 


Finishing  Steel  Helmets  at  the  Ford  Plant. 
430 


enameling  equipment  and  general  efficiency  methods  employed  made  it  by  far 
the  most  likely  firm  that  could  entirely  fulfill  their  requirements. 

They  accordingly  requested  the  local  Ford  Manager,  Louis  C.  Block,  to  accept 
a  contract  for  the  enameling  and  sanding,  the  fitting  and  riveting  of  the  headgear 
inside  of  the  steel  helmets. 

They  stated  their  needs  called  for  7,200  helmets  per  day,  a  production,  in 
their  opinion,  that  would  necessitate  two  working  shifts  a  day.  As  a  matter  of 
history,  as  soon  as  production  was  started,  the  Ford  staff  exceeded  this  produc- 
tion by  a  big  margin  and  by  working  only  one  shift  per  day. 

As  the  armed  forces  of  the  country  were  increasing  in  excess  of  7,200  per  day, 
a  production  of  15,000  helmets  per  day  was  soon  called  for.  This  production 
was  reached,  notwithstanding  that  all  such  helmet  work  was  entirely  new  to  this 
country.     New  methods  and  equipments  had  to  be  developed. 

Under  the  original  specifications,  the  helmets  were  first  painted,  then  sprinkled 
with  sand  and  baked,  after  which  they  were  finally  repainted  and  baked  again. 
The  reason  for  this  utilizing  sand  was  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  sheen  on  the 
helmets  while  worn  by  soldiers,  thereby  reducing  visibility. 

After  numerous  experiments,  it  was  suggested  that  sawdust  be  substituted 
for  the  sand,  as  this  substance  was  not  only  much  more  effective  in  producing 
the  desired  result,  but  when  scraped  from  the  helmet  did  not  expose  points  of  shin- 
ing metal.     Subsequently,  specifications  were  changed  accordingly. 

The  steel  helmets  were  arranged  in  racks  of  ten,  and  during  the  entire  operation 
of  painting,  sawdusting  by  a  specially  devised  contrivance,  repainting  and  baking, 
this  series  of  ten  units  was  maintained. 

The  assembling  of  the  headgear  inside  the  helmet  was  the  next  step  in  their 
production.  Owing  to  the  lining  requirements,  the  question  of  packing  the  units 
for  overseas  shipment  developed  into  the  greatest  obstacle  to  rapid  production. 

It  was  found  that  nine  minutes  were  required  to  pack  each  box  of  twenty- 
five  helmets.  Experimentation  again  brought  startling  results.  A  compressed- 
air  packing  machine  was  devised  and  this  same  work  was  now  performed  in  about 
thirty  seconds. 

General  Pershing  was  continuously  calling  for  more  and  more  helmets.  Offi- 
cers of  the  Ordnance  Department  consequently  approached  the  Ford  plant,  asking 
if  it  were  possible  to  still  further  increase  production. 

When  advised  that  production  had  now  reached  the  stage  where  it  was  only 
a  question  of  receiving  the  necessary  material  to  reach  almost  any  figure  necessary, 
they  promptly  stated  they  would  see  to  it  that  the  materials  were  supplied. 

A  steady  stream  of  material  permitted  an  increase  to  40,000  helmets  per  day. 
At  this  stage  the  local  plant,  if  called  upon,  could  have  reached  a  maximum  pro- 
duction of  75,000  helmets  per  day. 

It  was  just  about  this  time  that  the  armistice  was  declared.  The  Ford  Com- 
pany still  had  contracts  for  the  completion  of  almost  2,000,000  more  helmets. 
Notwithstanding  this,  they  immediately  informed  the  Ordnance  Department  that 
they  were  willing  to  release  the  Government  from  the  contracts,  which  offer  the 
Ordnance  Department  quickly  accepted. 

While  engaged  on  the  helmet  contracts,  the  War  Department,  in  December, 
1917,  collected  from  all  the  National  Guard  regiments,  mustered  into  the  regular 
army,  384  Ford  machine  gun  trucks.     All  of  these  trucks  were  shipped  to  the  local 

431 


plant  of  the  Ford  Company  and  were  put  into  first-class  condition  as  speedily  as 
received  and  shipped  abroad  to  the  waiting  fighting  forces. 

Eye-Guards  and  Body  Armor 

About  this  time  the  Engineering  Bureau  of  the  trench  warfare  section  of  the 
Ordnance  Department  was  engaged  in  experimental  work  on  eye-guards  and  body 
armor.  At  the  request  of  the  official  in  charge  of  this  work,  a  contract  was  awarded 
the  Ford  plant  to  paint,  assemble  and  pack  for  shipment  over  35,000  eye-guards, 
5,000  suits  of  front  body  armor  and  5,000  suits  of  back  body  armor. 

Being  work  of  purely  an  experimental  nature,  changes  of  specifications  were 
numerous,  causing  unforeseen  delays.  Nevertheless,  the  job  was  completed  to 
the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  Engineering  Bureau. 

To  summarize,  the  following  was  the  contribution  of  the  Philadelphia  Ford 
plant  towards  the  winning  of  the  world  conflict: 

Steel  helmets,  2,749,600;  eye-guards,  35,622;  besides  5,000  suits  of  front 
body  armor,  5,000  suits  of  back  body  armor,  384  machine  gun  trucks  repaired. 

ABBAM  COX  STOVE  COMPANY* 

At  the  time  this  country  entered  the  war  in  April,  1917,  the  Abram  Cox 
Stove  Company  was  engaged  in  producing  the  well-known  Novelty  line  of 
boilers,  furnaces,  ranges  and  stoves  and  Fortune  gas  ranges  and  gas  water- 
heaters,  the  only  product  this  Company  had  manufactured  since  it  was  estab- 
lished in  1847. 

The  first  war-time  contract  executed  was  the  supplying  of  room-heaters  to  the 
various  cantonments  in  the  early  fall  of  1917.  Similar  heaters  were  used  to  heat 
the  various  cantonment  buildings  and  were  used  in  large  numbers.  They  pro- 
vided ample,  healthful  heat  for  the  "  boys. "  All  goods  ordered  by  the  Government 
for  this  purpose  were  manufactured  and  shipped  on  the  dates  specified.  Shortly 
after  supplying  the  room-heaters  to  the  cantonments,  the  Company  received  orders 
for  supplying  furnaces  and  ranges  in  the  homes,  then  in  course  of  construction 
by  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation,  and  practically  all  of  these  homes  in  this  local- 
ity and  the  surrounding  section  are  equipped  with  "Novelty"  apparatus.  At  the 
same  time  many  hundreds  of  heating  stoves  were  being  shipped  to  various  ship- 
yards, munitions  and  ordnance  plants  in  various  sections  of  the  country,  all  de- 
liveries being  made  on  the  dates  specified  by  the  Government. 

Later,  orders  began  to  be  received  from  various  shipyards  for  castings  for  ship 
parts  from  anchor  works;  for  chain  dies  castings  to  be  used  in  ordnance  buildings; 
parts  for  nautical  instruments;  equipment  for  powder  mills,  and  orders  from  other 
shipyards  for  torpedo-boat  fittings. 

Various  other  manufacturers,  having  heard  of  the  excellent  quality  of  the 
Company's  casting,  sent  orders  for  machinery  to  punch  ship  plates,  parts  for  nitrate 
plants,  castings  to  repair  Government  automobile  trucks,  ordnance  machinery, 
airplane  parts.  In  fact,  practically  every  branch  of  war-work  requiring  gray  iron 
castings  was  represented  in  the  orders. 

*Reprinted  by  permission  of  William  Bradford  Williams 

432 


Many  thousand  airplane  marker  bombs  were  made  for  a  large  local  concern, 
where  they  were  machined  and  furnished  for  army  ordnance. 

An  order  for  a  different  kind  of  work  was  for  a  number  of  ethyline  tubes  to  be 
used  by  one  of  the  arsenals  for  making  "mustard  gas. "  These  tubes  weighed  about 
1,400  pounds  and  were  nearly  10  feet  long,  about  14  inches  in  diameter  and  1  inch 
thick.  In  order  that  they  would  properly  perform  the  work  required  of  them  it 
was  necessary  that  the  castings  should  be  free  from  all  flaws  and  defects.  After 
carefully  testing  the  iron  used  in  the  work,  the  arsenal  officers  awarded  the  Com- 
pany the  order  for  these  castings.  In  exactly  one  week  after  receipt  of  the 
order  it  had  made  pattern  core  boxes,  necessary  flasks,  and  produced  several 
castings  of  a  piece  that  it  was  thought  could  not  be  produced  in  a  very  much 
longer  time. 

Another  line  of  war  activity  which  was  also  brought  to  a  finish  before  the 
completion  of  the  signing  of  the  armistice  was  the  preparation  to  produce  Newton- 
Stokes  trench-mortar  shells  in  large  quantities. 

Much  time  and  effort  had  been  spent,  and  a  very  considerable  amount  of  ex- 
pense incurred  by  this  Company,  in  devising  and  perfecting  a  method  of  producing 
these  shells  rapidly  and  accurately,  and  experiments  proved  the  method  a  success, 
but  the  termination  of  the  war  rendered  further  work  in  this  line  unnecessary. 

The  Abram  Cox  Stove  Company  also  assisted  in  producing  foodstuffs  by 
supplying  castings  to  several  manufacturers  of  agricultural  machinery. 

DAY  &  ZIMMERMANN,  INC.,  ENGINEERS 

Condensed  to  few  words,  the  war  activities  of  this  large  Philadelphia  engineer- 
ing organization  included  work  for  the  Army,  Navy,  Shipping  Roard  and  for  the 
Alien  Property  Custodian,  as  well  as  for  industrial  establishments  in  various  lines 
of  industry  to  enable  them  to  meet  the  needs  of  war  production.  The  work  em- 
braced a  wide  range  of  engineering  activity  and  was  carried  through  at  various 
points  in  the  country. 

In  quite  another  connection,  this  engineering  organization  contributed  direct 
and  material  aid  to  war-time  industry  in  the  supply  of  electric  power  by  the  many 
public  utility  properties  under  Day  &  Zimmermann  management,  in  some  seven 
States.  Resides,  there  was  the  supply  of  energy  to  Army  camps.  To  this  should 
be  added  the  large  part  played  by  one  of  these  electric  generating  systems,  that  of 
the  Penn  Central  Light  &  Power  Company,  in  the  supply  of  power  for  Pennsyl- 
vania coal  mining,  the  power  generated  by  this  system  being  responsible  for  the 
yearly  output  of  about  seven  million  tons  of  coal. 

Conservation  of  fuel  in  New  England  mills  was  another  line  of  activity. 
Through  the  application  of  engineering  betterments  in  textile  plants,  radical  fuel 
savings  were  effected.  In  this  particular  work  the  interest  of  the  Federal  Fuel 
Administration  was  secured  and  favorable  priorities  obtained  for  industrial  power 
plant  apparatus. 

To  increase  power  facilities  at  a  time  when  these  plants  were  hard  pressed  for 
additional  capacity,  this  engineering  organization  carried  through  both  expansion 
and  development  work  at  various  points  in  public  utility  power  plants. 

In  their  retained  capacity  by  the  War  Department,  Day  &  Zimmermann, 
Inc.,  were  the  supervising  engineers  during  the  construction  of  the  United  States 

433 


U.  S.  Army  Supply  Base  at  Greenwich  Point. 

Army  Supply  Base  at  Philadelphia,  situated  on  the  Delaware  River  at  Greenwich 
Point.  This  port  terminal  development,  comprising  the  largest  piers  in  the  port 
of  Philadelphia,  has  warehouse  storage  capacity  for  145,000  tons  of  cargo,  or 
the  equivalent  of  the  contents  of  a  freight  train  over  fifty -five  miles  long. 

Along  the  wharves  at  the  Army  base,  there  can  be  accommodated  at  one  time 
seventeen  ocean  freighters  of  the  Hog  Island  type,  to  load  or  unload.  Some  idea 
of  the  scale  of  this  project  is  gained  from  the  extent  of  the  Government  reserva- 
tion set  apart  at  Greenwich  Point  during  the  construction  period,  a  reservation 
roughly  twelve  city  blocks  wide  by  twenty  blocks  long,  enclosing  an  area  to  walk 
around  which  took  one  a  distance  of  seven  miles.  Furthermore,  it  required  fifty 
acres  of  land  on  which  temporarily  to  store  the  mass  of  construction  materials. 

Three  more  examples  of  war-time  construction  will  be  referred  to,  each 
of  a  different  character  of  engineering.  The  first,  a  forge  and  steel  plant  on  a  large 
scale;  the  second,  a  shipbuilding  plant;  and  the  third,  a  modern  central  station 
for  an  electric  public  utility. 

1.  A  few  months  after  our  entry  into  the  war  the  Erie  Forge  and  Steel  Company 
was  awarded  a  contract  for  United  States  Navy  gun  forgings  and  destroyer  shafts, 
and  it  was  necessary  to  design  and  build  a  plant  at  Erie,  Pa.,  to  produce  this  ma- 
terial. Day  &  Zimmermann,  Inc.,  were  engaged  to  cooperate  with  the  client's 
officers  and  chief  engineer,  and  with  the  representatives  of  the  Navy,  in  the  design 
and  supervision  of  construction  including  preparation  of  plans  and  specifications. 
It  is  noteworthy  that  work  having  been  begun  on  November  4,  1917,  the  first  heat 
of  steel  was  poured  in  the  open-hearth  plant  on  May  17,  1918,  a  quite  remark- 
able construction  record,  especially  in  view  of  the  exceptionally  severe  winter  of 
1917-18. 


434 


The  project  comprises  a  complete  forge  and  steel  plant,  including  large  open- 
hearth  plant,  forge  shop,  machine  shop,  heat  treating  building,  large  boiler  plant 
and  an  electric  sub-station.  Office  building,  commissary,  hospital,  storehouses, 
police  and  employment  building  and  tool  rooms  go  to  make  up  the  complete  phys- 
ical equipment  of  a  large  plant. 

2.  The  Baltimore  Dry  Dock  and  Shipbuilding  Company,  at  the  outset  of 
the  war,  had  two  plants  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  one  an  old  ship  repair  yard  with 
auxiliary  shops,  and  the  other  a  shipbuilding  and  repair  plant  at  Locust  Point, 
adjoining  Fort  McHenry.  The  latter  yard  had  one  dry  dock  and  two  ship- 
ways,  but  was  not  adapted  to  the  construction  of  the  large  ships  required  by 
the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  at  that  time.  It  was,  therefore,  decided,  in 
the  spring  of  1917,  to  erect  a  new  shipbuilding  plant  for  the  production  of  the 
standardized  cargo  carriers  up  to  500  feet  in  length  and  70-foot  beam. 

This  yard  had  four  concrete  shipways  and  an  outfitting  dock  to  accommodate 
four  ships  at  a  time,  together  with  a  complement  of  auxiliary  shops.  The  site 
selected  was  a  reclaimed  marsh,  with  an  area  of  some  twenty-three  acres,  necessi- 
tating the  use  of  piling  under  all  walls,  column  footings  and  heavy  machinery 
foundations. 

Day  &  Zimmermann,  Inc.,  were  engaged  to  develop  a  layout  of  the  entire 
plant  in  conjunction  with  the  shipyard's  naval  architect.  The  work  by  the  engi- 
neers included  also  the  checking  of  detailed  plans  and  specifications  for  the  steel 
work,  the  design  of  the  very  complex  system  of  piping  for  compressed  air,  fire 
protection,  cold  water,  salt  water,  etc.,  heating,  storm  water,  drainage  and 
sanitary  sewage  disposal  systems,  machinery  layout,  supervision  of  construction 
work,  etc. 

In  addition  to  shipways,  outfitting  dock,  shipyard  buildings  of  steel  frame 
construction  and  the  handling  system,  including  traveling  revolving  tower-cranes, 
derricks,  etc.,  there  are  included  as  a  part  of  the  layout  a  boiler  plant  of  1,000  horse- 
power capacity,  an  air  compressor  plant  and  an  electric  transformer  substation. 

The  project  was  designed  and  constructed  in  less  than  a  year,  the  first  ship 
having  been  launched  on  July  4,  1918. 

3.  After  increasing  its  output  at  an  extraordinary  rate  for  several  years,  the 
Erie  Lighting  Company  found  itself  confronted  in  1917  with  still  greater  demands 
for  electric  power  from  the  expanding  industries  of  Erie,  Pa. 

An  admirable  water  front  site  was  secured,  and  Day  &  Zimmermann,  Inc., 
were  authorized  to  proceed  with  the  greatest  possible  speed  to  design  a  120,000- 
kilowatt  plant  that  could  be  built  in  complete  sections  as  required.  Beliability 
of  service  was  the  first  consideration  in  the  design  of  the  station,  and  the  second 
was  overall  operating  economy.  The  latest  ideas  of  tested  engineering  practice 
were  applied  throughout. 

The  first  section  of  the  power  plant  contains  two  turbo-generators,  one  of 
10,000  kilowatts  and  one  of  7,500  kilowatts  capacity.  Each  unit  represents  prac- 
tically a  complete  independent  power  plant  in  itself  from  coal  bunkers  to  outgoing 
feeders,  but  cross  connected  at  vital  points  with  the  adjoining  main  unit.  The 
boiler  plant  contains  large  double-end  boilers  equipped  with  automatic  stokers 
and  every  modern  device  for  economy  of  fuel  burning. 

435 


The  operating  results  at  this  Front  Street  plant  of  the  Erie  Lighting  Company 
have  been  very  gratifying,  and  have  even  exceeded  the  expectations  of  the  engineers. 
The  plant  was  actually  put  into  operation  in  ten  months  from  the  time  ground 
was  broken. 

The  above  serves  as  some  indication  of  the  variety  of  demand  for  service 
made  upon  a  large  engineering  organization  during  war  time. 

HELLER  &  BRIGHTLY* 

When  the  United  States  entered  the  conflict,  a  problem  of  great  magni- 
tude came  up  for  solution.  Our  nation  had  depended  upon  foreign  sources  for  its 
optical  glass  and  material  used  in  the  fabrication  of  gun-sights,  range  finders, 
periscopes,  panoramic  sights,  naval  gun-sights,  telescopes  and  other  instruments 
requiring  lenses  and  prisms  of  optical  glass.  The  firms  of  Krupp  of  Germany, 
Schott  &  Genossen  and  Skoda  of  Austria,  practically  controlled  the  manufacture 
of  optical  glass,  which  meant  that  these  glass  factories  were  subsidized  and  had 
developed,  under  governmental  supervision,  to  their  highest  efficiency. 

In  the  United  States  no  such  state  of  affairs  existed,  the  nearest  approach 
being  the  department  for  this  purpose  at  the  Naval  Gun  Factory,  Washington, 
D.  C,  and  at  Frankford  Arsenal,  Philadelphia.  If  there  is  one  science  where  all 
the  rules  and  principles  of  physics  are  applied,  it  is  the  science  of  gunnery.  With- 
out these  instruments  of  precision  for  computing  range,  velocity,  pressures  and 
elements  governing  successful  use  of  artillery,  the  status  of  artillery  would  have 
remained  the  same  as  in  our  Civil  War,  when  sighting  or  range  finding  was  an 
operation  depending  upon  the  unaided  human  eye. 

It  can  readily  be  seen  that  the  shot  that  hits  is  the  one  that  counts.  A  large 
caliber  projectile  and  propellant  will  cost  from  $500  to  $1,000  or  more  per  shot. 
The  sighting  mechanism  of  a  large  gun  may  cost  from  $2,000  to  $3,000.  Its  value 
depends  upon  its  accuracy  and  size.  It  must  be  of  absolute  perfection,  nothing 
must  be  left  to  chance  or  taken  for  granted. 

When  the  fateful  call  came,  "America  to  the  Front,"  the  firm  of  Heller  & 
Brightly,  for  fifty  years  makers  of  optical,  engineering,  surveying  and  astronomical 
instruments,  was  in  the  first  fine  of  volunteers. 

Not  only  did  this  firm  tender  all  the  experience,  technical  and  professional 
skill  which  it  possessed  to  the  Ordnance  Department,  as  well  as  its  factory  and 
laboratory  equipment,  but  it  also  sent  a  large  number  of  skilled  workmen  to  the 
Frankford  Arsenal  to  aid  in  developing  a  staff  of  experts  there. 

Previous  to  our  entry  into  the  World  War,  Heller  &  Brightly  supplied  gun- 
sights  for  the  British  4.7-inch  gun  which,  by  reason  of  taking  care  of  the  angle  of 
drift  or  deviation  to  the  right  or  left  of  the  axis  of  fire,  made  for  more  accuracy 
in  fire  control  of  this  well-known  piece  of  ordnance. 

Perhaps  the  most  important  piece  of  work  turned  out  by  this  firm  was  the 
designing  and  making  of  graduated  mirror  and  window  devices  for  determining 
the  range  for  anti-aircraft  guns. 

In  determining  the  ranges,  four  mirrors,  30  inches  by  30  inches  and  20  inches 
by  45  inches,  are  used,  two  on  a  horizontal  plane  at  certain  distances  apart  and  two 
on  a  vertical  plane.     These  are  graduated  by  engraved  lines  intersecting  at  right 

*Reprinted  by  permission  of  William  Bradford  Williams. 

436 


angles  making  a  series  of  squares.  The  reflection  of  a  range  shot  at  an  airplane 
into  these  mirrors  by  mathematical  computation  gives  the  range  and  elevation  to 
be  used.  These  are  used  in  all  high  angle  firing.  Our  Army  experts  have  pro- 
nounced these  superior  to  any  that  have  come  under  their  observation. 

The  deviation  of  a  hair's  breadth  in  any  graduation  on  an  Army  sighting 
instrument  means  a  rejection.  The  system  of  leveling  must  be  accurate,  and  this 
firm  designed  and  perfected  improvements  along  these  lines. 

In  order  to  make  the  mirrors  used  in  the  spotting  devices,  the  surfaces  are 
required  to  be  absolutely  flat  and  parallel.  Only  about  seven  plates  out  of  200 
examined  fulfilled  the  severe  requirements  for  accuracy.  If  the  ground  plate 
glass  is  not  absolutely  perfect,  the  reflected  spot  of  the  range  shot  will  appear  double. 

Apart  from  this  highly  important  device,  Heller  &  Brightly  also  produced  pro- 
tractors and  pocket  extants;  large  bronze  circles  for  testing  gun-sight  quadrants 
for  United  States  Army  aviation;  steel  scales  for  aviation  machines  and  centers 
and  handles  for  United  States  Navy  range  finders.  About  25,000  pieces  were 
produced  for  the  Government. 

Another  testing  instrument,  designed  by  this  firm,  registered  automatically 
the  speed  of  a  projectile  in  the  bore  of  a  gun  to  the  l/5000th  part  of  a  second. 

JANNEY,  STEINMETZ  &  CO. 

For  twenty-five  years  the  firm  of  Janney,  Steinmetz  &  Co.  has  been  largely 
identified  with  the  production  of  drawn,  pressed  and  formed  shapes  in  seamless 
steel,  specializing  in  gasoline  tanks  for  automobiles  and  drawn  cylinders  for  trans- 
porting high-pressure  gases  and  explosives. 

From  a  pre-war  experience  of  furnishing  special  materials  to  the  Rock  Island 
and  other  arsenals  and  in  the  making  of  drawn  steel  war  heads  for  Navy  torpedoes, 
the  firm  early  took  its  place  in  designing  and  developing  the  tools  of  warfare  for 
the  Ordnance  and  other  branches  of  the  national  defense. 

The  extensive  use  of  motor  trucks  and  tractors  in  the  war  called  for  designs  of 
strong  and  sturdy  shock-proof  fuel  tanks,  and  these  were  furnished  of  seamless 
drawn  steel  construction  in  large  numbers  for  the  front  line  automotive  units  and 
ammunition  motor  transport. 

Development  of  the  trench  warfare  requirements  of  the  Ordnance  Department 
quickly  determined  a  very  large  need  for  high-test  seamless  steel  leakless  con- 
tainers for  the  toxic  gases. 

The  whole  problem  was  new  and  the  need  was  urgent,  for  without  shipping 
cylinders  to  transport  the  gases  and  the  smaller  portable  attack  containers  for 
field  service  the  poison  gases  being  produced  in  ever-increasing  volume  could 
not  be  carried  against  the  enemy  positions. 

Janney,  Steinmetz  &  Co.  discontinued  peace-time  production  and  turned 
their  entire  capacity  over  to  the  needs  of  the  Ordnance  for  seamless  steel  poison 
gas  portable  containers  and  appointed  Samuel  Hewes  Mattson  in  charge  of  the 
procurement.     Production  was  at  its   peak   when   the   armistice   was   declared. 

Use  of  toxic  gas  in  cylinders  was  one  of  the  new  features  of  modern  warfare 
and  gave  broad  opportunity  for  novel  design  and  special  secret  features,  inspired 
by  a  knowledge  of  the  enemy's  equipment  through  service  reports. 

The  Germans  moved  up  their  gas  cylinders  under  cover  of  night  to  avoid 

437 


aerial  observation  and  to  escape  drop-bomb  attack,  but  their  operations  were 
frequently  detected  by  the  loud  noise  of  the  heavy  steel  cylinders  banging  together 
and  clanking. 

It  was  necessary  for  our  Ordnance  Design  Section  to  solve  the  problem  of 
a  cylinder  for  noiseless  approach,  and  the  question  was  finally  answered  by  Mr. 
Steinmetz,  to  whom  U.  S.  patents  were  granted  for  noiseless  cylinders. 

After  the  various  combinations  of  poison  gases  were  transported  overseas  in 
bulk,  it  later  became  necessary  to  distribute  the  contents  in  small  portable  field 
carriers,  known  as  single-man  containers,  to  permit  the  entire  advancing  line  to 
deliver  a  gas  attack  at  the  favorable  moment. 

These  single  units  consisted  of  seamless  steel  tanklets,  about  8  inches  diameter 
by  18  inches  long,  and  the  total  load,  including  the  contained  liquid  toxic  gas, 
averaged  about  fifty  pounds  per  man. 

The  Janney-Steinmetz  seamless  steel  air  pressure  tanks  were  used  exten- 
sively in  the  Great  War,  as  compressed  air  motor  starters  for  various  types  of 
airplanes,  and  particularly  for  starting  the  motors  of  the  large  Navy  seaplanes 
that  patrolled  the  submarine  infested  waters  of  the  North  Sea  and  around  the 
British  coast. 

The  firm  furnished  large  numbers  of  seamless  drawn  steel  chambers  for  the 
explosive  charges  of  the  Navy  depth  mine  that  so  effectively  put  a  stop  to  the 
enemy's  submarine  activities  and  assisted  in  the  design  and  production  of  similar 
units. 

A  new  grenade  patented  by  the  Company,  as  to  details  of  firing  mechanism, 
fulminate,  fuse  and  bursting  charge,  was  similar  to  the  Mills-British  but,  instead 
of  a  cast  iron  or  malleable  body  of  limited  fragmentation,  the  outer  body  shell  was 
composed  of  several  layers  of  sharpened  steel  wire  nails  or  dowels,  greatly  increasing 
the  number  of  fragments. 

A  barb  wire  shooter  cutter  was  another  patent.  This  was  a  small  crotch  shape 
device  to  clamp  onto  the  bayonet  to  bring  the  strands  of  barb  wire  into  direct  line 
with  the  bullet's  course,  the  tremendous  speed  when  fired  cutting  the  steel  wire  and 
thus  offering  the  Infantry  a  possible  means  of  shooting  their  way  through  a  field 
of  wire  entanglements. 

A  soft  nose  Infantry  bullet  with  solid  steel  core  developed  a  new  practice  by 
giving  better  penetration  through  alloy  steel  sheets,  helmets,  light  tank  armor  and 
airplane  protection  plates. 

In  the  late  summer  of  1918  there  developed  a  shortage  of  link  chain  production 
in  the  United  States  which  threatened  to  handicap  certain  branches  of  Govern- 
mental activities. 

A  conference  of  the  War  Industries  Board  Chain  Section  was  called  in  session 
with  representatives  of  Ordnance,  Engineers,  Navy  Shipping  Board,  Railroad 
Administration  and  other  chain  users,  to  consider  a  proposition  submitted  by  Jan- 
ney,  Steinmetz  and  associates  for  the  making  of  weldless  chains  in  long  lengths 
in  link-forming  rollers  from  cruciform  hot  steel  bars. 

The  need  was  urgent  and  the  process  then  operating  in  certain  Scotch  and 
British  plants  was  indorsed  as  of  sufficient  importance  for  investigation,  and  Mr. 
Steinmetz  was  selected  to  go  overseas  to  transplant  the  industry  to  America  to 
meet  the  threatened  shortage  of  link  chains. 

438 


While  abroad  Mr.  Steinmetz  was  commissioned  Major  of  Ordnance  and  was 
later  assigned  to  the  Ordnance  Reserve. 

During  1917  and  1918,  Joseph  A.  Janney,  Jr.,  was  Chairman  of  the  Industrial 
Section  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  under  appointment  by  the  Treasury  Department, 
in  the  direction  of  the  War  Saving  Stamp  sales. 

S.  Hewes  Mattson,  W.  H.  McCormick,  Jr.,  N.  W.  Schlater,  of  Janney,  Stein- 
metz and  Company,  also  served  as  executives  in  war  work. 


DAVID  LUPTON'S  SONS  CO. 
Trench  Mortars 

From  ventilation  apparatus  to  the  production  of  trench  mortars  is  the  story 
of  David  Lupton's  Sons  Co.,  Allegheny  Avenue  and  Tulip  Street. 

About  the  time  that  America  entered  the  war  the  magazines  were  telling  about 
a  "depraved  little  gun"  which  was  making  a  fair  amount  of  trouble  for  the  front 
line  trenches  of  both  sides,  with  small  expense  to  the  trouble-makers. 

That  gun  was  the  trench  mortar.  Originally  it  was  just  a  piece  of  3-inch  steel 
tube  mounted  in  some  crude  fashion  so  that  a  specially  made  bomb  could  be  dropped 
into  its  open  mouth.  A  small  detonating  charge  at  the  lower  end  of  the  bomb 
was  exploded  when  the  bomb  struck  the  bottom  of  the  tube,  and  propelled  the 
bomb  across  "No  Man's  Land."  One  man  could  handle  it — all  he  had  to  do  was 
to  drop  the  bombs  into  the  tube,  one  by  one. 

Tf  3-inch  bombs  could  be  tossed  so  easily  into  the  enemy's  trenches,  why  not 


Ammunition  Box. 
439 


larger  ones?  Why  be  limited  to  costly  field  pieces  several  miles  behind  the  lines, 
with  airplanes  and  observation  stations  and  telephones  necessary  to  tell  the  gunners 
the  range,  if  the  ammunition  could  be  moved  up  by  night  to  the  front  fine  trenches 
and  heaved  across  by  contrivances  costing  not  one-tenth  as  much? 

The  Germans  took  all  kinds  of  trouble  to  prepare  three  monster  guns  to  drop 
9//2-inch  shells  into  Paris  at  a  seventy-five  mile  range.  Reduce  the  range  to  a  half 
mile  or  less,  and  shells  of  equal  size  could  be  made  with  much  thinner  walls  and 
with  explosives  substituted  for  most  of  the  steel. 

The  destructive  effect  of  such  shells  would  be  terrific,  and  the  cost  of  throwing 
them  very  small.  Why  not  place  hundreds — even  thousands — of  these  super- 
bomb-throwers in  the  trenches,  and  by  a  simultaneous  attack  make  miles  of  the 
enemy's  line  immediately  untenable? 

Such  were  the  thoughts  of  officers.  The  people,  of  course,  heard  nothing  of 
them;  but  it  was  not  long  after  we  entered  the  war  that  plans  for  new  trench 
mortars,  more  powerful  than  anything  yet  used,  were  brought  here  from  France  and 
England,  and  a  hunt  made  for  concerns  to  manufacture  them. 

There  were  two  sizes  of  mortars,  one  of  6-inch  bore,  the  other  of  240  mm.,  or 
approximately  93^  inches.  The  6-inch  mortar  was  designed  for  maximum  porta- 
bility. Portability  indeed  was  essential  for  both,  because  they  had  to  be  moved 
quickly  and  secretly  by  small  squads  of  men.  It  would  not  do  to  defend  a  trench 
simply  for  the  equipment  it  contained,  or  to  be  obliged  to  abandon  equipment 
costly  or  hard  to  replace  because  of  a  sudden  attack. 

The  6-inch  mortar,  being  intended  for  use  in  the  largest  numbers,  consisted 
simply  of  a  barrel  with  a  hemispherical  seat  at  one  end.  This  end  rested  in  a 
bowl  socket  in  the  base  plate,  and  three  stayrods  with  turnbuckles  tilted  the  raised 
muzzle  in  any  direction. 

The  240  mm.  mortar,  owing  to  its  size  and  weight,  was  a  more  elaborate  affair. 
It  consisted  first  of  a  sub-base  of  heavy  timbers.  On  this  was  mounted  the  base 
proper,  built  up  from  steel  plates  and  structural  angles  assembled  by  riveting  and 
oxyacetylene  welding.  On  the  base  was  a  flat  circular  steel  plate  graduated  into 
degrees,  over  which  swiveled  the  framework  or  "racer"  supporting  the  barrel. 
This  allowed  the  "racer"  to  be  aimed  in  any  horizontal  direction. 

Changes  in  range  were  provided  for  by  tilting  the  barrel  of  the  racer.  For 
this  purpose  the  barrel  was  mounted  on  trunnions,  and  a  pair  of  gears  mounted  on 
the  barrel  caused  them  to  travel  over  stationary  gear  segments  attached  to  the 
"racer."  The  effect  was  to  elevate  or  depress  the  muzzle  over  the  wide  range  of 
movement  required. 

The  following  is  a  partial  summary  of  contracts  on  the  war  program,  all  of 
which  were  outside  of  normal  Lupton  production.  On  normal  production  the 
company  furnished  large  quantities  of  steel  sash,  doors  and  partitions  for  build- 
ings in  the  Navy  Yards,  Government  warehouses  and  hangars  in  France. 

Trench  Mortar  Contracts 

Three  hundred  and  twenty-seven  complete  units,  240  mm.  trench  mortars 
(except  barrels  and  carts  for  transportation).  The  Lupton  contract  included  steel 
base  and  racer,  firing  mechanism,  timber  base  and  accessories.  Sixty-five  units 
240  mm.  trench  mortars,  including  the  work  described  above;  546  units  240  mm. 
trench  mortars,  work  as  described  above.    Contract  suspended  after  partial  com- 

440 


Riveting  Base  Ring  and  Base  Plate,  2U0  mm. 
Trench  Mortar. 


pletion;  500  units  6-inch  trench  mor- 
tars, Mark  No.  1 — Mortar,  base  and 
accessories  furnished  complete  by  Lup- 
ton's,  except  barrels.  This  contract 
was  completed.  One  thousand  five 
hundred  and  seventy-seven  units  6- 
inch  trench  mortars  Mark  No.  1. 
Contract  partially  completed. 

There  were  numerous  improvements 
in  design,  particularly  on  the  240  mm. 
trench  mortar.  Changes  were  made  as 
a  result  of  firing  test  at  Aberdeen  on 
the  French  sample,  and  later  develop- 
ments in  testing  the  first  production 
from  the  Lupton  plant.  Other  changes 
were  made  to  improve  structural  and 
manufacturing  conditions,  which  in- 
cluded making  the  base  ring  and  plate 
in  one  solid  rolled  section,  milled  to 
proper  dimensions.  The  absence  of 
rivets  reduced  distortion  and  increased 
strength  of  base.  On  the  6-inch  there 
were  changes  in  the  traversing  guys  and  other  improvements  for  greater  stability. 

Ship  Accessories  Contracts' 

One  hundred  and  ten  complete  uptakes  and  stacks  for  7,500-ton  ships 
constructed  at  Hog  Island.    The  uptakes  accommodate  three  boilers,  and  weigh 

approximately  23,000  pounds  each. 
The  stacks  weigh  approximately  10,000 
pounds  each. 

Seventy  complete  stacks  and 
uptakes  for  9,000-ton  ships  con- 
structed at  Hog  Island.  The  uptakes 
each  accommodate  six  boilers  and 
weigh  52,000  pounds  each.  The  stacks 
weigh  approximately  16,500  pounds 
each. 

One  hundred  and  ten  water-tight 
deck  hatches, 'complete  with  fittings, for 
use  on  the  one  hundred  and  ten  7,500- 
ton  ships  which  were  contracted  for  at 
Hog  Island.  These  hatches  weigh  ap- 
proximately 1,000  pounds.  Also,  nine 
hundred  and  ninety  water-tight  doors 
and  frames,  with  fittings  for  booby 
hatches  and  deck  houses,  for  the  same 

ships.     These  doors  and  frames  weigh 
and  Base  for  7,500  D.  W.  Ton  ^ 

Freight  Carrier.  approximately  450  pounds  each. 


Uptake 


441 


Two  hundred  steel  anti-aircraft  ammunition  boxes  for  use  on  the  Eagle  Ships 
constructed  by  the  Ford  Motor  Co.,  Detroit.  These  boxes  were  made  of 
heavy  plate  and  angle  construction  and  were  approximately  2  feet  wide,  4  feet 
long  and  3i^  feet  deep.  They  weigh  about  800  pounds  each,  and  were  galvanized 
after  fabrication. 

Complete  sets  of  cowls  and  ventilators  for  ten  ships  built  by  the  Downey 
Shipbuilding  Company,  ten  ships  built  by  the  Pensacola  Shipbuilding  Company 
and  fifty  ships  built  by  the  American  International  Shipbuilding  Company. 

Forty  water-tight  steel  doors  for  ten  ships  built  by  the  Federal  Shipbuilding 
Company. 

Besides  the  above,  approximately  150  tons  of  steel  shapes  and  plates  were 
fabricated  for  the  superstructures  of  the  first  lot  of  fifty  ships  built  by  the 
American  International  Steamship  Company. 

THE  WAR  ACTIVITIES  OF  JOHN  LUCAS  &  CO.,  INCORPORATED 

Paint  and  varnish,  and  their  related  products,  as  agencies  for  the  prosecution 
of  the  war  against  the  Central  Powers,  early  assumed  importance  as  war  materials, 
equaled  only  by  steel.  As  a  protective  coating,  paints,  varnishes  and  enamels 
were  on  every  article  used  by  the  Army  and  the  Navy.  From  the  most 
advanced  outpost  in  the  front  battle  line  to  the  training  camps  and  war  material 
manufacturing  plants  at  the  rear,  on  battleship  and  transport,  on  subchaser  and 
cargo  boat,  paints  and  varnishes  were  as  necessary  to  efficient  operation  as  per- 
sonnel, fuel  and  plant  equipment.  Without  paint  and  varnish,  motor  trucks  would 
not  have  been  able  to  function,  and  aeroplanes  would  not  have  been  able  to  fly. 
Shells,  guns,  every  kind  of  ammunition,  accoutrements  and  equipments  needed 
paint  and  varnish,  always  as  a  protective  coating,  but  often  as  an  essential  to  its 
proper  functioning  as  war  material. 

The  art  of  camouflage,  developed  during  the  war,  required  paint  and  varnish, 
and  many  special  paints  and  shades  were  manufactured  to  meet  the  demand 
for  the  protection  of  equipment,  ships  and  men  by  this  unique  method  of  vision 
deception. 

The  experience,  skill  and  manufacturing  capacity  of  John  Lucas  &  Company, 
Incorporated,  was  early  in  the  war  requisitioned  by  the  Government,  and  the 
demands  made  upon  the  Company  for  war  supplies  in  the  shape  of  paint,  varnishes, 
enamels  and  dry  colors  soon  taxed  the  capacity  of  the  plants  so  that  a  large  per- 
centage of  the  manufacturing  facilities  were  devoted  solely  to  the  making  of 
materials  for  war  needs. 

When  the  war  created  a  demand  for  men  of  experience  to  assist  in  guiding 
the  business  activities  of  the  Government,  the  services  of  the  Vice-President 
and  General  Manager,  Ernest  T.  Trigg,  were  given  the  Government.  His  most 
signal  service  during  the  war  was  as  Regional  Advisor  of  the  War  Industries  Board 
for  the  Fourth  Region.  This  duty  involved  important  functions  relating  to  the 
mobilization  of  the  manufacturing  capacities  of  the  Philadelphia  Industrial  District. 

Mr.  Trigg  also  served  as  a  member  of  the  War  Service  Committee  of  the  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce  of  the  United  States,  and  was  often  called  into  conference  by 
the  authorities  in  Washington  as  a  technical  adviser  on  paints  and  varnishes,  and 
also  in  matters  concerning  the  Philadelphia  Industrial  District. 

442 


Other  members  of  the  staff  of  the  Company  donated  their  services. 
J.  W.  Lucas,  the  President  of  the  Company,  served  as  chairman  of  important 
committees  in  connection  with  all  of  the  Liberty  Loan  Drives.  George  Johannes, 
another  member  of  the  staff  of  the  Company,  devoted  all  of  his  time  to  work  in  the 
office  of  the  Regional  Advisor  of  the  War  Industries  Board  for  the  Fourth  Region. 
E.  W.  Storey,  the  Factory  Manager,  acted  as  a  member  of  the  advisory  committee 
which  standardized  the  war  paint  requirements. 

From  time  to  time,  as  occasion  arose,  many  of  the  Company's  other  technical 
experts  served  in  an  advisory  capacity  to  various  boards  and  purchasing  depart- 
ments and  assisted  in  the  preparation  of  specifications  for  paints,  varnishes  and 
enamels  for  peculiar  war  uses. 

In  the  laboratories  of  the  factories  much  work  was  done  to  assist  the  War 
and  the  Navy  Departments,  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation,  the  Housing  Cor- 
poration in  developing  and  testing  out  formulae,  making  practical  tests  of  mixtures 
prepared  according  to  theoretic  specifications,  and  aiding  in  the  preparation  of 
standard  specifications  and  standard  samples.  This  work  in  collaboration  with 
other  paint  manufacturers  finally  resulted  in  the  preparation  of  a  set  of  standard 
paint  specifications  which  governed  the  buying  of  paints  and  varnishes  for  the 
Government  war  needs  in  all  its  branches.  Especially  important  was  the 
cooperative  work  done  in  fixing  upon  standard  colors  for  use  in  camouflage. 

When  the  war  made  it  impossible  to  obtain  many  products  essential  to  the 
paint  industry,  the  technical  departments  of  the  Company  concerned  themselves 
with  the  development  of  products  made  from  raw  materials  obtainable  in  the 
United  States  and  thus  not  only  aided  war  requirements,  but  also  helped  industry 
generally.    This  work  related  especially  to  dyes,  chemicals  and  oils. 

In  the  handling  of  its  labor  in  the  interest  of  the  war  work,  the  Company 
successfully  met  most  adverse  conditions  in  keeping  a  factory  organization  in 
workable  shape  in  the  most  congested  war  material  producing  district  in  the  United 
States. 

Through  the  skill  and  resources  of  the  management  of  the  Company,  the 
financing  of  all  its  war  work  was  done  without  calling  for  Governmental  aid  in  the 
way  of  advances  of  public  funds.  In  meeting  the  needs  for  increased  production 
the  Company  did  not  increase  its  building  or  machinery  capacity,  but  met  the 
increased  production  by  a  more  intense  use  of  existing  facilities.  In  this  it  recog- 
nized the  need  of  the  Government  for  every  possible  facility  for  production  of 
machinery  and  buildings  in  other  war  industries. 

As  an  aid  to  the  war  finances  of  the  Government,  the  Company  and  its  em- 
ployes subscribed  liberally  to  the  various  Liberty  Loans,  the  War  Chest  Fund 
of  the  City  of  Philadelphia,  the  War  Fund  of  the  Red  Cross  and  other  Special 
War  Service  bodies.  The  Company  aided  employes  in  financing  their  payment 
for  war  purposes,  where  necessary. 

Employes  and  officers  of  the  Company  were  represented  in  the  Home  De- 
fense League  and  the  American  Protective  League,  both  of  which  rendered  meri- 
torious service  as  auxiliaries  to  Governmental  agencies  in  prosecuting  the  war, 
protecting  property,  especially  war  plants,  and  aiding  in  the  ferreting  out  and 
suppression  of  persons  not  loyal  to  the  American  cause. 

The  Government's  demand  for  men  to  join  the  colors  was  met  by  the  Com- 
pany in  a  spirit  of  hearty  cooperation  with  the  men  who  desired  to  enlist  for  service. 

443 


All  such  were  given  leave  of  absence,  and  the  Company  continued  paying  such 
sums,  where  they  had  dependents,  to  equal  with  war  pay  their  salaries,  and  also 
continued  paying  the  premiums  on  the  life  insurance  policies  carried  for  them  by 
the  Company.  Similar  action  was  taken  with  regard  to  those  who  answered  the 
country's  call  through  the  draft.  Forty-five  members  of  the  Company  staff  an- 
swered the  call  to  the  colors,  and  of  this  number  two  paid  the  supreme  sacrifice. 

During  the  entire  war  period  the  Company  faithfully  carried  out  its  policy, 
adopted  at  the  beginning  of  the  war,  to  aid  the  Government  to  the  fullest  extent; 
to  shirk  no  sacrifice  in  men,  profits,  material  or  service,  and  to  support  the  Govern- 
ment's war  activities.  Its  war  record  is  regarded  as  a  bright  page  in  the  history 
of  the  Company. 

FAYETTE  R.  PLUMB,  INC.* 
Manufacturers  of  Trench  Tools,  Bolo  Knfves,  Etc. 

An  instance  showing  the  way  in  which  Philadelphia  factories  made  a  quick 
turn-over  from  a  peace  to  a  war  basis  is  that  of  the  plant  of  Fayette  R.  Plumb, 
Inc.,  at  Bridesburg,  which  firm,  for  over  sixty  years,  had  been  manufacturing 
hammers,  hatchets,  picks,  sledges  and  axes.  While  all  of  these  were  required 
for  the  American  Army,  there  were  other  articles  of  which  the  Government  stood 
in  more  vital  need.  These  the  Plumb  Company  were  able  to  manufacture  by  mak- 
ing certain  changes  in  their  plant,  and  as  the  result  of  experience  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  certain  trench  tools,  etc.,  for  the  Allied  governments,  during  the  period 
of  1914-17. 

Within  two  months  after  the  declaration  of  war  by  the  United  States,  intrench- 
ing pick  mattocks  and  intrenching  hand  axes  were  shipped  to  mobilization  points, 


Hand  Ax. 


Entrenching  Pick  Matlock.  g0lo 

notwithstanding  the  exacting  requirements  of  the  Government  and  the  fact  that 
this  concern  had  never  previously  made  any  of  these  particular  items.  Additional 
shipments  followed  rapidly  and  1,200,000  were  furnished  by  November,  1918. 

Ninety-five  per  cent  of  all  the  intrenching  pick  mattocks,  hand  axes,  bolo 
knives  and  picket  pins  that  were  furnished  during  the  war  to  the  A.  E.  F.  and  to 
the  men  in  training  in  this  country  were  made  by  Fayette  R.  Plumb,  Inc.,  of 
Philadelphia. 

Previous  to  the  war,  the  Government  itself  had  been  making  bolo  knives, 

*Reprinted  by  permission  of  William  Bradford  Williams. 

444 


both  for  the  artillery  and  the  infantry.  This  knife  had  been  evolved  from  the  old 
Philippine  bolo,  and  in  France  it  proved  to  be  not  only  a  very  handy  camp  and 
trench  tool  but  also  a  very  effective  weapon  of  defense.  During  the  summer  of 
1917,  the  Plumb  concern  was  ordered  to  make  20,000  bolos  of  the  artillery  model. 
While  these  were  being  manufactured,  changes  in  design  suggested  themselves 
that  would  lower  the  manufacturing  cost  and  speed  up  production.  One  of  the 
principal  defects  of  the  old  model  bolo  was  the  catch  which  was  used  for  locking  it 
in  its  scabbard.  This  catch  was  not  only  difficult  to  make  but  it  proved  very 
impractical  in  use,  and  it  was  later  eliminated  from  the  bolo  itself  and  a  spring  was 
placed  in  the  scabbard  which  solved  the  difficulty.  This  was  called  the  1917  bolo. 
All  of  these  changes,  suggested  by  the  Plumb  engineers,  were  worked  out  by  the 
engineering  staff  of  the  Ordnance  Department,  which,  making  actual  tests  in  the 
field,  could  decide  in  a  few  days  whether  or  not  the  changes  were  practical. 

While  the  Plumb  concern  was  furnishing  bolos  as  fast  as  the  Government 
required  them,  the  Ordnance  Department  was  experiencing  considerable  difficulty 
in  obtaining  a  satisfactory  scabbard  for  them.  A  bolo  scabbard  is  a  sheath  fastened 
to  the  soldier's  belt  and  made  of  wood  and  leather  with  a  metal  mouthpiece.  The 
wood  and  leather  parts  of  the  scabbard  could  be  easily  obtained,  but  the  metal 
mouthpiece  had  to  be  made  with  precision  in  order  that  the  bolo  would  fit  snugly 
and  not  rattle.  The  success  of  the  Plumb  concern  in  turning  out  in  volume  bolos 
made  to  close  measurements  resulted  in  orders  for  the  metal  mouthpieces,  121,000 
of  which  were  furnished  by  Plumb  before  other  manufacturers  were  ready  to  take 
over  this  work. 

Production  of  intrenching  picks  and  camp  axes  had  also  been  speeded  up  and 
the  monthly  production  of  these  items  in  November,  1918,  was  40,000  of  the  picks 
and  45,000  of  the  hand  axes.  This  volume  of  tools  was  obtained  with  only  a  70 
per  cent  increase  in  the  working  force,  and  of  this  increase  approximately  50  per 
cent  were  women.  Such  work  as  drop  forging,  the  drop  hammers  giving  1,500- 
pound  blow,  and  working  on  a  furnace  with  a  heat  of  1,400  degrees  Fahrenheit, 
are  examples  of  the  work  that  was  done  by  women  during  the  latter  part  of  the  war. 

Among  other  problems  given  to  the  Engineering  Division  of  the  Ordnance 
Department  to  solve  was  that  of  wire-cutters.  It  developed  early  in  the  war  that 
when  our  troops  advanced  under  cover  of  darkness  and  attempted  to  cut  the 
German  wires  they  had  invariably  to  turn  back  and  let  the  artillery  open  the  way, 
as  the  wire-cutters  with  which  they  were  equipped  would  either  break  or  the  edges 
would  turn  and  dull.  Samples  of  the  German  wire  were  obtained  and  found  to  con- 
tain an  alloy  which  made  it  harder  and  tougher  than  any  of  the  wire-cutters  that  the 
Allies  used.  A  wire-cutter  was  developed  over  there  in  the  field  and  sent  to  Amer- 
ica to  be  reproduced  in  quantity.  Manufacturers  who  had  been  making  wire-cutters 
rejected  this  new  model  as  being  too  difficult  to  produce  from  a  commercial  stand- 
point. Again  the  Ordnance  Department  turned  to  the  Plumb  Company  and 
placed  the  proposition  before  them.  It  was  accepted  and  complete  wire-cutters 
exactly  like  the  model  were  ready  for  shipment  to  France  when  the  armistice  came. 

From  1914  to  1918  the  Plumb  plants  turned  out  considerably  over  5,000,000 
different  tools  directly  for  the  Allied  governments,  this  quantity  being  over  and 
above  any  of  the  articles  which  they  regularly  manufactured  and  which  later  found 
their  way  to  the  battle  front  of  Europe.  The  following  list  shows  not  only  the 
volume,  but  also  the  diversity  of  the  items  maufactured: 

445 


SUMMARY    OF    ORDERS 

1914 — France 60,000  trench  tools 

1915 — France 2,600  trench  tools 

Great  Rritain 4,300  engineer  tools 

Serbia 160,000  bayonets 

Russia 450,000  bayonets 

1,000,000  trench  tools 

1916— Belgium 150,000  bayonets 

United  States 2,000  trench  tools 

1917— United  States 1,029,750  trench  tools 

180,750  infantry  equipment 
160,160  cavalry  equipment 
20,000  artillery     equipment 
488,150  infantry  bolos 
200,000  wire  cutters 
1917-18 — United  States 1,433,190  miscellaneous  tools 


Total 5,338,900 

THE  WAR  ACTIVITIES  OF  JACOB  REED'S  SONS,  INC. 

On  April  5,  1917,  when  it  was  known  that  a  declaration  of  war  was  a  matter 
of  only  a  few  hours,  Irving  L.  Wilson,  President  of  the  firm  of  Jacob  Reed's  Sons, 
called  upon  the  Army  Depot  Quartermaster,  at  the  Schuylkill  Arsenal,  to  learn  what 
this  firm  could  manufacture  which  would  be  most  needed  to  equip  the  Army.  He 
met  Major  H.  J.  Hirsch  of  the  Quartermaster's  Corps,  who  was  in  charge  of  all 
purchasing  there,  and  was  informed  that  uniforms  were  badly  needed.  A  trial 
contract  was  then  and  there  awarded  the  firm,  calling  for  10,000  uniforms. 

From  that  time  on  until  the  armistice  was  signed,  this  firm  was  continuously 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  uniforms,  overcoats  and  other  equipment  for  the 
Army.  During  this  period,  seventeen  contracts  were  awarded,  under  which  the 
following  articles  were  delivered  to  the  Government,  viz. : 

389,655  blouses,  olive  drab,  wool. 
340,183  pairs  breeches,  olive  drab,  wool. 
88,504  pairs  trousers  (long)  olive  drab,  wool. 
128,876  overcoats. 
15,981  music  pouches. 

The  total  contractual  value  of  these  articles  amounted  to  $1,250,330.38. 
After  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  cancelations  were  accepted  by  this  firm  of  all 
articles  contracted  for  which  were  not  in  process  of  manufacture  at  the  time  orders 
were  received  from  the  Government  to  suspend  operations.  These  orders  were 
received  November  19,  1918.  Five  contracts  were  thus  affected,  the  total  con- 
tractual value  of  cancelations  being  $163,934.62. 

The  production  of  the  above-mentioned  articles  was  not  without  its  diffi- 
culties and  problems.  Chief  among  these  was  the  procuring  of  labor  and  machinery. 
Many  extensive  additions  and  enlargements  were  necessary  in  manufacturing 
facilities.  At  a  great  expenditure  of  both  effort  and  money,  seven  large  factories 
were  organized,  equipped  and  operated.  Much  of  the  equipment  could  be  obtained 
only  through  priority  permits  of  the  War  Industries  Board.  The  greater  portion 
of  the  help  had  to  be  trained,  as  they  were  not  familiar  with  this  class  of  work.  It  was 
even  necessary  to  employ  workers  who  had  never  operated  any  kind  of  machine 

446 


before.  At  times  there  was  a  scarcity  of  those  materials  supplied  by  the  Govern- 
ment, causing  interruptions  in  manufacturing  operations  and  increased  costs  of 
production.  In  the  mean  time,  forty-two  of  our  experienced  and  permanent  male 
employes  laid  down  their  work  with  us,  to  answer  the  call  to  the  colors. 

Notwithstanding  these  handicaps,  our  factories,  at  the  time  of  the  armistice 
signing,  were  producing  an  average  of  3,283  garments  per  day,  and  employed 
673  hands.  When  the  canceling  orders  came,  there  were  in  all  our  factories  116,874 
garments  in  course  of  manufacture,  in  varying  stages  of  completion.  These  were 
finished  and  delivered.  The  unused  Government-owned  materials  had  to  be  in- 
ventoried, packed  up,  and  returned  to  the  Government.  All  of  the  factories  were 
closed  up,  dismantled  and  the  equipment  disposed  of.  All  this  was  accomplished 
within  three  months  from  the  date  cancelation  orders  were  received,  and  marked 
the  final  chapter  in  the  war-time  activities  of  the  corporation  of  Jacob  Reed's  Sons. 

SHOEMAKER  &  RUSCH 

A  partnership  consisting  of  Clayton  F.  Shoemaker  and  Miers  Rusch,  whole- 
sale druggists  and  manufacturing  pharmacists,  was  organized  in  its  present  form 
on  April  13,  1892,  and  succeeded  a  series  of  firms  which  for  thirty  years  had 
carried  on  a  jobbing  drug  business. 

The  buildings  occupied  during  the  war  period  at  511-515  Arch  Street  had  a  total 
floor  space  of  about  47,000  square  feet,  but  practically  all  of  the  war  work  was  done 
within  an  area  of  about  8,000  square  feet. 

The  total  number  of  employes  never  exceeded  130,  exclusive  of  salesmen, 
teamsters  and  others  whose  duties  were  entirely  outside  the  premises.  Exclusive 
of  the  shipping  and  some  of  the  packing,  the  war  work  was  done  by  about  forty 
employes. 

During  the  three  years  1917-19  the  money  value  of  the  shipments  was 

War  Department $97,462.39 

Navy  Department 416,080.37 

Other  Military  and  Naval  Departments 89,242.39 

$602,785.15 

If  the  sales  to  the  Civil  Departments  of  the  National  Government  and  Na- 
tional Homes  were  added,  the  total  would  probably  be  $1,500,000. 

For  many  years  the  firm  had  furnished  pharmaceutical  supplies  to  the  Army, 
Navy  and  Civil  Departments  of  the  Government  and  was  familiar  with  their 
requirements.  Orders  during  the  war  were  greatly  increased,  especially  those 
for  medical  supplies  for  the  Navy. 

Much  of  the  work  was  the  repacking  of  goods  in  small  containers  suitable 
for  transportation  and  distribution.  This  operation  would  appear  to  be  very 
simple,  but  it  required  the  assembling  of  a  large  variety  of  material,  much  of  it 
secured  after  many  difficulties  and  delays,  the  handling,  weighing  or  measuring 
of  portions  to  be  filled  into  bottles  or  cans;  corking,  soldering,  labeling  and  packing. 
Each  article  required  special  consideration;  there  were  liquids,  solids,  dry  powders, 
crystals,  pastv  masses,  etc.,  to  be  filled  into  narrow  mouth,  wide  mouth,  or  glass 
stoppered  bottles  of  sizes  from  one  ounce  to  one  quart,  also  cans  of  various  shapes 
and  sizes,  to  be  sealed  or  soldered.    The  variety  of  items  and  packages  precluded 

447 


the  use  of  machines,  as  few  existed  adapted  to  such  purposes.  Department 
organizations  held  together  although  the  turn-over  in  the  working  force  was  as 
high  as  60  per  cent  in  a  single  month  and  of  the  special  war  workers  even  higher. 
Overtime  three  nights  a  week  was  the  regular  schedule. 

The  money  value  of  much  of  the  material  handled  was  not  large  but  the  bulk 
was  very  great,  and  great  skill  was  shown  in  arranging  the  regular  receipt  and  ship- 
ment of  goods  so  as  to  keep  space  available  for  actual  work. 

For  example,  during  the  period  stated  200,000  pounds  of  ointment  bases,  ben- 
zoinated  lard,  lanolin,  etc.,  were  made,  put  up  in  one-pound  cans,  soldered,  labeled 
and  packed.  Electric  soldering  irons  were  provided,  and  tinsmiths  and  plumbers 
were  paid  by  the  piece  to  work  at  hours  convenient  to  them.  This  was  later 
abandoned  for  specially  devised  soldering  irons  which  could  be  worked  satisfac- 
torily by  unskilled  labor. 

On  the  usual  basis  of  one  ounce  issued  on  a  prescription  the  above  represents 
3,200,000  prescriptions.  In  a  similar  way  many  other  staple  articles  were  supplied, 
such  as:  Silver  nitrate  solution,  soap  liniment  powder,  castor  oil,  sandalwood 
oil,  cod  liver  oil,  cresol,  guaiacol,  boric  acid,  etc.  The  total  of  these  items  in  1918 
alone  was  over  80,000  packages  of  various  kinds. 

The  different  operations  were  not  intricate  nor  especially  difficult  for  the 
laborers,  but  continuous  supervision  was  necessary.  Additional  equipment  of 
various  kinds  was  ordered,  some  was  installed  but  much  could  not  be  delivered. 
Actual  manufacturing  was  done  by  men  and  boys.  Weighing,  filling,  corking 
and  labeling  by  girls  and  women.  Active,  capable  girls  found  more  remuner- 
ative work  elsewhere,  but  the  pay  offered  attracted  older  women,  the  work  being 
suited  to  their  abilities. 

Considering  the  space  available,  and  labor  and  working  conditions,  this  small 
organization  made  a  very  considerable  contribution  to  the  Great  National  Effort, 
and,  to  its  credit,  not  a  shipment  was  rejected. 

From  the  organization  as  a  whole,  eleven  out  of  sixty-five  male  employes 
entered  the  service.     One  of  these  men,  Granville  T.  Tatem,  died  in  camp. 

Exemption  was  requested  for  but  one  man,  the  assistant  foreman  in  the  lab- 
oratory. 

Women  and  girls  were  employed  to  fill  the  places  of  the  men,  but  were  re- 
placed as  soon  as  possible,  as  they  were  not  physically  equal  to  the  work. 

The  men  and  women  who  continued  with  the  firm  throughout  the  war  all 
subscribed  to  bonds  to  the  limit  of  their  means,  and  in  addition  to  their  daily 
work  served  on  Draft  Boards  and  engaged  in  various  patriotic  activities. 

Those  in  charge  of  the  work  included :  Henry  Paul  Busch,  George  E.  Spangler, 
John  Devitt,  Henry  B.  Williams,  George  Smyrl. 

The  changes  of  the  war  period  showed  little  permanent  influence  on  the  or- 
ganization, which  quickly  resumed  its  regular  activities  as  soon  as  its  war  contracts 
were  completed. 

SMITH,  KLINE  &  FBENCH  COMPANY 

The  activities  of  any  American  business  house  in  the  great  World  War  natu- 
rally fall  into  two  classifications,  the  war  work  done  by  the  concern  itself,  and  the 
individual  efforts  of  the  various  men  and  women  in  its  employ. 

Under  both  these  classifications  Smith,  Kline  &  French  Company,  wholesale 

448 


druggists  and  manufacturing  pharmacists,  can  justly  point  with  pride  to  its  war 
record.  One  of  the  largest  houses  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States,  it  devoted 
much  of  its  energy  to  Government  work,  and  was  able  to  ship  thousands  upon  thou- 
sands of  pounds  of  medical  supplies  to  the  various  Army  and  Navy  depots  through- 
out the  country. 

Some  of  the  chief  items  of  the  company's  manufacture  were  lanum,  extract  of 
licorice,  and,  chief  of  all,  aromatic  spirits  of  ammonia.  Of  the  latter,  the  company 
shipped  almost  one  million  bottles,  one  of  the  largest  amounts  supplied  by  any 
house  in  the  country.  Many  shipments  of  drugs  and  similar  supplies  were  also 
made  to  the  American  Red  Cross  in  France  and  Italy.  From  president  to  office 
boy  the  whole  force  threw  themselves  heart  and  soul  into  this  governmental  work, 
and  all  that  was  necessary  to  increase  production  and  quicken  spirits  was  to  pass 
the  word  along,  "It  is  a  war  order!" 

As  a  firm,  Smith,  Kline  &  French  did  this  splendid  service,  and  the  record  of 
its  employes  as  individuals  does  not  suffer  by  comparison.  No  less  than  fifty-six 
entered  the  service  of  their  country  in  the  Army  or  Navy,  and  of  these  two  were 
wounded,  and  two  others,  Nathan  Shute  and  Timothy  Haw,  met  their  death. 

Those  who  still  carried  on  in  civil  life  did  their  full  part  to  back  their  comrades 
in  the  service,  and  this  desire  to  do  their  bit  was  responsible  for  a  rather  unique 
organization,  "The  Soldiers  Club."  This  was  founded  by  one  of  the  employes, 
who  was  himself  a  veteran  of  the  Spanish-American  War  in  the  Philippines,  and 
who  therefore  knew  the  needs  of  the  fighting  man.  The  club  kept  in  constant 
touch  with  those  who  had  left  in  response  to  the  call  to  arms,  and  made  them  feel 
that  their  one-time  comrades  were  backing  them  to  the  limit. 

Thousands  of  newspapers,  magazines  and  books  were  mailed  to  the  men  at 
the  front  and  in  the  camps  at  home,  and  throughout  the  year  gift-packages, 
"smokes,"  and  the  candy,  so  loved  by  the  American  soldier,  were  constantly  for- 
warded. A  regular  secretary  was  also  appointed  to  keep  up  a  constant  correspon- 
dence with  the  company's  service  men. 

The  final  work  of  the  Soldiers  Club  was  the  erecting  of  a  bronze  tablet,  "Jra 
Honor  of  Our  Associates  Who  Left  Their  Daily  Tasks  and  Entered  the  Naval  or  Mili- 
tary Service  of  the  United  States  in  the  World  War."  This  tablet  is  now  placed  by 
the  5th  Street  entrance  of  the  company's  general  offices. 

The  company  and  its  employes  did  their  full  part  in  the  Liberty  Loan 
campaign,  the  War  Chest  drive,  the  Victory  Loan  and  the  Salvation  Army  drive. 
Many  patriotic  meetings  were  held,  sometimes  with  outside  speakers  and  sometimes 
led  by  the  officers  of  the  company  themselves,  for  these  latter  were  always  behind 
every  patriotic  drive  with  a  100  per  cent  Americanism,  and  gave  of  their  time  and 
money  to  the  utmost. 

SUMMERILL  TUBING  COMPANY 
By  S.  L.  Gabel 

The  Summerill  Tubing  Company  was  started  in  a  very  small  way  in  Phila- 
delphia in  1899.  The  only  space  needed  for  machinery  was  one  room  about  20 
by  30  feet  on  the  third  floor  of  a  building  on  North  Broad  Street. 

As  a  partnership  the  business  made  substantial  progress  as  a  redrawing  mill. 
It  made  a  specialty  of  precision  tubing  in  steel,  and  its  reputation  as  a  manufacturer 

449 


in  this  field  brought  to  it  much  business  in  other  metals — brass,  copper,  alumi- 
num, nickel-silver,  etc. 

In  1910,  the  company  was  incorporated,  and  its  business  moved  to  Bridgeport, 
Montgomery  County,  Pa.,  where  a  suitable  site  had  been  obtained.  This  move 
brought  about  rapid  development.  Much  additional  machinery  was  immediately 
installed  and  new  lines  of  business  in  the  regular  commercial  field  were  entered 
upon. 

In  1912,  the  company  started  to  make  tubing  for  the  Remington  Arms  Com- 
pany, and  through  this  connection  it  was  prepared  to  swing  right  into  heavy 
production  when  the  war  broke  out  in  1914. 

In  1916,  an  additional  building  was  erected  which  more  than  doubled  the  draw- 
ing capacity  in  what  is  known  as  the  Small  Tube  Department.  This  is  the  line  in 
which  the  company  made  its  reputation.  Tubing  is  made  in  various  shapes  and 
in  various  walls.  It  can  be  made  so  thin  that  it  must  be  packed  in  boxes  for 
shipment  to  customers,  yet  it  has  physical  qualities  that  to  the  layman  seem 
impossible  of  attainment. 

At  a  meeting  in  Washington,  November  5,  1917,  called  by  Government  officials, 
tubing  manufacturers  were  told  of  the  requirements  in  seamless  tubing  for  1918. 
These  figures  were  far  beyond  the  capacity  of  the  mills  as  then  equipped.  The 
shortage  was  particularly  serious  in  the  "small  tube"  capacity,  the  fine  in  which 
this  company  is  engaged. 

The  president  and  vice-president  of  the  company  were  both  at  this  meeting, 
and  they  were  urged  to  take  immediate  steps  to  increase  their  output  and  not  wait 
for  Government  assistance.  On  the  return  from  Washington  that  day  tentative 
plans  were  made,  and  on  November  10th,  five  days  after  the  meeting,  ground  was 
broken  for  an  additional  unit. 

Applications  for  priority  certificates  were  sent  in  to  the  Government,  and  at 
the  same  time  officials  of  the  company  traveled  to  different  places  to  make  per- 
sonal pleas  for  haste.  As  a  result  some  of  the  machines  were  delivered  before  the 
priorities  came  through  from  the  Government. 

To  start  on  their  schedule  of  equipment  of  this  unit,  one  draw-bench  was 
started  about  5  p.m.,  December  31st.  It  may  be  recalled  by  our  readers  that  the 
winter  of  1917-18  was  one  of  the  most  severe  in  the  memory  of  our  oldest  citizens. 
This  severe  weather  was  a  serious  handicap.  Concrete  mixers  sometimes  nearly 
froze  up  and  men  at  times  were  unable  to  work  more  than  twenty  or  thirty 
minutes.  Fires  were  built  in  places  around  the  new  building  to  provide  relief.  The 
contractor  in  charge  and  all  his  force  deserve  great  credit  for  their  cooperation. 

The  new  unit  was  completed  and  in  full  operation  on  February  1,  1918. 
From  that  time  on  until  December  1,  1918,  a  period  of  ten  months,  the  company 
furnished  to  the  United  States  Government  3,333,382  feet  of  fight  gauge  tubing. 
The  reader  cannot  well  realize  what  1,000,000  feet  of  tubing  means.  It  means  200 
miles,  half  the  distance  between  Philadelphia  and  Pittsburgh. 

The  quantity  above  does  not  tell  the  extent  of  the  company's  work.  Most 
of  it  was  drawn  to  a  variation  of  two  one-thousandths  of  an  inch.  This  accuracy 
was  necessary,  inasmuch  as  the  tubing  was  used  in  connection  with  inter- 
changeable parts  of  rifles  and  thereby  eliminated  machining.  Much  of  this  was 
used  for  magazines  on  rifles  and  bombs  that  were  dropped  from  aeroplanes.  In  one 
month  alone  the  output  was  428,329  feet,  most  of  this  on  the  so-called  smoke  bombs. 

450 


This  accuracy  could  be  only  attained  by  a  skilled  force  of  men,  expert  in  this 
line  of  tube  drawing.  These  same  skilled  men,  besides  speeding  up  production, 
had  to  train  green  hands  to  man  the  additional  machines. 

The  output  of  this  company  would  mean  more  to  the  reader  if  it  is  recorded 
that  it  delivered  to  the  Government  in  ten  months  of  1918,  when  its  entire  plant 
was  in  operation,  665  miles  of  tubing. 

Reference  was  made  early  in  this  article  to  smoke  bombs.  They  were  dropped 
from  the  aeroplanes,  and  big  orders  were  allocated  to  this  company,  and  the  orders 
carried  with  them  high  priorities.  The  contractor  who  made  these  bombs  for  the 
Government  asked  for  delivery  of  so  many  thousand  feet  of  this  tubing  per  week. 
Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  company  was  up  to  its  capacity,  it  speeded  up 
production  in  this  department  and  the  first  week  of  November  it  furnished  20  per 
cent  more  tubing  on  this  contract  than  was  asked  for  by  the  contractor,  so  that 
there  would  be  no  delay  in  delivery.  The  contractor,  located  in  Brooklyn,  sent 
over  his  own  trucks  and  on  one  of  these  trips  took  45,000  feet  of  tubing  on  one  truck. 

The  company  was  fortunate  in  having  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  a  good 
working  organization  of  trained  men.  It  encouraged  enlistments  by  offering  to  its 
men  payment  of  their  full  wages  while  in  the  Army.  This  enabled  some  to  respond 
at  once,  and  the  company  carried  out  its  promise  to  them.  Otherwise  its  working 
organization  was  maintained  and  perfected  continually.  While  150  men  was 
the  regular  complement,  100  were  added  and  trained  in  with  the  crew,  so  that  two 
shifts  were  operating  at  full  capacity  most  of  the  time. 

The  company  is  also  to  be  given  credit  for  its  foresight  in  the  war  in  providing 
a  large  stock  of  raw  material.  Notwithstanding  the  great  increase  in  manufac- 
turing capacity,  it  was  able  at  all  times  to  deliver  the  kind  of  material  that  was 
asked  for  by  the  Government. 

J.  S.  THORN  COMPANY 

J.  S.  Thorn  Company,  before  the  war,  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
fireproof  doors  and  windows,  steel  sashes  and  architectural  sheet  metal  work,  the 
equipment  consisting  of  light  and  heavy  power  presses,  punches,  shears,  forming 
and  bending  presses,  rolls,  flanging  and  seaming  machines,  and  a  complete  machine 
shop  equipment  for  the  manufacture  of  stamping  and  forming  dies,  special  tools, 
jigs  and  templates. 

Upon  America's  entrance  into  the  World  War,  the  firm  found  that  nearly 
all  its  equipment  was  adapted  to  produce  war  material  of  some  kind,  so  that  after 
the  war  was  under  way,  it  practically  turned  its  entire  works  at  the  request  of  the 
Government,  into  the  production  of  war  material.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the 
principal  articles  manufactured  for  Government  use: 

For  the  cantonment  at  Wrightstown,  N.  J.:  Smoke  stacks,  floor  plates, 
ventilators,  etc.  This  was  a  large  proposition,  amounting  to  many  tons  of  material, 
and  was  completed  in  the  extremely  short  time  of  fifteen  days. 

For  the  Cramp  Ship  and  Engine  Building  Company — For  vessels  and  de- 
stroyers: Thousands  of  forged  straps  for  hulls  of  destroyers  Nos.  450,  452,  453, 
454  and  455;  and  1,500  fireproof  doors  for  vessels,  together  with  hardware;  100 
special  vegetable  lockers  for  use  on  shipboard,  with  hardware  for  same;  100  plate- 
iron  ammunition  boxes  for  carrying  large  size  shells  on  shipboard. 

451 


For  the  New  York  Shipbuilding  Company,  Camden,  N.  J. :  All  the  corrugated 
iron  covering  on  their  destroyer  ways  was  furnished  and  erected. 

For  the  Sun  Shipbuilding  Company,  Chester,  Pa.:  Fireproof  doors  and 
skylights. 

For  the  Merchant  Shipbuilding  Corporation,  Bristol,  Pa.:  600  radiator 
shields. 

For  the  American  International  Shipbuilding  Company:  All  the  structural 
and  plate-iron  work  entering  the  lamp  and  paint  rooms  and  carpenter  shop,  for 
sixty  ships;  also  the  plate-iron  conduits  with  covering  for  the  electric  light  wires 
for  sixty  ships. 

For  the  Commissary  Department:  8,000  soup  kettles,  coffee  kettles,  frying 
pans,  water  jackets  and  kettle  lids.     These  were  all  large  in  size. 

For  the  Navy  Department,  League  Island  Yard:  2,700  sets  of  plate  baskets, 
cup  baskets  and  bowl  baskets,  used  in  dish-washing  machines  on  shipboard. 

Navy  Department:  A  large  number  of  Thermofan  Casings  and  Impellers, 
used  in  the  ventilating  system  on  shipboard,  and  196  pole  props  for  gun  carriages. 

For  the  Quartermaster  Department,  United  States  Marine  Corps:  500  sets 
of  tin  cooking  boilers. 

For  Schuylkill  Arsenal:   100,000  tent  pole  plates;  4,000  tent  pole  sleeves. 

For  Frankford  Arsenal:  All  the  roofing,  sheet  metal  work,  fireproof  doors  and 
windows  for  six  buildings,  and  erected  same,  and  2,000  sheet  metal  packing  boxes. 

For  Navy  Yard  Storehouse  at  Newport  News,  Va. :  Fireproof  doors. 

For  Philadelphia  Warehouses  at  22d  Street  and  Oregon  Avenue:  234  large 
fireproof  doors,  twelve  feet  high  by  ten  feet  wide. 

For  Yorktown,  Va:  Gas  plant  and  all  the  corrugated  iron  roofing  and  siding 
and  metal  work  for  three  heater  houses  and  one  boiler  room,  and  erected  same. 

For  the  West  Virginia  Pulp  &  Paper  Company:  Provided  and  erected  all  the 
corrugated  iron  roofing  and  siding,  fireproof  windows  and  doors  for  its  new  chemical 
plants  at  Tyrone,  Pa.,  and  Mechanicville,  N.  Y. 

For  a  Government  Building  at  Fort  Monroe,  Virginia:  All  corrugated  iron 
work  and  steel  sash  and  fire  doors,  and  erecting  same. 

For  Several  Government  Buildings  at  Washington,  D.  C. :  All  corrugated  iron 
work  and  the  steel  sash  and  fire  doors,  and  erecting  same. 

JOHN  WOOD  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY 
H.  Lee  Koenig,  Assistant  Manager 

Chief  among  munition  plants  in  efficiency,  and  one  which  merited  the  com- 
mendation of  the  War  Department  on  many  occasions,  was  the  John  Wood  Manu- 
facturing Company  of  Conshohocken,  Pa. 

This  plant,  their  peace-time  operation  being  the  manufacture  of  range  boilers 
and  tanks,  successfully  completed  contracts  aggregating  $4,500,000,  consisting  of 
steel  powder  cases  for  the  8-inch,  10-inch,  12-inch,  14-inch  and  16-inch  guns,  both 
for  our  seacoast  defense  and  for  our  mobile  artillery. 

To  provide  steel  containers  for  powder  charges  for  our  large  seacoast  guns 
at  all  forts  already  established  along  our  coasts,  and  in  our  insular  possessions,  it 
was  necessary  very  early  in  1917  to  make  a  contract  with  some  plant  engaged  in 
somewhat  similar  manufacture. 

452 


Therefore,  early  in  April,  1917,  as  the  John  Wood  Manufacturing  Company  of 
Conshohocken,  Pa.,  had  offered  their  plant  to  the  Government  some  time  previously, 
it  was  decided,  after  a  thorough  investigation  of  the  field  had  been  made,  to  place 
a  contract  with  this  firm  for  approximately  33,000  steel  powder  containers,  ranging 
in  size  from  10  inches  in  diameter  to  approximately  4  feet  long,  183^  inches  in 
diameter  to  9  feet  long,  equipped  with  a  quick-closing  device,  cover  and  gasket  so 
formed  as  to  provide  an  absolutely  air-tight  receptacle. 

The  contract  called  for  steel  powder  containers  for  the  8-inch,  10-inch,  12-inch, 
14-inch  and  16-inch  seacoast  defense  guns,  and  these  cases  form  a  container  for 
the  powder  charges  of  these  guns  until  such  time  as  they  are  rolled  from  the  maga- 
zine, opened,  and  the  charge  drawn  for  use. 

Every  fort  in  the  country  on  all  three  coasts,  and  in  our  possessions,  were 
shipped  a  full  complement  of  these  cases  in  sizes  corresponding  to  their  armament 
until  sufficient  storage  capacity  for  our  powder  at  various  points  was  secured  to 
provide  for  any  emergency. 

The  regular  business  of  the  John  Wood  Manufacturing  Company,  prior  to  the 
war,  comprised  the  manufacture  of  galvanized  range  boilers,  pressure  tanks  of  all 
descriptions  up  to  5,000  gallons,  and  in  pressure  to  500  pounds,  either  black  or 
galvanized,  also  a  large  number  of  special  welded  shapes.  Their  former  peace- 
time production  was  about  1,000  boilers  per  day.  The  company  had  been  very 
successful  in  their  peace-time  business  and  were  foremost  among  the  manufacturers 
of  this  country  engaged  in  the  same  fine. 

The  company  realized  that  it  was  up  to  them  to  help  out  in  the  great  emer- 
gency, and  they  felt  that  there  was  some  particular  line  of  manufacture  that  would 
best  suit  their  own  shop.  Therefore,  when  it  was  found  by  the  Government  that 
the  facilities  for  the  proper  storage  of  the  gun  charges  were  inadequate  for  the 
emergency,  this  plant  decided  that  to  provide  the  necessary  facilities  for  this  pur- 
pose was  not  only  their  desire  but  also  their  patriotic  duty. 

It  was  a  big  task  to  turn  over  the  working  personnel  and  the  plant  from  its 
peace-time  line  to  the  quick  action  activity  of  a  war  plant  engaged  on  tremendous 
production,  and  much  energy  and  time  were  devoted  to  the  consummation  of  just 
such  a  feat. 

The  active  heads  of  the  organization  were  Victor  Mauck,  Chairman  of  the 
Board,  H.  S.  Mauck,  Vice-President,  and  Frank  Sutcliffe,  President,  men 
who  had  made  a  success  for  many  years  in  range  boiler  manufacture,  and 
who  were  well  equipped,  mentally  and  financially,  for  the  task  at  hand.  These 
executives  at  once  realized  that  a  reorganization  of  their  methods,  their  labor  and 
the  plant  equipment  was  absolutely  necessary  if  they  were  to  produce  in  such 
quantities  as  the  urgency  of  the  case  demanded. 

Acting  on  this  realization,  new  machinery  was  at  once  installed,  and  a  sys- 
tematic effort  was  made  in  each  department  to  educate  the  plant  labor  up  to  a 
full  realization  of  just  what  was  demanded,  in  order  to  produce  under  the  extremely 
"high  pressure"  everything  that  was  required.  In  this,  the  men  responded  to  the 
fullest  extent,  so  that  the  production  of  steel  cartridge  cases  gradually  increased 
from  an  initial  production  of  500  cases  at  the  beginning  of  the  contract,  to  over 
70,000  per  month,  all  within  a  period  of  approximately  a  year  and  a  half. 

The  Government  placed  as  their  representative  in  the  plant  in  charge  of  pro- 
duction and  inspection,  an  ordnance  officer,  Captain  H.  Lee  Koenig,  of  Birmingham, 

453 


Ala.,  who  for  many  years  had  been  connected  with  the  United  States  Steel  Cor- 
poration in  their  Ensley  plants.  A  force  of  thirty  inspectors  was  quickly  organized, 
and  every  possible  method  for  the  increase  of  production  was  tried  out. 

The  working  hours  of  the  plant  were  changed  until  all  available  hours  in  the 
week  were  occupied.  Three  eight-hour  shifts,  seven  days  a  week,  were  at  once 
inaugurated,  and  the  plant  employes  increased  in  number  until  over  three  times 
the  normal  force  were  employed.  The  loyal  response  from  the  various  labor  organi- 
zations in  the  plant  was  such  that  immediate  success  was  at  once  assured. 

The  Engineering  Department  of  the  plant  did  remarkable  work,  not  only  in 
designing  new  machinery  to  expedite  their  own  manufacture,  but  also  in  placing 
the  service  of  their  designers  at  the  disposal  of  the  Government. 

President  Sutcliffe  spent  a  great  deal  of  his  time  in  Washington,  conferring 
with  the  Ordnance  Department  engineers  on  the  design  of  metal  powder  containers 
best  suited  to  the  Government  requirements. 

Victor  Mauck,  the  chairman  of  the  board,  well  known  as  one  of  the  indus- 
trial engineers  of  the  district,  worked  out  in  his  own  plant  many  of  the  designs 
for  powder  containers  that  were  finally  adopted  by  the  Government. 

So  efficient  was  the  service  rendered  along  this  line,  that  this  company  was 
able  to  change  the  original  design  to  one  which  was  not  only  a  better  manufacturing 
possibility,  but  which  functioned  much  more  efficiently  in  the  service  for  which  it 
was  intended. 

This  concern  can  well  point  with  pride  to  its  war  record  as  attested  by  War 
Department  files,  and  the  rapidity  with  which  the  plant  was  turned  to  the  service 
of  the  country  is  a  witness  to  the  loyalty  and  ability  of  its  entire  organization. 


Photo  by  H.  Parker  Rolfe 


Boring  240  mm.  Howitzer  tube,  at  the  Tacony  Ordnance  Co. 
454 


OTHER  PRODUCTION 

The  Tacony  Steel  Company,  before  the  war,  manufactured  side  rods  and 
propeller  shaftings  for  railroads  and  shipyards.  From  this  organization,  the 
Tacony  Ordnance  Company  was  formed  and,  as  an  agent  for  the  Government, 
constructed  a  steel  plant,  covering  twenty-five  acres,  adjoining  its  original  plant. 
May  15,  1918,  seven  months  after  construction  began,  the  buildings,  costing 
$3,000,000,  were  complete  and  ready  for  operation.  One  month  later,  the  first 
carload  of  gun  forgings  was  shipped.  By  December,  1918,  seventy-five  forgings 
for  the  155-millimeter  guns  and  thirty-four  forgings  for  the  240-millimeter  howitzer 
had  been  made. 

The  A.  H.  Fox  Gun  Company  manufactured  shotguns  previous  to  1914. 
In  1915,  it  made  Mauser  rifle  barrels  for  the  Serbian  Army,  which,  earlier,  had  been 
supplied  by  Germany.     Later,  the  Serbians  were  armed  with  English  Enfields 
and  then  the  firm  made  over  400,000 
magazines  for   Russian   rifles,    before 
the  Russian  war  effort  collapsed.     It 
then  received  American  contracts  for 
parts  for  Colt  automatic  pistols  and 
was  prepared  to  produce  2,500  sets  per 
day   when   the  armistice  was  signed. 
By  that  date  the  firm  had  also  reached 
a  daily  production  of  500  Very  signal 
pistols. 

The  Taylor- Wharton  Iron  and 
Steel  Company,  successors  to  a  firm 
that  dated  back  to  1742,  executed 
contracts  for  the  Allies  and  received 
from  the  American  Government  orders 
for  over  a  million  forgings  for  155-milli- 
meter shrapnel,  6-inch  high  explosive 
shells  and  9.2-inch  shells.  Half  of  the 
requirements  had  been  met  when  the 
orders   were    canceled,    following   the 

termination    Of    the    War.  Taylor-Wharton  Iron   and   Steel  a, 

Four-inch  jacket,  from  billett  to  finished  gun. 

The  Hale  andKilrurn  Company 
made  all-steel  reconnaissance  and  machine  gun  truck  bodies.  The  truck  equip- 
ment, complete,  contained  seating  space  for  sixteen  men  with  compartments 
for  machine  guns  and  field  instruments,  with  rifle  racks  and  entrenching  tool 
equipment.  This  Company  also  produced  bodies  for  60,000  Mark  II  drop  bombs 
and  50,000  Mark  III  drop  bombs  for  use  in  air  raids.  It  also  did  experimental 
work  on  helmets. 

The  E.  I.  duPont  de  Nemours  Company  is  one  of  the  best  known  manu- 
facturers of  explosives  in  the  world.  In  1914,  the  Carneys  Point,  N.  J., 
plant  produced  12,000  pounds  per  day.  This  amount  was  increased  to  900,000 
pounds. 

455 


The  Carneys  Point  plant  and  the  one  at  Deepwater,  now  used  for  making 
dyes,  comprised  over  3,300  acres  and  nearly  a  thousand  buildings.  Twenty-five 
thousand  men  and  women  were  employed  to  accommodate  whom  an  industrial 
town  was  built.  Forty  different  kinds  of  powder  were  made  at  Carneys  Point 
to  meet  Allied  specifications  and  the  American  orders  more  than  doubled  that 
number.  The  smaller  kinds  of  powder  ran  to  about  42,000  pieces  to  the  pound, 
each  piece  a  minute  cylinder  containing  from  one  to  seven  longitudinal  perforations. 

The  Hercules  Powder  Company  had  plants  in  Philadelphia  and  in  four 
other  Ordnance  Districts.  This  company  supplied  smokeless  powder,  T.  N.  T., 
nitrate  of  ammonia,  and  black  powder,  and  it  developed  from  kelp  a  sufficient 
amount  of  potash  to  meet  the  national  black  powder  requirements.  At  the 
maximum  of  production,  this  company  produced  215,000  pounds  of  smokeless 
powder  and  280,000  pounds  of  T.  N.  T.  per  day.  It  also  developed  a  new  pyro 
powder  for  the  Army  pistol,  an  improved  stitched  powder  tube  to  contain  the  pro- 
pelling charge  for  the  Stokes  trench  motors,  and  a  smokeless  ignition  powder 
to  replace  black  powder  as  a  priming  charge  for  large  caliber  rifles. 

The  Midvale  Steel  and  Ordnance  Company,  for  over  thirty-five  years 
has  worked  on  Government  contracts  at  its  Nicetown  plant.  In  October,  1915, 
it  began  work  for  the  British,  Canadian  and  French  governments,  providing 
shells,  howitzers,  and  steel  for  bayonets,  rifle  barrels,  etc.  Later  it  made  steel 
for  American  small  arms  and  furnished  more  than  15,000  gross  tons  for  war  auto- 
mobiles and  motor  trucks.  It  also  forged  and  finished  191  8-inch  howitzers  by 
the  end  of  1918,  and  forged  guns  of  the  largest  caliber,  which  were  finished  later 
at  the  Watervliet  Arsenal. 

The  total  steel  output  of  this  plant  between  April  6,  1917,  and  November  11, 
1918,  was  over  300,000,000  pounds.  For  the  entire  period  of  the  war  it  employed 
11,500  persons,  an  increase  from  3,300,  the  number  which  it  employed  before  the 
war. 

At  its  Coatesville,  Pa.,  plant,  the  Midvale  Company  had  a  contract 
for  140,000  shells  of  8-inch  caliber  and  250,000  shells  of  155-millimeter 
caliber.  To  meet  this  contract,  it  obtained  some  of  the  shells  from  its  subsidiary, 
the  Cambria  Steel  Company,  at  Johnstown,  Pa.  Between  October,  1915, 
and  December  31,  1918,  the  Coatesville  plant  shipped  853,000  gross  tons  of 
steel  plates.  It  also  made  for  the  Navy,  caps  for  about  15,000  12-inch  shells, 
20,000  14-inch  shells  and  11,000  16-inch  shells.  Its  labor  force  of  2,500  was 
doubled  in  order  to  carry  on  the  work. 

The  Niles-Bement-Pond  Company  was  associated  with  Midvale  in  the 
manufacture  of  16-inch  howitzers,  sixty-two  of  which  were  ordered  to  be  finished 
within  twenty-one  months  after  the  order  was  given  in  July,  1918.  No  tools 
to  machine  the  forgings  were  available,  and  the  Niles-Bement-Pond  Company 
agreed  to  furnish  engineers,  make  designs  for  the  tools  —  which  would  cost 
$100,000  apiece — to  locate  the  necessary  plants  for  their  manufacture  and  to 
take  no  profit.  This  was  the  first  time  that  an  attempt  was  made  to  fabricate 
major  machine  tools  in  more  than  one  place  and  to  assemble  them.  The  signing 
of  the  armistice  altered  the  arrangements  but  there  was  every  indication  of  com- 
plete success  had  they  been  carried  out. 

456 


ACTIVITIES  OF  THE  BELL  TELEPHONE   COMPANY   OF 
PENNSYLVANIA  IN  THE  PHILADELPHIA  DISTRICT 

By  P.  L.  Schauble 

Before  America's  entry  into  the  war,  the  telephone  service  in  this  country  was 
taken  for  granted.  The  service  was  of  a  quality  unknown  in  other  countries. 
Facilities  were  such  that,  almost  regardless  of  location,  an  application  for  service 
was  met  with  a  prompt  installation.  Those  outside  of  the  business  gave  no 
thought  to  the  foresight,  engineering  and  study  necessary  to  a  maintenance  of 
this  "readiness-to-serve"  policy.  When  it  is  understood  that  every  telephone 
must  have  direct  connection  by  a  pair  of  wires  to  a  central  office,  a  better  idea 
may  be  had  of  what  this  policy  of  always  keeping  ahead  of  the  demand  involved. 

Development  studies,  as  they  are  called,  were  projected  for  every  exchange  of 
appreciable  size.  These  may  be  well  explained  by  a  specific  illustration.  The  city 
of  Chester,  south  of  Philadelphia,  had,  prior  to  the  war,  enjoyed  a  certain  normal 
growth.  Studies  based  on  this  growth  and  the  business  activities  of  Chester  showed 
that  certain  telephone  plants  within  the  city  and  certain  toll  line  facilities  to  outside 
points  were  necessary  at  fixed  periods,  in  order  that  expected  growth  might  be  met, 
and  also  that  a  reserve  might  be  available  at  all  times  to  meet  the  unexpected. 

With  the  beginning  of  the  war,  a  condition  absolutely  unforeseen  and  which, 
by  no  rule  of  thumb,  could  have  been  foretold,  caused  such  a  rapid  development 
that  all  fundamental  plans  were  entirely  upset.  Chester  became  one  of  the  most 
important  centers  in  the  State  for  shipbuilding  and  for  the  manufacture  of  war 
materials.  The  telephone  traffic  and  the  demand  for  service  became  so  great  that 
not  only  were  reserve  facilities  entirely  used  up,  but  the  tremendous  increase  in 
toll  service  made  the  existing  toll  lines  entirely  inadequate.  Under  the  circum- 
stances it  was  necessary  to  rush  the  building  of  additional  plants  within  Chester, 
and  also  to  string  circuits  wholesale  for  toll  service. 

No  commercial  organization  could  be  prepared  for  what  happened  in  1917 
and  1918.  True,  during  1914,  1915  and  1916,  due  to  war  work  for  the  Allies, 
there  had  been  an  unprecedented  demand  for  telephone  service.  But  because  our 
country  had  not  yet  entered  the  conflict,  and  our  Government  had  taken  no  hand 
in  production  control,  the  Telephone  Company  was  able  to  get  the  necessary 
materials  to  keep  safely  ahead  of  the  demands. 

With  America's  entry  into  the  war  a  new  condition  arose.  Now  it  was  a  case 
of  "win  the  war."  An  army  is  absolutely  dependent  on  its  communication  facili- 
ties. Immediately  there  was  a  demand  for  men  and  material  for  telephone  and 
telegraph  service  in  France.  The  demand  for  war  materials  caused  an  embargo 
to  be  placed  on  many  of  the  elements  that  go  into  the  construction  of  telephone 
plant.  Worse  still,  freight  embargoes  made  it  almost  impossible  to  move  sup- 
plies. As  a  result,  the  normal  growth  of  the  plant  ceased.  Fortunate  indeed 
was  this  country  that  its  telephone  plant  was  so  constructed  that  there  was  a 
large  amount  of  reserve  plant  ready  in  place. 

Practically  every  plant  in  and  around  Philadelphia  began  to  demand  additional 
service.  New  plants  were  opened  and  switchboards  had  to  be  provided  to  give 
them  adequate  service.  As  the  spare  facilities  became  more  and  more  nearly 
exhausted,  it  became  necessary  to  question  all  demands  for  service,  to  be  certain 

457 


that  only  such  telephones  were  installed  as  were  actually  necessary  in  the  winning 
of  the  war.     This  caused  some  unavoidable  inconvenience  and  criticism. 

All  Government  toll  calls,  including  all  departments  and  officials,  were  given 
precedence  over  commercial  business,  the  giving  of  this  special  service  requiring 
extraordinary  action  on  the  part  of  the  telephone  officials  everywhere,  which 
included  the  special  drilling  of  some  12,000  long-distance  operators  all  over  the 
country. 

Rush  Installations 

To  attempt,  in  the  space  allotted  here,  to  cover  the  "rush"  jobs  for  new  plants 
which  were  opened  for  the  manufacture  of  war  materials  would  be  impossible. 
Practically  every  established  factory  in  the  city  was  engaged  in  some  form  of  war 
work,  and  nearly  every  one  of  them  demanded  additional  telephone  facilities.  Add 
to  this  situation  the  new  factories  and  their  demands  for  complete  new  telephone 
systems,  and  some  idea  of  the  situation  confronting  the  company  may  be  had. 

The  result  was  a  scouring  of  the  entire  territory  for  every  bit  of  equipment 
which  was  not  of  immediate  use  in  the  place  where  it  was  located.  Switchboard 
equipment,  which  had  been  ordered  for  enlarging  central  offices  and  which  had 
been  shipped,  or  even  in  some  cases  delivered,  was  diverted  to  give  private  branch 
exchange  service  to  war  industries.  Frequently  demands  for  service  had  to  be 
met  in  hours,  where  normally  weeks  and  even  months  were  required  to  do  the  work 
in  peace  times.  A  section  of  switchboard  in  one  city,  a  distributing  frame  in  another 
city,  cable  some  other  place — all  would  be  rushed  to  the  new  plant  and  assembled. 

Approximately  one-sixth  of  the  war  material  of  the  country  was  produced  in 
the  Philadelphia  district.  The  importance  of  the  shipbuilding  industry  in  the  war, 
and  the  part  the  Philadelphia  district  played  in  this  industry,  are  well  known.  With 
munitions,  clothing,  food,  aeroplanes,  guns,  locomotives  and  the  like,  the  Phila- 
delphia district  was  a  real  center  of  war  activities.  No  industry  could  get  along 
without  the  extensive  use  of  the  telephone.  In  many  new  industries,  before  the 
buildings  were  erected,  telephones  were  installed  in  temporary  shacks  and  tents 
in  order  that  the  work  might  be  directed  efficiently. 

A  Word  for  the  Men 

The  story  of  the  406th  Telegraph  Battalion,  originally  the  First  Telegraph 
Battalion,  appears  in  another  place.  This  battalion  was  recruited  entirely  from  em- 
ployes of  the  Bell  Telephone  Company  of  Pennsylvania  and  associated  com- 
panies. Company  D  consisted  of  eastern  Pennsylvania  men,  and  about  half  of  them 
were  Philadelphia  boys.  In  addition  to  this  signal  unit,  many  employes  entered 
the  service  by  enlistments  and  through  the  draft.  When  the  war  ended,  some 
1,300  from  the  Bell  Company  of  Pennsylvania  and  its  associated  companies 
had  entered  the  service. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  of  the  17,000  employes  of  the  company  at 
that  time,  about  11,000  were  women,  so  that  this  loss  of  1,300  men  was 
out  of  a  force  of  but  6,000.  Telephone  workers  are  trained  specialists  in  their 
profession.  A  loss  of  nearly  25  per  cent  from  a  trained  organization  was  a 
serious  handicap  to  the  handling  of  the  business  during  these  years.  It  must  also 
be  considered  that  war  industries  were  offering  Very  high  wages  at  this  time,  wages 
so  high,  in  fact,  that  a  public  utility  corporation  such  as  the  Telephone  Company, 
with  rates  limited  by  law,  could  not  hope  to  compete  with  them.     It  must  be 

458 


recorded  here,  however,  that  the  vast  majority  of  those  who  did  not  enter  the 
service  remained  at  their  work,  realizing  the  necessity  of  maintaining  an  efficient 
means  of  communication  as  an  important  factor  toward  winning  the  war. 

In  an  account  of  this  kind,  there  is  always  a  tendency  to  give  a  great  deal  of 
credit  to  the  young  women  whose  work  brings  them  into  close  contact  with 
the  actual  users  of  the  service.  The  work  done  by  the  men  of  the  installation  and 
maintenance  forces  cannot  be  praised  too  highly.  No  hours  were  too  long,  no 
hardships  too  great,  to  daunt  them. 

At  Camp  Dix,  where  a  comprehensive  telephone  installation  was  made  in 
record  time,  all  of  the  men  on  the  job  seemed  to  be  imbued  with  even  more  than 
the  usual  esprit  de  corps.  This  was  a  Philadelphia  job  handled  largely  by  Phila- 
delphia men.  They  were  working  not  only  for  their  organization,  they  were  toiling 
for  their  country.  Their  labors,  far  removed  from  the  din  of  bloody  battle,  were 
just  as  necessary,  just  as  patriotic,  as  those  of  the  men  with  the  gun  and  bayonet. 
For  weeks  these  Bell  men  saw  nothing  of  their  homes  and  loved  ones.  From  early 
morning  till  late  in  the  evening  they  labored,  irrespective  of  Sunday  or  holiday. 
They  cheerfully  bore  the  inconveniences  of  crowded  country  boarding  houses  and 
ate  with  a  hearty  relish  the  plain,  coarse  food  served  him.  The  big  job  over,  they 
returned,  not  to  rest  on  laurels  deservedly  won,  but  to  enter  eagerly  on  other 
important  jobs. 

The  hardships  undergone  through  the  winter  of  1917  at  Hog  Island  are  almost 
beyond  description.  In  a  very  few  months  a  telephone  plant  consisting  of  cable, 
open  wire,  poles  and  conduit,  such  as  would  be  sufficient  for  many  cities,  was  built 
under  practically  blizzard  conditions.  Only  men  who  have  worked  in  the  open, 
digging  trenches  where  dynamite  is  necessary  because  of  the  frozen  ground,  climb- 
ing poles  in  blinding  snow-storms,  hauling  equipment  over  almost  impassable 
roads,  digging  out  trucks — only  men  who  have  gone  through  this  actual  experience 
can  appreciate  what  that  strenuous  winter  meant. 

During  the  war,  regular  hours  meant  nothing  to  the  men  in  the  telephone 
organization.  Each  individual  job  was  scheduled  for  completion  by  a  certain  fixed 
date.  The  idea  in  every  man's  mind  was  not  to  meet  that  date  but  rather  to  beat 
it.  The  record  of  accomplishment  shows  that  in  practically  every  one  of  the  scores 
and  scores  of  special  installations  made  in  this  city  the  telephone  equipment  was 
ready  and  working  before  the  completion  date  set  in  the  schedule. 

The  men — and  the  women,  too — in  the  Engineering  Department  had  no  easy 
time  of  it.  Every  installation  had  to  be  engineered  before  materials  could  be 
gathered  and  installation  work  started.  Seldom  was  there  a  night  when  the  offices 
of  the  Engineering  Department  were  not  working  with  feverish  activity  getting 
ready  for  the  placing  of  some  new  equipment  which  must  needs  be  completed  in 
hours  where  normally  weeks  or  even  months  would  be  required. 

Influenza  Epidemic  of  1918 

It  was  about  the  end  of  September,  1918,  that  the  influenza  epidemic  was  felt 
in  and  around  Philadelphia.  By  October  1st,  absentees  in  Philadelphia  telephone 
offices  had  increased  tremendously,  and  plans  were  laid  at  once  to  cope  with  the 
serious  conditions. 

The  natural  result  of  the  epidemic  was  a  great  increase  in  calls.  Every- 
one was  anxious  to  know  about  friends  or  relatives  who  were  ill,  and  the  calls  for 
hospitals,  nurses  and  doctors  were  numberless.     It  was  these  calls — calls  that 

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often  held  an  awful  import  to  those  who  made  them  and  those  who  answered 
alike;  pleas,  demands,  entreaties  for  medical  assistance  and  nurses,  and  messages 
shocking  in  their  sum  of  human  desolation  and  despair — which,  it  was  felt,  must 
be  answered.  As  never  before,  telephone  service  had  to  be  kept  going  for  the 
community  weal,  for  the  sick  and  for  Governmental  work. 

While  all  the  Philadelphia  central  offices  suffered,  they  were  not  all  affected 
by  the  epidemic  to  the  same  extent.  It  was  therefore  found  helpful  at  times  to 
transfer  operators  from  one  office  to  another,  and  for  several  days  motor  buses 
were  operated  for  this  purpose. 

A  few  days  after  the  epidemic  had  grown  to  formidable  proportions,  the  operator 
absentee  list,  having  grown  until  it  approached  38  per  cent  of  the  force  in  Phila- 
delphia, or  about  1,050  operators,  the  Traffic  Department  initiated  the  practice 
of  questioning  each  call  to  determine  its  absolute  necessity.  "  Is  this  a  very  im- 
portant call?"  was  the  formula  adopted.  The  question  seemed  to  recall  the  seri- 
ousness of  the  situation  to  those  who,  possibly,  had  turned  to  the  telephone  out  of 
habit,  when  the  call  was  not  so  important  but  that  it  might  be  canceled. 

Besides  the  questioning  of  the  importance  of  calls,  newspaper  publicity  was 
used,  and  cards  were  placed  at  public  telephones,  to  call  attention  to  the  serious 
situation.  Despite  all  this,  mighty  strenuous  days  and  evenings  were  experienced 
at  the  various  offices.  With  from  30  to  38  per  cent  of  the  operating  force  absent, 
with  many  or  all  of  the  supervisory  forces  ill,  the  handling  of  the  traffic  became  a 
matter  of  the  most  serious  proportions.  But  the  task  was  accomplished.  No 
girl  despaired,  no  one  lost  heart  or  nerve,  but  all  worked  together;  although  not 
shoulder  to  shoulder,  for  there  were  many  empty  positions.  In  the  evenings  there 
came  the  office  and  staff  people  of  the  Traffic  Department  to  help.  They  did 
anything — clerical  work,  desk  work;  they  even  supervised,  and  sometimes  they 
operated.  The  employment  manager  sat  again  at  the  switchboard.  She  had  not 
operated  for  years,  and  soon  realized  that  it  is  easier  to  teach  than  to  practice. 
The  same  experience  came  to  others  who  so  readily  volunteered  their  help.  They 
may  have  blundered  at  first,  but  soon,  with  a  little  practice,  they  were  helping 
mightily. 

It  was  indeed  an  inspiration  to  observe  the  volunteers,  private  branch 
exchange  operators,  many  of  them  former  employes,  who  pitched  in  to  do  what 
they  could  while  the  epidemic  raged;  office  and  staff  people,  instructors  from  the 
operators'  school,  and  even  volunteers  from  the  general  public,  all  gave  of  their 
best.  Several  school  teachers,  actuated  by  a  fine  public  spirit,  proffered  their 
services  and  worked  in  some  of  the  offices. 

The  Philadelphia  Toll  Central  office  felt  the  strain  of  the  epidemic,  too. 
With  a  great  number  of  the  operating  force  absent,  the  supervisors  were  busy 
all  along  the  board.  No  sooner  would  signal  lights  disappear  in  one  section  than 
another  part  of  the  board  would  be  ablaze.  Particularly  heavy  was  the  traffic 
to  and  from  Camp  Dix.  Anxious  parents  were  calling  to  learn  how  their  soldier 
sons  were;  ofttimes  the  news  was  disheartening,  and  yet  the  girls  kept  on  plugging 
just  as  fast  as  they  could — and  as  long  as  they  could. 

That  the  public's  response  saved  the  situation  there  is  no  question.  With 
abnormal  traffic  and  the  force  depleted  so  far  below  normal  it  would  have  been  ex- 
tremely difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  keep  things  going  at  some  points.  The 
public  generally  was  quick  to  realize  that  the  emergency  was  unusual.     Never 

460 


before  had  the  Telephone  Company,  no  matter  what  confronted  it,  departed  one 
whit  from  its  avowed  purpose  of  giving  service  to  all  whether  the  calls  were  of  a 
business  or  social  nature,  important  or  unimportant.  But  it  readily  understood, 
first  and  for  all,  that  the  needs  of  the  sick  must  be  served  and  that  if  there  must 
be  a  sacrifice  of  normal  service  it  should  not  be  by  those  who  suffer. 

The  Operating  Force 

The  services  of  the  women  of  this  country  during  the  war  were  of  the  most 
signal  distinction,  and  with  the  women  whose  activities  were  among  the  foremost 
in  usefulness  stood  the  telephone  operators. 

During  the  dark  period  in  the  early  part  of  1918,  when  the  news  each  day 
indicated  that  the  enemy  was  pressing  back  the  armies  of  the  Allies,  when  each 
day  the  casualty  list  showed  an  ever  increasing  number  of  our  boys  slain  or 
wounded,  it  was  no  easy  task  for  the  telephone  girls  to  come  to  work  each  day, 
answering  calls  with  a  cheerful  "Number,  please,"  at  the  same  time  wondering 
if  anything  had  happened  to  the  husband,  brother,  sweetheart  or  other  loved  ones 
and  during  relief  periods  scanning  each  bit  of  news  from  the  front,  for  information. 

The  service  rendered  by  the  telephone  operators  was  the  more  genuine  because 
of  its  lack  of  the  spectacular.  The  work  was  not  recorded  in  big  headlines  in  the 
newspapers.  It  was  not  accompanied  by  brass  bands.  Nor  were  there  uniforms 
for  the  "soldiers  of  the  switchboard." 

There  were  many  organizations  (organizations  whose  work  was  invaluable 
to  the  war)  which  were  making  every  effort  to  recruit  women  from  all  walks  of  life. 
The  telephone  operators  received  so  many  requests  to  enlist  in  service  other  than 
telephone  operating  that  a  doubt  was  created  in  their  minds  as  to  their  duty. 
They  were  in  doubt  as  to  whether  their  present  duties  as  telephone  operators  were 
as  urgent  as  Red  Cross  work,  Land  Army  work,  Liberty  Loan  campaigns  and  the 
like.  When  they  raised  the  question  of  the  way  they  could  best  serve  their  country 
it  was  gratifying  to  see  most  of  them  decide  that  they  would  continue  telephone 
operating.  They  were  satisfied  that  their  duty  lay  in  "plugging  up  calls"  rather 
than  doing  other  work  in  which  they  were  possibly  less  experienced. 

Everyone  was  anxious  about  our  boys  and  the  length  and  outcome  of  the 
war.  Telephone  operators  were  not  immune  to  this  nervous  tension.  A  need 
was  felt  for  something  that  would  give  the  operators  relief  from  the  strain  under 
which  they  were  laboring.  The  Telephone  Company,  therefore,  provided  a  phono- 
graph in  each  of  the  rest  rooms  in  the  larger  central  offices.  Records  were  care- 
fully chosen  so  that  only  the  more  cheery  selections  would  be  heard.  At  12  o'clock 
noon  each  day  the  "Star-Spangled  Banner"  was  played,  which  was  followed  by  a 
minute  of  silence,  at  which  time  everyone  in  the  rest  room  stood  at  attention  and 
thought  of  the  loved  ones  who  were  "Over  There"  fighting  for  their  country,  their 
homes,  and  every  institution  held  dear  by  all  Americans.  This  minute  of  silence 
was  very  impressive,  and  few  were  the  eyes  that  were  dry.  It  gave  an  outlet  to 
the  pent-up  emotions  that  were  held  in  check  at  other  times. 

As  the  summer  wore  on  and  reports  from  the  front  became  more  optimistic, 
even  those  in  the  operating  force  who  had  received  word  of  the  death  or  wounding 
of  some  one  held  dear,  were  buoyed  up  by  the  knowledge  that  our  boys  were  fighting 
a  winning  battle,  and  that  the  end  of  the  war  was  a  matter  of  months  and  not  years. 

461 


It  was  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  the  report  of  the  armistice  was  received. 
The  telephone  "soldiers"  did  not  join  the  merry  throng  to  celebrate  the  happy 
event.  They  rushed  to  their  respective  offices  as  fast  as  they  could,  knowing  the 
tremendous  number  of  telephone  calls  that  would  be  made  as  soon  as  it  was  learned 
generally  that  the  war  was  over.  Seventy-five  per  cent  of  the  operators'  positions 
were  occupied  by  5  a.m.  They  came  to  work  unsolicited,  while  everybody  else 
was  on  the  streets  celebrating.  It  was  a  great  demonstration  of  the  spirit  and 
loyalty  of  the  operating  force — a  demonstration  that  could  only  be  made  at  a  time 
such  as  this.  An  enormous  number  of  calls  was  handled  on  that  never-to-be-for- 
gotten day.    And  it  was  "voice  with  the  smile"  service  indeed! 

In  summing  up  the  work  of  the  operating  force,  it  may  be  said  that  in  spite 
of  their  trials,  they  handled  the  traffic  and  handled  it  well,  with  loyalty  and  cheer- 
fulness. It  is  a  matter  of  record  that  telephone  performance  including  the  effi- 
ciency, technical  service,  tone  and  courtesy  did  not  go  back  during  the  war. 

PHILADELPHIA  BOARD  OF  TRADE 
By  W.  R.  Tucker 

The  transition  of  business  from  a  war  to  a  peace  basis  brought  into  play  all 
of  the  American  genius  for  expanded  enterprise,  patient  endurance  and  successful 
achievement. 

Discerning  the  ultimate  demands  that  would  be  made  upon  the  city,  the 
Philadelphia  Board  of  Trade  shaped  its  activities  during  the  five  years  of  hostilities 
with  Germany  and  the  Central  Powers  in  accordance  with  a  policy  which  would 
first  and  most  expeditiously  induce  a  victorious  peace  for  the  Entente  Allies  and. 
that  having  been  accomplished,  find  the  industries  of  the  United  States  in  the  best 
possible  position  to  meet  effectively  and  successfully  the  culminating  strain  of 
a  peace-time  readjustment. 

Realizing  that  in  the  membership  of  the  Board  of  Trade  was  represented 
those  industries  most  efficiently  developed  in  the  Philadelphia  district,  and  which 
were  supplying  direct  to  the  battlefronts  of  Europe  those  sinews  of  war  primarily 
and  imperatively  needed  in  the  successful  prosecution  of  the  conflict,  it  should  be 
also  understood  that  the  functions  of  such  a  trade  organization  are  of  necessity 
more  or  less  confined  to  the  dissemination  of  opinions  and  the  shaping  of  national 
legislation. 

Therefore  national,  state  and  municipal  records  show  that  the  Board  of 
Trade  was  most  aggressive  in  performing  its  usual  functions.  As  the  whirl- 
wind Argonne  campaign  progressed  it  became  more  than  ever  obvious  that  peace 
was  in  the  near  foreground,  and  thereupon  the  Board  of  Trade  concentrated  the 
wisdom  and  experience  of  its  wise  councilors  in  the  direction  of  a  reconstruction 
program.  Huge  plants,  which  had  been  engaged  in  the  manufacturing  of  war 
materials  had  to  be  turned  over  to  the  products  needed  in  the  ordinary  course  of 
business  and  industry.  This  transformation  had  to  be  made  as  quickly  as  possible 
to  prevent  idleness  and  unrest  which  was — and  still  is — threatening  a  large  part 
of  Europe.  Thousands  of  men  who  had  been  under  arms  had  to  be  given  speedy 
and  profitable  employment,  Government  regulations  which  had  interfered  with 
a  normal  course  of  commerce  and  business  had  to  be  so  modified  as  to  give  the 
greatest  freedom  to  individual  and  corporate  initiative,  so  that  business  might 

462 


again  be  placed  on  a  sound  footing  and  be  in  a  position  to  grasp  the  opportunities 
which  were  offering  for  foreign  trade.  For  the  previous  three  years  our  commercial 
life  had  been  diverted  from  the  natural  channels  of  supply  and  demand,  and 
artificial  conditions  created  by  legislative  authority  had  prevailed.  Under  normal 
conditions  business  cannot  thrive  with  such  restrictions. 

Liberty  Loans:  The  Board  of  Trade  used  every  means  available  to  aid  in 
the  successful  flotation  of  Liberty  Loans  during  the  war. 

Stickers  and  stamps  were  used  on  its  literature,  and  notices  put  in  all  corres- 
pondence urging  citizens  to  "Buy  Bonds." 

While  the  Bevenue  Bill  was  under  discussion,  the  attention  of  the  Board  of 
Trade  was  called  to  the  fact  that  several  clauses  were  contained  therein  that 
would  adversely  affect  the  flotation  of  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan,  which  was  then 
about  to  be  put  on  the  market. 

A  meeting  of  the  Committee  on  National  and  State  Bevenue  and  Taxation 
was  called,  and  the  Secretary  was  authorized  to  write  the  two  Senators  from  Penn- 
sylvania and  the  Congressmen  from  Philadelphia,  opposing  the  incorporation  in 
this  bill  of  measures  restricting  the  sale  of  Liberty  Loan  bonds,  and  to  favor  that 
portion  which  allowed  an  exemption  from  taxation  up  to  a  certain  amount. 

The  restriction  on  the  sale  of  bonds  was  eliminated  and  the  exemption  provision 
retained. 

Early  in  the  year,  when  there  were  frequent  reports  of  outrages  committed  in 
this  country  by  spies  or  enemy  agents,  the  Special  Emergency  Committee  made 
a  report  which  was  endorsed  by  the  Board  of  Trade,  which  urged  publicly  that 
industrial  necessity  demanded  that  the  death  penalty  be  meted  out  to  spies  and 
that  alien  sympathizers  be  strenuously  dealt  with,  in  order  to  stem  the  tide  of 
treason  and  sedition  that  was  spreading  throughout  the  country. 

War  Contracts:  Under  stress  of  war  conditions  when  time  was  essential, 
many  business  men  entered  into  contracts  with  the  Government  without  contracts 
being  formally  signed,  so  that  the  materials  needed  in  the  speedy  prosecution  of 
the  war  could  be  had  without  undue  delay. 

Believing  that  the  business  men,  who  through  patriotic  and  unselfish  motives 
were  willing  to  make  their  interests  subordinate  to  the  public  good,  should  be 
protected,  the  Board  of  Trade,  in  conjunction  with  other  trade  organizations, 
urged  upon  Congress  the  passage  of  the  Hitchcock  Bill. 

This  bill  provided  for  the  legalization  of  informal  defective  orders  for  war 
supplies  and  materials,  for  the  cancelation  of  orders  and  contracts,  for  the  re- 
imbursement of  contractors  and  manufacturers,  for  the  adjustment  of  claims  on 
canceled  or  partly  filled  contracts  and  orders,  and  provided  relief  for  contractors 
pending  final  determination. 

Reconstruction  Commission:  As  all  of  the  nations  engaged  in  the  war,  with 
the  exception  of  the  United  States,  had  appointed  commissions  to  study  after-war 
problems  as  they  related  to  business,  so  that  the  transition  from  war  to  peace 
trade  would  be  accomplished  with  the  minimum  of  disturbance,  the  Board  of 
Trade  urged  upon  Congress  the  necessity  of  the  establishment  of  such  a  commission 
in  the  United  States.  On  September  25th,  a  memorial  was  sent  to  Congress  urging  it 
"To  create    a   commission  and  to  investigate  the  problems  of  reconstruction." 

On  Beferendum  No.  23  of  the  United  States  Chamber  of  Commerce,  a  pro- 
posal to  discriminate  against  Germany  in  trade  after  the  war,  if  necessary  for  self- 

463 


defense,  the  Board  of  Trade  declined  to  vote  on  this  referendum,  considering 
the  time  inopportune  to  pass  on  a  proposition  involving  a  question  of  policy, 
which  might  ultimately  conflict  with  that  of  the  government  of  the  United  States 
in  reaching  terms  as  a  basis  for  peace  negotiations. 

Federal  Trade  Commission  Law:  In  1915  the  Board  of  Trade  opposed  the 
passage  of  the  bill  providing  for  the  creation  of  a  trade  commission  for  reasons  set 
forth,  stating  in  conclusion,  that  "wisdom  and  sound  judgment  required  that  the 
effect  upon  the  country  of  commission  supervision  of  the  public  service  corporations 
be  carefully  noted  over  a  series  of  years  before  any  attempt  should  be  made  to 
extend  that  system  in  any  degree  beyond  its  present  limits  ....  In  the  mean- 
time both  public  and  private  rights  are  amply  guarded  by  existing  law,"  and 
respectfully  submitted  that  "The  Interstate  Trade  Commission  Bill  should  not 
receive  favorable  consideration." 

The  bill  became  a  law  by  the  signature  of  the  President,  September  26,  1914. 

War  Risk  Insurance:  During  the  consideration  of  the  bill  authorizing  the 
establishment  of  a  Bureau  of  War  Risk  Insurance,  the  following  telegram  was  sent 
to  the  President  of  the  United  States: 

"Philadelphia  Board  of  Trade  believes  the  present  emergency  justifies  the 
government  of  the  United  States  assuming  premium  of  insurance  on  war  risks  on 
American  hulls  and  cargoes  bound  to  European  and  other  ports  where  such  risk 
has  not  been  already  covered  by  the  countries  of  destination,  and  trusts  your 
influence  will  be  exerted  to  that  end." 

Seamen's  Bill:  The  Board  again  placed  itself  in  opposition  to  the  passage 
of  the  bill  known  as  the  Seamen's  Bill,  believing  that  its  provisions  would  work 
additional  hardships  upon  the  owners  of  our  merchant  marine  and  still  further 
cripple  this  service. 

Chesapeake  and  Delaware  Canal:  The  Board  gave  its  endorsement  of  the 
movement  for  the  purchase  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Delaware  Canal  by  the  United 
States,  in  a  memorial  sent  to  Congress  in  May,  1915,  after  the  House  had  passed 
the  Rivers  and  Harbors  Bill,  provided  in  the  bill. 

Frankford  Arsenal:  The  Board  of  Trade  actively  participated  in  a  delegation 
to  Washington  on  April  17,  1915,  which  appeared  before  the  Senate  Committee 
on  Public  Grounds  and  Buildings  and  the  House  Committee  on  Appropriations, 
to  urge  the  favorable  adoption  of  bill  appropriating  $154,000  for  the  purchase  of 
additional  land  for  the  Frankford  Arsenal  and  in  advocacy  of  appropriations  for  the 
construction  of  additional  buildings,  which  were  greatly  needed  for  the  economical 
and  proper  conduct  of  the  business  of  the  arsenal. 

United  States  Armor  Plate  Plant:  The  Board  at  its  May,  1917,  meeting  ordered 
transmitted  to  Congress  a  protest  against  the  establishment  of  a  Government 
armor  plate  plant,  arguing  that  existing  armor  plate  plants  of  the  country  are  fully 
equipped  to  supply  the  immediate  and  future  demands  of  the  Government;  that 
there  is  believed  to  be  a  moral  obligation  on  the  part  of  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment to  utilize  the  private  armor  plate  plants,  as  they  were  virtually  brought 
into  existence  on  the  demand  of  the  Government,  and  to  serve  it  alone. 

Threatened  Railroad  Strike:  On  August  22,  1917,  in  view  of  the  conditions 
then  existing  between  the  railroads  and  their  employes,  the  President  of  the 
Board  again  addressed  a  communication  to  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
urging  that  the  differences  which  had  arisen  between    the   management    and 

464 


employes  of  the  railroads  be  arbitrated  either  by  the  "Interstate  Commerce 
Commission  or  under  the  Newlands  Act,  thereby  maintaining  and  promoting  the 
principle  of  arbitration  and  preventing  a  disaster,  which  seems  to  be  menaced  by 
a  refusal  to  arbitrate." 

National  Preparedness:  At  the  June,  1917,  meeting  the  following  action  was 
taken  by  a  unanimous  vote: 

'  'Resolved,  That  the  Philadelphia  Board  of  Trade,  fully  cognizant  and  approving 
of  the  splendid  spirit  shown  for  preparedness,  not  for  war  but  against  it,  by  assisting 
our  country  in  preparing  against  war  to  thereby  insure  peace,  do  endorse  as  a  body 
all  that  is  being  sincerely  done  in  this  great  movement,  and  in  the  hope  that  all 
business  men  will  encourage  their  employes  to  join  the  National  Guard  of  Penn- 
sylvania, or  to  attend  military  or  naval  training  camps  or  schools,  under  the  auspices 
of  the  United  States  Government,  as  in  the  Board's  opinion  the  experience,  health, 
general  information,  and  especially  the  discipline  thus  obtained,  all  work  for  greater 
efficiency,  for  promotion  and  success." 

PHILADELPHIA  CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE 

During  the  progress  of  the  war  the  various  bureaus  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce kept  in  close  touch  with  the  Government,  and  on  many  occasions  were  able 
to  furnish  information  to  the  War  Department  concerning  the  industries  of  Phil- 
adelphia, terminal  facilities,  warehouse  space,  sources  of  needed  supplies,  etc. 

The  War  Shipping  Committee,  of  which  Howard  B.  French  was  chairman, 
was  especially  active  among  the  shipyards,  and  was  able  to  perform  effective  work 
in  helping  the  Government  to  handle  the  labor  situation.  When  the  great  need 
for  labor  in  the  shipbuilding  industry  made  itself  felt  in  the  early  days  of  the  war, 
employers  of  labor,  whose  training  made  them  useful  in  the  shipyard  work,  were 
appealed  to  to  loan  their  employees  to  the  Government  during  the  period  of  the 
war. 

The  committee  kept  in  intimate  touch  with  the  shipyards  along  the  Delaware, 
holding  numerous  meetings  at  which  the  representatives  of  the  shipyards  were 
present,  which  enabled  the  committee  to  discuss  intelligently,  the  problems  con- 
fronting each  establishment.  In  addition,  the  shipyards  were  visited  by  the  com- 
mittee in  order  that  all  data  possible  might  be  in  their  hands. 

A  campaign  of  education  was  carried  on  through  the  moving  picture  houses 
to  awaken  a  realization  by  the  general  public  of  the  need  of  giving  whole-hearted 
support  to  the  shipbuilding  industry.  Special  films  were  prepared;  the  first 
showing  of  which  was  made  at  a  mass  meeting  held  in  the  Academy  of  Music, 
which  was  attended  by  many  prominent  government  officials,  the  Hon.  Bainbridge 
Colby  being  the  principal  speaker. 

The  committee  took  up  the  housing  situation  and  cooperated  with  the  various 
agencies  of  the  Government  in  securing  lists  of  available  vacant  houses  then  ex- 
isting in  Philadelphia,  as  well  as  suggesting  the  erection  of  additional  houses, 
especially  in  the  vicinity  of  Hog  Island.  In  this  connection  the  following  resolution 
was  adopted  by  the  committee  at  its  meeting  held  on  December  26,  1917: 

Whereas,  The  Government  of  the  United  States,  through  the  American  International  Ship- 
building Corporation  is  constructing  a  large  shipbuilding  plant  at  Hog  Island,  located  upon  the 
Delaware  River,  immediately  adjoining  the  city  of  Philadelphia;  and 

465 


Whereas,  Said  plant  to  be  effective  must  have  a  requisite  amount  of  men  employed  and  said 
men  should  have  proper  living  facilities;  and 

Whereas,  Although  sufficient  houses  are  not  available  in  that  immediate  section  of  Phila- 
delphia, near-by  land  with  street  improvements  largely  made  is  available;  and 

Whereas,  Some  of  the  operative  builders  of  Philadelphia  have  agreed  to  take  charge  of,  and 
push  forward  the  construction  of  said  houses,  practically  without  profit,  and  to  complete  same 
within  ninety  working  days  from  date  of  contract,  providing  the  government  will  take  possession 
of  the  land  and  requisition  and  deliver  the  material  necessary  for  completion;  and 

Whereas,  Said  properties  could  be  built  so  as  to  net  an  adequate  return  to  the  Government 
as  interest  upon  their  investment,  and  would  give  a  reasonable  assurance  of  the  Government 
receiving  back  the  cost  of  the  houses,  besides  assuring  the  Government  a  greater  value  to  the 
Hog  Island  Plant  itself,  by  reason  of  the  permanent  availability  of  the  houses  so  constructed  in 
proximity  to  the  plant  and  the  resultant  value  of  the  plant  as  a  shipbuilding  operation  after  the 
present  emergency;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  War  Shipping  Committee  of  the  Philadelphia  Chamber  of  Commerce 
strongly  urge  the  Government  to  immediately  enter  into  a  contract  with  proper  parties  to  con- 
struct houses  in  Philadelphia,  adjacent  to  the  aforesaid  Hog  Island  shipbuilding  plant,  so  that 
the  houses  can  be  ready  for  occupancy  by  not  later  than  April  1st;  and  be  it  further 

Resolved,  That  said  committee  strongly  opposes  the  proposition  of  building  frame  structures 
at  a  great  distance  from  the  plant  and  separated  by  natural  barriers  for  the  reason  that  such 
structures  would  give  little  or  no  salvage  to  the  Government  after  the  present  exigency  and  re- 
quire difficidt  and  expensive  transportation  by  water,  of  workmen,  and  would  also  leave  the 
Hog  Island  plant  standing  alone  and  not  in  itself  so  valuable  as  a  workable  plant  because  of 
the  absence  of  proper  and  convenient  housing  facilities  after  the  war,  and  when  the  Government 
will  desire  to  turn  over  the  property  to  private  enterprise. 

Resolved,  That  copies  of  these  preambles  and  resolutions  be  immediately  forwarded  to  those 
in  charge  of  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation. 

All  of  the  officers  and  directors  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  many 
members  of  the  staff  took  an  active  part  in  the  various  Liberty  Loan  Campaigns. 

THE  COMMERCIAL  MUSEUMS 
By  Dr.  W.  P.  Wilson,  Director 

The  Philadelphia  Museum,  commonly  known  as  the  Commercial  Museum 
of  Philadelphia,  is  an  institution  established  by  ordinance  of  City  Councils, 
January  15,  1894,  to  operate  under  a  board  of  trustees  consisting  of  twenty  mem- 
bers, eight  of  whom  are  City  and  State  officials  and  the  balance  leading  citizens 
appointed  for  life. 

This  board  administers  the  property  of  the  institution  which,  at  present,  has 
a  plant  of  five  large  buildings  with  surrounding  gardens,  located  at  34th  Street 
below  Spruce. 

The  buildings  house  the  extensive  exhibits  of  raw  products  from  all  parts  of 
the  world;  the  industrial  exhibits;  the  lecture  room,  in  which  illustrated  lectures 
are  given  to  school  children,  students  of  higher  schools  and  universities,  and  the 
general  public;  the  administration  offices;  the  workrooms;  print  shop;  power 
house;  large  exhibition  hall  for  conventions  and  temporary  exhibitions;  and  the 
free  reference  library  of  commerce  and  travel. 

The  officers  of  the  institution  are:  Sydney  L.  Wright,  President;  Howard  B. 
French,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  Wilfred  H.  Schoff,  Secretary  and  Assistant 
Treasurer;  Director  of  the  Museum,  Dr.  W.  P.  Wilson,  who  originated  the  idea  of 
the  Museum  and  under  whose  direction  it  has  been  developed  to  the  present  time. 

The  work  of  the  institution  falls  naturally  into  three  principal  lines:  The 

466 


Engineers  in  Camp  at  the  Commercial  Museum. 


exhibitions,  or  the  museum  proper;  the  educational  work;  and  the  Foreign  Trade 
Bureau — the  free  reference  library  being  an  adjunct  to  all  three  lines  of  work. 
From  the  foregoing,  it  may  readily  be  seen  that  the  institution  was  fitted  to  give 
aid  in  a  variety  of  ways  during  the  World  War. 

First:  The  Commercial  Museum  was  100  per  cent  in  all  Liberty  loans.  It 
organized  and  maintained  a  War  Saving  Stamps  Society.  Four  of  its  young  men 
served  in  the  army,  three  of  them  in  service  abroad. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  war  its  large  temporary  exhibition  hall,  over  350  feet 
square,  was  given  up  without  rental  for  the  purpose  of  recruiting  and  training  the 
19th  Regiment  of  Engineers  (Railway)  who  occupied  it  until  their  departure  for 
France. 

The  same  building  was  later  given  over  without  cost  to  the  Quartermaster's 
Department  for  the  storage  of  material.  The  commanding  officer  stated  that  the 
department  was  paying,  at  the  time,  as  high  as  $40,000  for  similar  space  elsewhere. 

During  the  drive  for  the  Victory  Liberty  Loan,  the  same  building  was  used 
without  cost  for  the  Naval  Aircraft  Exhibition,  showing  various  forms  of  aircraft, 
observation  balloons,  and  other  equipment,  wireless  telephones  and  a  fine  exhibi- 
tion of  carrier  pigeons,  having  war  records  in  France. 

At  the  time  of  the  return  of  the  28th  Division  from  France,  this  building  was 
used  to  accommodate  part  of  the  men  the  night  before  they  paraded. 

Space  and  power  were  given  in  the  power  house  of  the  institution  for  the  pur- 

467 


pose  of  establishing,  under  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation,  a  school  for  electric 
welding  for  the  benefit  of  shipbuilding,  also  without  charge.  This  school  organized 
and  set  up  several  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  apparatus  and  was  active  for  several 
months,  up  to  the  declaration  of  the  armistice. 

A  large  section  of  the  Museum  (second  floor,  Central  Building)  was  dismantled 
and  used  for  a  couple  of  years  for  a  temporary  exhibit  of  United  States  Army 
uniforms,  thus  relieving  space  in  Government  buildings  badly  needed  for  office  use. 

Exhibits  of  foods  were  made,  especially  to  show  substitutes  for  wheat  and 
meat. 

Information,  suggestions  and  samples  of  fruits  and  nuts  of  many  kinds  were 
given  to  the  Government  Research  Committee  to  aid  in  the  problem  of  gas  masks 
for  the  army. 

Frequent  reference  was  made  to  the  exhibits  of  raw  products  from  all  parts  of 
the  world  in  order  to  answer  inquiries  or  help  business  men  to  find  necessary  ma- 
terials to  carry  on  our  industries.  Valuable  help  was  obtained  from  such  exhibits 
as  those  of  coco  fiber,  flax,  brush  fiber,  gums,  etc. 

Motion  pictures  showing  war  activities  were  lent  free.  These  films,  placed 
in  the  Museum  by  the  Bureau  of  Education,  are  still  in  frequent  use,  especially 
by  schools  in  Pennsylvania. 

Sets  of  lantern  slides  and  lectures  showing  the  building  of  ships,  airplanes, 
trench  warfare  and  many  other  war  subjects  were  loaned  free,  and  were  greatly 
in  demand. 

Exhibition  was  made  of  a  large  collection  of  coal  tar  products  showing  the 
development  of  American  industry  in  the  manufacture  of  dyes,  medicines,  ex- 
plosives, etc.,  as  influenced  by  our  needs  in  the  war. 

In  the  line  of  the  Foreign  Trade  Bureau,  during  the  war,  the  Commercial 
Museum  was  actively  engaged  in  helping  to  maintain  the  exports  of  the  country 
in  so  far  as  it  was  possible  to  do  so  without  violation  of  the  rules  and  regulations 
of  the  War  Trade  Board.  It  also  worked  actively  with  a  view  to  the  further  develop- 
ment of  export  trade  after  the  removal  of  such  restrictions — a  work  universally 
acknowledged  to  be  extremely  important  in  its  effect  upon  the  welfare  of  the 
country  at  large. 

In  direct  war  work  it  offered  its  facilities  freely  to  the  Government  and  co- 
operated especially  with  the  War  Trade  Bureau  in  identifying  enemy  firms  abroad. 

It  devoted,  without  charge,  the  outside  cover  page  of  its  Weekly  Export  Bulletin 
during  the  time  of  the  war  to  the  advertising  of  Liberty  Loans,  War  Saving  Stamps, 
etc. 

It  also  carried  on,  through  its  publications  Commercial  America  and  America 
Comercial  (Spanish),  a  continuous  propaganda  in  foreign  countries  by  publishing 
the  various  messages  of  the  President  and  of  articles  designed  to  counteract 
German  propaganda. 

The  curators  and  others  of  the  staff  of  the  Museum  were  frequently  called 
upon  for  lectures  to  aid  in  the  entertainment  of  the  soldiers  and  sailors  in  camps 
nearby,  and  to  act  as  four-minute  speakers  at  public  entertainments. 

In  general,  the  institution  and  its  employees  stood  ready  to  aid  in  all  possible 
ways  during  and  after  the  war. 

468 


WAR  INDUSTRIES  ROARD  FOR  REGION  No.  4 

(Comprising  the  Philadelphia  Industrial  District) 

By  George  Johannes 

The  Resources  and  Conversion  Section  of  the  War  Industries  Board,  of  which 
the  work  of  the  regional  advisor  in  Region  No.  4  was  a  part,  was  organized  under 
the  direction  of  the  Chairman  of  the  War  Industries  Board,  and  exercised  functions 
as  delegated  to  it  by  the  Chairman  in  accordance  with  the  instructions  of  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  in  a  letter  dated  March  4,  1918,  in  which  the  functions 
and  duties  of  the  War  Industries  Board  were  briefly  stated.  The  work  of  the 
Board  as  specifically  outlined  by  the  President  consisted  of  the  following: 

1.  The  creation  of  new  facilities  and  the  disclosure  of  new  or  additional  sources  of  supply. 

2.  The  conversion  of  existing  facilities,  where  necessary,  to  new  uses; 

3.  The  studious  conversion  of  resources  and  facilities  by  scientific,  commercial,  and  indus- 
trial economies; 

4.  Advice  to  the  several  purchasing  agencies  of  the  Government  with  regard  to  the  prices 
to  be  paid; 

5.  The  determination,  wherever  necessary,  of  priorities  of  production  and  of  delivery  and 
of  the  proportions  of  any  given  article  to  be  made  immediately  accessible  to  the  several  purchas- 
ing agencies  when  the  supply  of  that  article  is  insufficient,  either  temporarily  or  permanently. 

6.  The  making  of  purchases  for  the  Allies. 

Under  this  authority  of  the  President,  the  Resources  and  Conversion  Section 
of  the  War  Industries  Board  was  organized  with  Charles  A.  Otis  of  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  as  chief.  In  a  communication  dated  June  3,  1918,  addressed  to  the  President 
of  the  Philadelphia  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  chief  of  the  Resources  and  Con- 
version Section  advised  the  organization  of  that  section  and  detailed  a  plan  by 
which  the  Government  should  receive  in  its  activities  the  cooperation  of  the  various 
regions  and  industries  throughout  the  United  States,  and  requested  the  perfection 
in  the  territory  outlined  in  the  letter  of  a  business  men's  organization  to  aid  the 
War  Industries  Board  in  its  work.  The  headquarters  of  the  region  were  fixed  in 
Philadelphia.  The  letter  also  instructed  the  nomination  of  some  one  to  represent 
the  War  Industries  Board  in  the  Philadelphia  region,  who  was  to  be  formally 
appointed  and  whose  title  was  to  be  Regional  Advisor. 

The  territory  designated  above  by  the  War  Industries  Board  was  to  be  known 
as  Region  No.  4,  and  was  composed  of  the  eastern  section  of  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  southern  section  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  and  the  whole  of  the  State 
of  Delaware. 

A  conference  was  immediately  called  of  men  thoroughly  representative  not 
only  of  the  industrial  activities  of  the  Philadelphia  region,  but  also  of  its  territorial 
divisions.  This  conference  met  on  June  14,  1918,  and  recommended  that  Ernest 
T.  Trigg,  Vice-President  and  General  Manager  of  the  John  Lucas  &  Co.,  Inc.,  be 
appointed  Regional  Advisor  for  the  Philadelphia  District,  and  he  was  authorized 
to  proceed  with  the  organization  of  the  War  Resources  Committee  of  the  Philadel- 
phia District,  the  division  of  the  territory  into  sub-regions  and  to  make  all  other 
necessary  arrangements  for  the  speedy  beginning  of  the  work,  which  this  organi- 
zation was  to  undertake  as  an  auxiliary  in  Philadelphia  of  the  War  Industries 
Board  in  Washington.  A  formal  appointment  as  Regional  Advisor  was  issued  to 
Mr.  Trigg  by  the  War  Industries  Board  and  he  took  the  oath  of  office  prescribed 
by  law  for  officers  of  the  Government. 

469 


The  organization  of  the  Philadelphia  War  Resources  Committee  proceeded 
on  the  following  plan:  The  membership  of  the  committee  was  composed  of  one 
representative  of  each  of  the  eleven  sub-regions  into  which  the  region  was  divided, 
in  addition  to  one  representative  of  each  of  seventeen  major  industrial  groups  repre- 
sented in  this  region.  A  further  detailed  organization  was  provided  for  by  the 
appointment  by  each  member  of  the  War  Resources  Committee  of  a  committee 
to  assist  in  his  work,  of  which  he  then  became  the  chairman.  Members  of  the  War 
Resources  Committee,  to  act  as  chairmen  of  sub-regions,  were  selected  at  a  meeting 
called  for  that  purpose  in  each  sub-region  to  which  representatives  of  each  com- 
mercial and  civic  organization  in  the  sub-region  were  invited.  The  industrial  chair- 
men were  selected  after  a  most  careful  consultation  with  representative  men  in 
the  various  industries. 

The  Fourth  Region  was  divided  into  eleven  sub-regions,  for  each  of  which 
a  sub-regional  chairman  was  appointed.  The  Philadelphia  sub-region  included 
the  counties  of  Philadelphia,  Montgomery,  Delaware  and  Rucks. 

The  industrial  activities  of  the  region  were  divided  into  seventeen  groups, 
the  names  of  the  chairmen  of  which  are  given  below  in  connection  with  the  names 
of  the  industrial  groups  which  they  represented : 

Castings — Rodney  Taylor,  President,  Penn  Seaboard  Steel  Corporation. 

Chemicals,  Oils,  Paints — Milton  E.  Campbell,  President,  H.  K.  Mulford  Company. 

Clay,  Stone  and  Brick  Products — O.  W.  Ketcham,  President,  Builders'  Exchange. 

Copper,  Brass,  Tin  and  Similar  Metals — W.  M.  Weaver. 

Electrical — H.  H.  Seabrook,  District  Manager,  Westinghouse  Electrical  and  Manufacturing 
Company. 

Engineering  and  Professional — John  E.  Zimmerman,  of  Day  &  Zimmerman,  Inc. 

Explosives — Frank  H.  McCormick,  of  E.  I.  du  Pont  de  Nemours  Co. 

Forgings  and  Stampings — Charles  C.  Davis,  President,  Pennsylvania  Forge  Co. 

Finance  and  Insurance — W.  A.  Law,  President,  First  National  Bank,  Philadelphia. 

Iron  and  Steel  Products — Horace  A.  Beale,  Jr.,  President,  Parkersburg  Iron  Co. 

Leather  Products — Spencer  K.  Mulford,  President,  England,  Walton  &  Co. 

Lumber  Products — W.  H.  Lear. 

Machinery  and  Machine  Products — W.  H.  Harman,  President,  Southwark  Foundry  and 
Machine  Company. 

Miscellaneous — Charles  W.  Neeld. 

Bubber  Products — J.  A.  Lambert,  General  Manager,  Acme  Rubber  Mfg.  Co. 

Textiles  and  Clothing — David  Kirschbaum,  President,  A.  B.  Kirschbaum  Co. 

Transportation  and  Power — David  S.  Ludlam,  President,  Autocar  Co. ;  George  Dallas  Dixon, 
Vice-President,  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company. 

At  a  meeting  held  August  9,  1918,  J.  Howell  Cummings,  President  of  the 
John  R.  Stetson  Company,  was  elected  Chairman,  and  N.  R.  Kelly,  General  Secre- 
tary of  the  Philadelphia  Chamber  of  Commerce,  was  elected  Secretary.  The 
work,  not  having  any  financial  support  from  the  Government,  was  financed  by  the 
industries  of  the  region,  under  a  plan  worked  out  and  perfected  by  a  finance  com- 
mittee of  which  Samuel  M.  Curwen  was  temporary  chairman,  and  Frank  H. 
McCormick  permanent  chairman.  In  addition  to  the  committee  organization 
outlined  above,  the  Regional  Advisor  on  August  12, 1918,  organized  the  Philadelphia 
War  Cabinet.  This  cabinet  consisted  of  the  chief  of  each  United  States  Govern- 
ment War  Activity  in  the  Philadelphia  region,  and  its  chairman  was  the  regional 
advisor  for  the  region.  Its  organization  grew  out  of  the  realization  that  all  of 
the  Government's  activities  in  the  Philadelphia  region  could  not  be  coordinated 
into  an  efficient  well  working  whole,  unless  there  could  be  frequent  meetings  for 

470 


the  discussion  of  varying  problems  of  those  interested  in  the  governmental  activi- 
ties in  the  region.  Without  such  discussion  of  the  Government's  problems  in  their 
larger  aspect,  there  was  grave  danger  that  the  zeal  of  one  branch  of  the  Government 
in  carrying  out  its  functions  might  seriously  handicap  another  branch  in  its  work, 
and  that  actual  competition  between  two  or  more  branches  of  the  government 
might  seriously  interfere  with  the  general  war  program.  The  Philadelphia  War 
Cabinet  provided  a  place  where  each  member  by  understanding  the  other's  problem 
could  so  arrange  his  activities  as  not  to  interfere  with  other  governmental  opera- 
tions in  the  region,  prevent  competition  between  different  branches  of  the  Govern- 
ment and  aid  in  furthering  the  general  program. 

The  membership  of  the  Philadelphia  War  Cabinet  consisted  of  the  following: 

Emergency  Fleet  Corporation. — Charles  M.  Schwab,  Director-General;  Charles  Piez,  Vice- 
President,  Howard  Coonley,  Vice-President;  J.  L.  Ackerson,  Vice-President. 

Federal  Reserve  System. — E.  P.  Passmore,  Governor,  Third  Federal  Reserve  District. 

Food  Administration. — Howard  Heinz,  Federal  Food  Administrator  for  Pennsylvania; 
C.  J.  Crutchfield,  Assistant. 

Fuel  Administration. — Joseph  W.  Wear,  Assistant  Federal  Fuel  Administrator  for  Penn- 
sylvania. 

Labor  Administration. — E.  C.  Felton,  Federal  Labor  Administration  for  Pennsylvania; 
John  C.  Frazee,  Assistant. 

Navy  Department. — Benjamin  Tappin,  Rear  Admiral  U.  S.  Navy,  Commandant  U.  S.  Navy 
Yard,  League  Island;  Charles  Frederick  Hughes,  Rear  Admiral  U.  S.  Navy,  Commandant  U.  S. 
Navy  Yard,  League  Island. 

Ordnance  Department,  U.  S.  Army. — John  C.  Jones,  Chief,  Production  Division,  Philadelphia 
District;  John  Dickey,  Jr.,  Special  Assistant. 

Pennsylvania  Council  of  National  Defense.— George  Wharton  Pepper,  Chairman;  Lewis 
S.  Sadler,  Executive  Manager. 

Navy  Department. — Benjamin  Tappin,  Rear  Admiral  U.  S.  Navy,  Commandant  U.  S.  Navy 
Yard. 

Quartermaster's  Department,  U.  S.  Army. — B.  M.  Holden,  Depot  Quartermaster. 

Railroad  Administration. — C.  H.  Markham,  Regional  Director;  C.  R.  Capps,  Traffic  Assis- 
tant to  Regional  Director. 

Regional  Advisor's  Office. — Ernest  T.  Trigg,  Regional  Advisor;  Poweli  Evans,  Chief,  Division 
of  Industrial  Stimulation;  Percival  E.  Foerderer,  Chief,  Priorities  Division;  George  Johannes, 
Office  Manager. 

War  Resources  Committee. — J.  Howell  Cummings,  Chairman;  B.  N.  Kelly,  Secretary. 

The  plan  of  having  an  organization  in  each  region  like  the  Philadelphia  War 
Cabinet  was  so  well  thought  of  by  the  War  Industries  Board  that  the  other  regional 
advisors  were  instructed  to  organize  similar  bodies. 

To  facilitate  further  the  operation  of  the  office,  the  Regional  Director,  with 
the  approval  of  the  War  Industries  Board,  made  appointments  for  special  duties 
to  be  confirmed  by  formal  appointments  issued  by  the  War  Industries  Board.  These 
appointments  provided  for  the  establishment  of  bureaus  in  the  office  of  the  Regional 
Advisor  with  specialists  at  the  head  of  each.  In  the  selection  of  chiefs  of  these 
bureaus,  the  Regional  Advisor  was  fortunate  in  obtaining  men  to  serve  who  were 
particularly  qualified  by  reason  of  previous  business  experience  and  training 
effectively  to  carry  on  the  duties  of  their  positions,  and  who  were  able  to  give  a 
large  part  of  their  time  to  the  work.  Powell  Evans  and  Percival  E.  Foerderer, 
as  noted  before,  were  appointed  Chief  of  the  Division  of  Industrial  Stimulation  and 
Chief  of  the  Priorities  Division  respectively.  W.  H.  Harman  became  Chief  of  the 
Division  of  Plant  Facilities  and  Charles  W.  Neeld  acted  as  Chief  of  Industrial 

471 


Statistics.     These  men  worked  without  salary,  gave  freely  of  their  time,  and  their 
services  in  many  cases  were  continuously  used  for  long  periods. 

The  regional  advisor  commenced  active  work  upon  his  appointment.  A 
separate  office  was  established  July  1,  1918,  to  do  such  work  as  was  necessary 
for  the  War  Resources  Committee  and  the  War  Industries  Board.  The  office 
staff  was  moved  three  times  to  different  offices,  each  time  taking  larger  quarters, 
the  size  in  each  instance  necessitated  by  the  growth  of  the  work  and  the  staff 
necessary  for  its  performance. 

Two  important  surveys  were  laid  out  under  the  supervision  of  the  Regional 
Advisor;  one  was  completed  and  a  report  sent  to  Washington,  and  the  other  had 
been  well  started  when  the  signing  of  the  armistice  put  an  end  to  its  activities, 
and  made  unnecessary  its  completion.  The  first  of  the  surveys  was  the  War 
Production  Survey,  which  had  for  its  purpose  the  listing  of  all  of  the  war  material 
producing  plants,  and  the  gathering  of  information  which  would  enable  a  closer 
and  more  efficient  use  of  their  facilities.  This  survey  was  completed  in  ten  days 
and  the  result  reported  to  the  War  Industries  Board  in  Washington.  The  survey 
covered  over  nine  hundred  plants,  and  the  report  was  supported  by  detailed 
tabulations  of  all  the  information  contained  in  the  questionnaires  filled  out  by  the 
manufacturers.  The  questionnaires  covered  information  relative  to  Government 
contracts  in  hand  and  their  state  of  completion,  facilities  not  being  used  by  the 
Government,  number  of  employes  engaged  in  Government  work,  time  worked  per 
shift  and  number  of  shifts,  labor  turnover  and  absenteeism,  shortage  of  labor  and 
class  of  shortage,  training  plans  for  developing  unskilled  labor,  possibility  of 
substituting  women  for  men,  labor  disturbances,  power  produced,  used  and  pur- 
chased, surplus  or  shortage  of  power,  adequacy  of  water  supply,  transportation 
situation  with  regard  both  to  employes  and  materials,  possibilities  of  taking  on 
more  Government  work  and  what  additional  facilities  would  be  required. 

The  second  survey,  on  which  work  was  in  progress  at  the  time  the  armistice  was 
signed,  was  made  at  the  direction  of  the  War  Industries  Board,  and  collected  infor- 
mation desired  by  the  War  Industries  Board,  the  War  Department,  the  Navy 
Department,  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation,  the  Railroad  Administration,  the 
United  States  Department  of  Labor,  the  Fuel  Administration  and  the  United  States 
Housing  Corporation.  The  survey  was  designed  to  cover  all  producing  plants  in 
the  Philadelphia  region,  and  was  also  designed  to  develop  all  facts  relative  to  the 
labor  situation  in  the  plants. 

The  diversity  of  information  required  to  be  developed  by  the  office  is  best 
illustrated  by  a  few  typical  cases  showing  special  investigations  made.  A  survey 
was  made  to  determine  what  locomotive  cranes  were  available  in  the  region  for 
supplying  a  shortage  of  such  cranes  at  war  producing  plants;  steps  were  taken 
to  develop  information  as  to  the  capacity  in  the  region  for  the  manufacture  of 
semi-steel  shells  for  the  Ordnance  Department  of  the  Army  (this  included 
consultation  with  manufacturers  and  advising  with  them  with  a  view  of  having 
them  convert  present  facilities  to  the  making  of  semi-steel  shells) ;  manufacturing 
capacity  was  developed  for  marine  boilers,  crutches,  Klaxon  horns  and  caterpillar 
tractors;  a  member  of  the  office  of  the  Regional  Advisor  made  a  very  comprehensive 
report  of  possible  electrical  water  power  sites  on  the  Atlantic  coast  available  for 
the  establishment  of  a  Government  nitrate  plant  (this  report  involved  a  thorough 

472 


knowledge  of  electrical  engineering,  in  addition  to  transportation  facilities  both 
water  and  rail). 

Many  investigations  were  made  of  the  building  requirements  of  the  war  pro- 
ducing plants  in  the  region  with  a  view  of  aiding  the  Facilities  Section  of  the  War 
Industries  Board  in  the  work  of  deciding  properly  on  applications  for  permission 
to  construct  buildings  at  war  plants.  At  the  request  of  the  Quartermaster's  Depart- 
ment, investigation  was  made  for  the  purpose  of  developing  suitable  candidates  for 
commissions  as  officers  in  the  Quartermaster's  Department  of  the  Army.  Much 
help  was  afforded  manufacturers  in  getting  proper  information  to  the  Draft  Boards 
to  exempt  key-men,  especially  efficient  in  certain  industries.  Property  was  ap- 
praised under  the  supervision  of  the  Begional  Advisor  for  the  Housing  Corporation, 
to  enable  them  to  form  an  estimate  of  real  estate  values  for  construction  purposes. 
Available  storage  facilities  were  listed  to  give  information  to  military  authorities 
as  to  possibilities  of  assembling  war  material  here. 

During  the  war  the  Fourth  Regional  Advisor  was  published  daily.  This 
gave  prompt  and  authoritative  information  to  business  men  on  all  phases  of  activity 
of  the  Government  in  which  they  might  be  interested  and  advised  them  of  rulings 
and  decisions  affecting  their  work  and  relations  to  the  Government. 


Courtesy    nf    the    Philadelphia    "Inquirer." 

Women  Workers  from  the  Frankford  Arsenal. 


473 


THE  FEDERAL  RESERVE  RANK  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

By  William  G.  McCreedy,  Acting  Controller* 


f  HE  Federal  Reserve  Act,  under  which  the  Third  District 
was  organized,  was  approved  on  December  23,  1913, 
"to  provide  for  the  establishment  of  Federal  Reserve 
banks,  to  furnish  an  elastic  currency,  to  afford  means  of 
rediscounting  commercial  paper,  to  establish  a  more  effective 
supervision  of  banking  in  the  United  States,  and  for  other 
purposes."  The  country  was  divided  into  twelve  districts. 
The  Third  Philadelphia  District  originally  included: 
All  of  New  Jersey,  all  of  Delaware,  all  of  Pennsylvania 
east  of  the  western  boundries  of  McKean,  Elk,  Clearfield, 
Cambria  and  Bedford  counties.  Later,  the  district  included  the  same  territory 
in  Pennsylvania,  all  of  Delaware,  and  all  of  New  Jersey  south  of  the  northern 
boundaries  of  Mercer  and  Ocean  counties. 

The  "Reserve  Bank  Organization  Committee,"  consisting  of  the  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury,  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  and  the  Comptroller  of  the  Currency, 
took  preliminary  steps  resulting  in  the  election  of  three  Class  A  and  three  Class  B 
directors  by  the  qualified  banks  in  District  No.  3.  The  first  active  steps  looking  to 
the  organization  of  a  Federal  Reserve  bank  in  each  district  were  taken  on  August 
10,  1914,  when  the  members  of  the  Federal  Reserve  Board  took  oath  of  office. 
The  board  then  appointed  three  Class  C  directors  for  each  district,  naming  Bichard 
L.  Austin  as  Chairman  of  the  Board  and  Federal  Reserve  Agent,  George  M. 
LaMonte  as  Deputy  Reserve  Agent  and  Vice-Chairman,  and  George  W.  Norris  as 
third  member  of  that  class  for  this  district. 

On  October  8, 1914,  the  Directors  of  the  Third  Federal  Reserve  District  met  to 
organize  the  Board  and  elected  as  Governor  Charles  J.  Rhoads,  Director  of  group 
one,  Class  A. 

On  October  26th  the  Federal  Reserve  Board  issued  notice  to  the  member 
banks  of  the  Federal  Reserve  system,  calling  upon  them  to  pay  in  their  first  instal- 
ment of  capital  stock,  as  of  November  2d,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury  fixed  November  16,  1914,  as  the  date  for  opening  the  Federal  Reserve 
banks  and  for  readjusting  the  reserves  of  member  banks  to  the  basis  required  by 
the  Federal  Reserve  Act. 

In  1917  the  real  test  came.  The  first  three  months  of  the  year  were  com- 
monplace, excepting  that  discount  operations  had  gradually  increased  through  the 
tightening  of  money  rates,  brought  about  by  the  demand  for  funds  to  finance 
foreign  loans.  The  bank  had  been  acting  as  fiscal  agent  for  the  United  States 
Government,  having  been  so  designated  as  of  January  1,  1916,  but  the  extent  of 
its  services  was  the  payment  of  checks.  However,  after  the  state  of  war  with 
Germany  had  been  declared,  conditions  were  entirely  changed.  The  bank  was 
notified  of  the  part  it  was  to  take  in  the  prosecution  of  the  war.     This  district  was 

The  final  paragraph  of  this  article,  on  Certificates  of  Indebtedness,  was  written  by  W.  J. 
Davis,  Assistant  Cashier,  Federal  Reserve  Bank. 

474 


Eau  Art  Studios,  Inc. 

William  G.  McAdoo  at  the  Unveiling  of  the  Liberty  Statue,  3d  Liberty  Loan. 

given  a  definite  quota  in  the  first  Liberty  Loan  drive,  and  a  committee  to  adver- 
tise the  loan  and  solicit  subscriptions  was  organized,  with  Governor  Rhoads  at 
its  head.  Upon  the  Federal  Reserve  Rank  devolved  the  duty  of  handling  all  of  the 
accounting  work  incident  thereto,  and  of  distributing  the  interim  certificates  and 
definitive  bonds,  as  well  as  making  disbursements  on  behalf  of  the  Government 
covering  campaign  expenses.  The  bank,  in  common  with  the  rest  of  the  nation, 
was  thoroughly  unprepared  to  handle  the  work  efficiently.  The  bank's  quarters 
at  408  Chestnut  Street,  then  almost  unbearably  overcrowded,  were  entirely  inade- 
quate.    In  the  Lehigh  Ruilding,  108  South  Fourth  Street,  where  the  fourth  floor 

475 


had  been  leased  for  transit  work,  the  first  and  second  floors  were  rented  for  duties 
in  connection  with  the  Liberty  Loan  work.  The  volume  of  the  regular  business  of 
the  bank  began  to  expand,  partly  as  an  indirect  result  of  the  Liberty  Loan,  so  that 
it  became  necessary  to  increase  the  clerical  force  in  all  departments,  the  number 
of  employes  at  the  end  of  the  year  being  186.  The  loan  work  had  grown  so  over- 
whelmingly that  it  became  necessary  to  call  upon  Messrs.  Lybrand,  Ross  Brothers 
&  Montgomery,  certified  public  accountants,  for  assistance. 

The  most  pronounced  changes  occurred  in  1918.  The  building  occupied  at 
present,  925  Chestnut  Street,  was  acquired,  and  extensive  alterations  were  made 
preparatory  to  its  occupation  on  March  15th.  Much  to  the  regret  of  those  asso- 
ciated with  him,  Governor  Rhoads  tendered  his  resignation  in  order  that  he  might 
take  up  war  work  with  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  on  February  8,  1918,  the  board  accepted 
his  resignation  with  great  reluctance  and  elected  E.  P.  Passmore  to  succeed  him. 

The  year  1919  brought  forth  a  marked  change  in  conditions.  The  armistice 
had  been  signed  and  the  war,  with  its  attendant  doubts  and  uncertainties,  was  a 
thing  of  the  past.  Preparations  looking  to  the  flotation  of  the  Victory  Loan 
were  in  progress. 

The  whole  financial  system  of  the  nation  had  become  more  and  more  de- 
pendent upon  the  Federal  Reserve  system.  The  Reserve  bank,  as  a  part  of  that 
system,  accumulated  by  September  30th  about  $128,000,000  in  gold,  which, 
together  with  the  gold  held  by  the  other  Reserve  banks,  was  the  basis  for  practically 
all  of  the  country's  circulation  and  the  entire  credit  structure. 


llourtesy  of  Frank   W.    Buhler,    Stanley   Co.    of    A 


An  Emergency  Aid  Aide  does  her  part. 
476 


In  the  five  loan  campaigns  the  bank  was  given  a  total  quota  of  $1,515,000,000 
of  bonds  to  be  sold  and  turned  in  subscriptions  aggregating  $1,996,142,750,  going 
"over  the  top"  each  time.  The  total  amount  of  the  First  Liberty  Loan  was 
$2,000,000,000,  and  with  the  thought  in  mind  that  the  entire  subscriptions  re- 
ceived by  this  bank  were  only  a  trifle  short  of  that  sum,  the  value  of  the  bank  to 
the  entire  nation  can  be  appreciated. 

The  use  of  Certificates  of  Indebtedness  played  a  very  important  part  in  Govern- 
ment financing.  Preceding  each  Liberty  Loan,  the  Treasury  Department  issued 
Certificates  of  Indebtedness,  which  are  short-term  obligations,  running  for  a  period 
of  three  to  five  months.  These  certificates  were  always  issued  in  anticipation  of 
a  Loan  and  provided  a  method  by  which  a  bank  could  invest  its  funds  preparatory 
to  the  Loan.  A  more  important  reason  for  issuing  these  Certificates  of  Indebted- 
ness was  that  they  supplied  the  Government  with  credit  to  conduct  its  operations 
between  Liberty  Loans.  The  Fourth  Liberty  Loan  was  practically  spent  before 
received,  as  it  was  from  the  proceeds  of  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan  that  Treasury 
Certificates  of  Indebtedness  issued  in  anticipation  of  the  Loan  were  redeemed. 
Prior  to  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan  approximately  $4,000,000,000  of  certificates 
of  indebtedness  were  issued,  which  gave  the  Government  the  net  proceeds  of 
about  $3,000,000,000  from  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan.  During  the  first  three 
Liberty  Loans  there  was  no  set  basis  or  quota  on  which  the  banks  were  to  purchase 
certificates,  but  preparatory  to  the  advent  of  the  Fourth  and  Victory  Loans  the 
Treasury  Department  fixed  a  certain  basis  or  quota  for  which  banks  should 
subscribe;  as,  for  example,  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  notified  all  banks  and 
trust  companies  that  they  were  expected  to  take  2  per  cent  of  their  resources  fort- 
nightly in  Certificates  of  Indebtedness  to  be  issued  in  anticipation  of  the  Fourth 
Liberty  Loan.  The  same  procedure  was  followed  relative  to  certificates  issued 
in  anticipation  of  the  Victory  Liberty  Loan. 

THE  WAR  SAVINGS  DIVISION  OF  THE  WAR  LOAN  ORGANIZATION 
THIRD  FEDERAL  RESERVE  DISTRICT 
Casimir  A.  Sienkiewicz 

Under  authority  of  an  Act  of  Congress,  approved  September  24,  1917,  the 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury  offered  for  sale  $2,000,000,000  worth  (maturity  value) 
of  War  Savings  Stamps.     This  amount  was  later  raised  to  $4,000,000,000. 

As  provided  by  the  first  Treasury  Department  circular  letter,  dated  November 
15,  1917,  "the  United  States  War  Savings  Certificate,  series  of  1918,  is  an  obliga- 
tion of  the  United  States  when  and  only  when  one  or  more  United  States  War 
Savings  Stamps,  series  of  1918,  is  affixed  thereto."  Each  of  these  certificates  had 
space  for  twenty  War  Savings  Stamps  of  the  same  issue,  and  each  of  these  stamps 
so  affixed  had  a  maturity  value  of  $5  on  January  1,  1923,  which  accordingly  gave 
to  each  certificate  a  maturity  value  of  $100,  each  stamp  bearing  interest  at  4  per 
cent  per  annum  compounded  quarterly  if  held  until  maturity. 

No  one  person  was  allowed  to  hold  at  any  time  stamps  of  any  one  issue  of  an 
aggregate  maturity  value  of  more  than  $1,000. 

In  case  of  redemption  prior  to  maturity  the  holder  was  required  to  give  ten 
days'  notice  to  any  money-order  post-office  where  the  surrender  of  stamps  was  to  be 
effected.    It  was  possible  to  register  these  stamps,  but  such  registration  was  optional. 

477 


Photo  by  L.   R. 


School  Children  in  Liberty  Loan  Pageant. 


The  stamps  were  not  transferable,  and  were  not  to  be  received  as  security 
for  deposits  of  public  money.  They  did  not  bear  the  circulation  privilege.  They 
were  tax  exempt  both  as  to  principal  and  interest  except  from  estate  or  inheritance 
tax,  surtaxes  and  excess  profit  and  war  profit  taxes  then  or  thereafter  imposed 
by  the  United  States  upon  the  income  of  individuals,  partnerships,  associations  or 
corporations. 

To  make  easier  the  payments  on  account  of  War  Savings  Stamps,  Thrift 
Stamps  were  adopted.  These  stamps  had  a  value  of  twenty-five  cents,  but  bore 
no  interest.  They  were  not  redeemable  directly,  but  each  Thrift  Card,  with  six- 
teen Thrift  Stamps  affixed  thereto,  was  converted  into  a  War  Savings  Stamp 
upon  payment  of  the  difference  between  the  actual  value  of  the  sixteen  Thrift 
Stamps  and  the  then  current  price  of  the  War  Savings  Stamp. 

Method  of  Distribution  and  Sale 

The  War  Savings  Stamps  and  Thrift  Stamps  were  on  sale  in  all  Post  Offices 
and  Federal  Reserve  Banks.  There  were  also  other  agencies  divided  into  two 
classes: 

1.  Those  especially  authorized  by  the  Savings  Division  of  the  Treasury 
Department,  who  were  permitted  to  buy  stamps  for  re-sale  to  an  amount  not 
exceeding  $1,000. 

2.  Incorporated  banks  and  trust  companies  who  obtained  their  stamps  from 
the  Federal  Reserve  Bank  for  sale  to  the  public  in  excess  of  $1,000  at  any  one  time 
of  one  issue.  This  second  class  was  required  to  put  up  collateral  security  or 
actual  cash  in  order  to  qualify. 

3.  District  and  local  committees  were  effected  for  the  purpose  of  extending 
a  campaign,  a  National  Committee  being  formed  under  the  chairmanship  of  Frank 
A.  Vanderlip,  with  headquarters  at  Washington.  For  eastern  Pennsylvania 
Robert  K.  Cassatt  was  appointed  State  Director  on  November  20,  1917.  The 
Director  for  western  Pennsylvania  was  James  Francis  Burke,  of  Pittsburgh. 

478 


On  November  26,  1917,  the  eastern  Pennsylvania  headquarters  were  opened 
at  1321  Walnut  Street,  and  within  a  week  the  campaign  was  actively  inaugurated. 

Messrs.  Cassatt  and  Burke  created  a  State  Council,  with  the  assistance  of 
which  a  chairman  was  appointed  in  every  county,  who,  in  turn,  organized  such 
committees  as  were  necessary  to  carry  on  the  campaign  in  their  several  counties. 

Meetings  were  held,  speakers  were  sent  to  theaters  and  other  public  places, 
parades  were  arranged  and  personal  solicitors  sent  out.  War  savings  societies 
were  formed,  particularly  in  schools  and  industries.  On  November  11,  1918, 
eastern  Pennsylvania  led  the  United  States  in  the  number  of  such  societies,  having 
a  total  of  2,094.  The  school  children  in  Philadelphia  were  organized  in  817  of 
these  societies,  and  were  urged  to  convert  their  pennies  into  "baby  bonds,"  as 
the  Thrift  Stamps  were  called. 

Associated  with  Mr.  Cassatt  were  Joseph  A.  Janney,  Jr.,  Chairman  of  the 
Industrial  Committee  and  afterward  assistant  state  director;  William  West, 
Philadelphia  County  Chairman,  later  acting  state  director;  J.  Curtis  Patterson, 
who  had  charge  of  the  War  Savings  Societies;  and  Benjamin  H.  Ludlow,  state 
director  of  the  speakers'  bureau. 

The  allotment  of  sales  for  Philadelphia  County  for  1918  was  $35,000,000, 
and  for  eastern  Pennsylvania  district  $116,000,000. 

By  the  end  of  1918  the  forty-eight  counties  of  the  eastern  Pennsylvania  Dis- 
trict had  practically  met  their  assigned  quota  of  $20  per  capita. 

At  the  close  of  1918  Carter  Glass,  the  Secretary  of  Treasury,  announced 
that  the  savings  stamps  movement  would  continue  indefinitely.  Substantially 
the  same  securities  were  offered  in  1919.  The  same  kind  of  Thrift  Stamps  were 
used,  but  the  War  Savings  Stamps  bore  the  head  of  Benjamin  Franklin  instead  of 
George  Washington,  and  were  smaller  in  size  than  those  of  the  1918  issue. 

As  the  campaign  progressed,  it  was  found  that  some  one  certificate  to  take 
the  place  of  a  collection  of  stamps  was  in  demand.  Therefore,  on  July  1,  1919, 
War  Savings  Certificates,  designated  as  Treasury  Savings  Certificates,  in  denom- 
inations of  $100  and  $1,000  were  issued.  Their  terms  as  to  the  price,  rate  of 
interest,  marketability,  redemption,  tax  exemption,  etc.,  were  substantially  the 
same  as  the  War  Savings  Stamps.  They  were  issued  in  book  form,  and  were  auto- 
matically registered  at  the  time  of  purchase.  This  protected  the  holder  against 
loss  by  theft,  fire,  etc. 

In  the  beginning  of  1919,  the  work  of  the  Savings  Division,  in  each  Federal 
Beserve  district  was  placed  under  a  more  direct  control  of  the  governor  of  each 
of  the  Federal  Beserve  banks.  E.  Pusey  Passmore  was  in  charge  of  the  movement 
in  the  Third  Federal  Beserve  District,  and  together  with  his  co-workers  established 
an  admirable  record  in  the  district.  He  worked  jointly  with  John  H.  Mason, 
who  later  became  the  National  Director  of  the  War  Loan  Organization. 

On  January  1,  1919,  Governor  Passmore  appointed  E.  McLain  Watters  (State 
Chairman  of  Pennsylvania  Committees  of  the  various  Liberty  Loans)  as  director 
of  the  War  Savings  Division. 

J.  Curtis  Patterson  was  appointed  as  associate  director,  in  charge  of  savings 
societies  in  industries,  schools,  etc. 

Casimir  A.  Sienkiewicz,  who  had  been  Executive  Secretary  of  the  Foreign 
Language  Division  for  the  Second,  Third,  Fourth  and  Fifth  Liberty  Loans,  and 
who  was  then  associate  member  of  the  Legal  Advisory  Board  for  Draft  District  9, 

479 


Philadelphia,  likewise  became  associate  director,  in  charge  of  sales  and  organiza- 
tion as  well  as  general  executive. 

William  H.  P.  McCoy  was  appointed  chairman  of  the  Savings  Work  in  the 
city  of  Philadelphia. 

Under  the  new  arrangement  the  territory  was  changed.  The  grouping  was 
made  by  the  Federal  Reserve  districts^instead  of  by  States  as  before.  The  Third 
Federal  Reserve  District  comprised  forty-eight  counties  of  eastern  Pennsylvania, 
nine  counties  of  southern  New  Jersey  and  the  State  of  Delaware.  This  territory 
was  divided  into  six  groups. 

After  the  armistice  it  was  found  that  the  redemption  of  stamps  swelled  to  a 
great  volume.  This,  of  course,  was  explained  partly  by  the  fact  that  people  had 
purchased  stamps  to  help  win  the  war,  and  partly  by  the  fact  that  with  the  cessa- 
tion of  hostilities,  and  as  a  result  of  industrial  reaction,  many  were  compelled 
to  convert  their  savings  into  cash. 

Therefore  during  the  campaign  of  1919  emphasis  was  placed  upon  the  need 
and  value  of  a  continued  movement  for  thrift  and  economy. 

In  conclusion,  it  may  be  interesting  to  note  that  from  December,  1917,  to  the 
end  of  1919  approximately  seven  million  people  in  eastern  Pennsylvania,  southern 
New  Jersey  and  Delaware  bought  altogether  a  total  of  about  $57,000,000  worth 
of  the  Thrift  Stamps,  War  Savings  Stamps  and  Treasury  Savings  Certificates. 

The  national  sales  during  the  same  period  were  $1,126,480,731.  The  expenses 
of  operation  in  the  Eastern  District  in  connection  with  the  selling  of  the  stamps 
during  this  period  did  not  exceed  .38  of  1  per  cent  of  the  money  borrowed.      As 


Mrs.  Woodrow  Wilson  and  prominent  Philadelphians  at  a  Liberty  Loan  Rally, 

480 


many  purchasers  of  Thrift  Stamps  have  lost  them,  it  has  been  estimated  that  this 
loss  covers  in  great  part  the  expenses  of  the  campaign. 

Comparing  the  Third  Federal  Reserve  District  with  the  New  York  District, 
it  is  interesting  to  note  that  it  sold  during  1919  within  a  million  dollars'  worth  as 
many  stamps  as  New  York  at  a  cost  of  1.5  per  dollar  raise,  while  the  New  York 
costs  were  3.6. 

The  redemption  of  stamps  decreased  greatly  during  1919,  it  being  estimated 
that  the  redemption  of  all  issues  did  not  exceed  10  per  cent  in  the  Third  District. 

FINANCING  THE  WAR  RY  THE  LIRERTY  LOANS 
Ry  Logan  M.  Rullitt,  Jr.* 

The  flotation  of  five  successful  Liberty  Loans,  with  subscriptions  totaling 
nearly  $24,000,000,000,  in  twenty  weeks  of  actual  campaigning  was  not  the 
least  of  the  war  achievements  in  this  country.  The  necessity  and  importance  of 
this  financing  needs  no  comment. 

When,  on  May  3,  1917,  in  answer  to  the  summons  of  William  McAdoo,  Sec- 
retary of  the  Treasury,  the  bankers  of  America  launched  the  First  Loan  with  a 
goal  of  $2,000,000,000,  there  was  no  organization  capable  of  adequately  handling 
the  tasks  to  follow.  The  only  agency  simulating  such  an  organization  was  the 
Federal  Reserve  System.  Consequently,  the  work  was  handed  over  to  the  twelve 
Reserve  Ranks  into  which  the  country  was  divided. 

Not  only  was  there  no  organization,  there  was  no  precedent  for  the  building 
of  the  requisite  machine.  No  one  knew  just  what  lay  ahead  or  what  obstacles 
would  have  to  be  overcome.  The  entire  proposition  was  new,  tremendous  and 
unlike  anything  before  it.  The  Liberty  Loan  campaigns  were  history  and  precedent 
in  the  making — and  were  so  stupendous  they  left  behind  but  a  faint  trace  of  the 
theory  and  practice  underlying  their  successful  flotation.  The  average  American 
citizen  knows  little  of  them  except  the  blare  of  the  trumpet  and  the  smile  of  the 
good  looking  woman  who  buttonholed  him  on  the  street. 

The  country  was  aflame  with  the  war  spirit  at  the  time  of  the  First  Loan  and 
purse  strings  had  been  loosened  by  the  first  exuberance  of  a  deeper  meaning  to 
the  word  "Patriotism."  The  people  were  ready  to  subscribe.  There  appeared  no 
necessity  for  a  large  organization. 

Thus  the  burden  of  the  First  Loan  rested  on  the  financial  institutions  of  the 
country.  However,  it  soon  became  apparent  that  if  other  Loans,  larger  Loans, 
were  to  follow  there  must  be  an  adequate  machine.  The  First  Loan  was  over- 
subscribed in  virtually  all  sections,  but  it  dragged  along  for  six  weeks. 

The  ever-growing  need  was  for  a  vehicle  through  which  to  carry  propaganda 
to  the  people  in  every  way — through  reason,  ambition,  sentiment  and  self-love, 
as  well  as  through  pure  patriotic  idealism. 

The  Third  Federal  Reserve  District,  comprising  Philadelphia,  eastern  Penn- 
sylvania, southern  New  Jersey  and  Delaware,  was  only  one  of  the  twelve  districts 
which  had  such  a  problem — and  it  was  one  of  the  twelve  that  solved  it. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  wisdom  with  which  the  Liberty  Loan  Committees  were 
built,  there  was  planted  in  the  First  Loan  the  seed  which  later  grew  into  such  a 
large  and  smoothly  running  organization.    Each  successive  Loan  was  a  develop- 

*Associate  Manager,  Department  of  News,  Victory  Liberty  Loan  Committee. 

481 


Courtesy  of  iTank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co 


Liberty  Loan  Officials. 


ment  of  previous  Loans — an  expansion  or  rearrangement  in  organization.  The 
five  Loans  must  be  considered  as  one  movement,  with  the  "Finishing  Fifth,"  the 
Victory  Liberty  Loan,  as  the  fruition  of  the  seed  planted  in  the  First  Loan. 

The  First  Loan  in  the  Third  Federal  Reserve  District,  May  3-June  15,  1917, 
was  directed  by  a  Central  Committee  composed  of  sixteen  members,  as  follows: 

Charles  J.  Rhoads,  Chairman;  Richard  L.  Austin,  Vice-Chairman ;  E.  T.  Stotesbury,  George 
H.  Frazier,  E.  W.  Clark,  Levi  L.  Rue,  E.  F.  Shanbacker,  Effingham  R.  Morris,  W.  D.  Grange, 
Frederick  T.  Chandler,  Edward  R.  Smith,  Richard  Y.  Cook,  William  P.  Gest,  John  H.  Mason, 
Frank  M.  Hardt,  Walter  C.  Janney. 

This  body  acted  as  a  Board  of  Directors,  Mr.  Janney,  as  its  representative, 
assuming  active  control  of  the  details,  assisted  by  the  General  Committee.  Mr. 
Janney  was  a  member  of  this  latter  body,  ex-officio.    The  other  members  were : 

Lewis  H.  Parsons,  Chairman;  T.  Johnson  Ward,  Vice-Chairman;  J.Crosby  Rrown,  Percy 
M.  Chandler,  Philemon  Dickinson,  C.  C.  Harrison,  Jr.,  John  J.  Henderson,  George  W.  Kendrick, 
3d,  Grenville  D.  Montgomery,  Caspar  W.  Morris,  Richard   E.  Norton,  George   K.  Reilly. 

In  the  Second  Loan,  October  1-October  27,  1917,  the  first  expansion  of 
the  organization  occurred.  Mr.  Janney  became  Chairman  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee, which  took  the  place  of  the  General  Committee.  The  membership  was  re- 
duced to  five,  the  following,  in  addition  to  Mr.  Janney,  serving :  Messrs.  Parsons, 
Ward,  Mason  and  Joseph  Wayne,  Jr.  The  Central  Committee  remained  the  same, 
except  that  Mr.  Janney  was  no  longer  a  member  of  it. 

Two  of  the  most  successful  branches  of  the  Liberty  Loan  Committee  were 
brought  into  being  in  this  campaign.   One,  the  Industrial  Committee,  under  C.  N. 

482 


Lauer,  assisted  by  J.  M.  Blankenburg;  the  other,  the  Publicity  Division,  under 
Richard  E.  Norton. 

The  Publicity  Division  was  split  into  nine  units  in  the  Second  Loan.  News- 
paper advertising  was  in  charge  of  A.  K.  Higgins,  Thomas  Mulvey,  Irvin  Paschall, 
and  Philip  C.  Staples.  To  Bart  Andress  was  given  the  preparation  of  material  for 
the  newspapers.  Gilbert  E.  Gable  was  placed  in  charge  of  electric  signs  and  Fred- 
erick G.  Pierce,  of  special  articles  for  distribution.  Ordering  and  shipping  fell  to 
Paul  D.  Howe;  advertising  floats  were  arranged  by  Charles  H.  Baruch;  the  dis- 
tribution of  posters,  by  Boy  Scouts,  was  directed  by  George  I.  Bodine,  and  the 
auditing  department  was  turned  over  to  Malcolm  Huey. 

Grenville  D.  Montgomery,  assisted  by  William  S.  Evans,  established  the  In- 
vestment Bankers  Committee  in  this  Loan. 

The  expansion,  begun  in  the  Second  Loan,  was  carried  further  in  the  Third 
Loan,  which  opened  April  6,  1918,  and  closed  May  4th. 

Probably  the  most  radical  departure  in  the  Third  Loan  was  the  recognition 
of  sections  outside  Philadelphia  by  appointing  representatives  to  the  Central 
Committee.  E.  Pusey  Passmore,  Governor  of  the  Third  Federal  Reserve  Bank, 
assumed  the  chairmanship  of  the  Committee,  and  the  entire  personnel  was  changed 
with  the  exception  of  Messrs.  Austin,  Hardt,  Morris,  Rue  and  Stotesbury.  The 
new  members  were: 

Alva  C.  Dinkey,  Samuel  Rea,  Ernest  T.  Trigg  and  John  Wanamaker,  of  Philadelphia;  J.  B. 
Dimmick,  Scranton;  W.  W.  Griest,  Lancaster;  M.  C.  Kennedy,  Chambersburg;  F.  M.  Kirby, 
Wilkes-Barre;  William  C.  Sproul  and  Vance  McCormick,  Harrisburg;  C.  LaRue  Munson,  Wil- 
liamsport  and  Charles  M.  Schwab,  Bethlehem.    David  Baird,  of  Camden  and  Washington  A.. 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Members  of  the  Women's  Committee,  Victory  Liberty  Loan. 
483 


Roebling,  of  Trenton,  were  the  New  Jersey  members.   Pierre  S.  du  Pont,  of  Wilmington,  was  the 
representative  from  Delaware. 

Another  departure,  shown  by  the  personnel  of  the  above  Committee,  was  the 
choosing  of  men  other  than  bankers  and  brokers.  For  instance,  Messrs.  Dinkey  and 
Schwab  were  steel  men;  Mr.  Rea,  a  railroad  man;  Mr.  Trigg,  a  paint  manufacturer; 
Mr.  Wanamaker,  a  merchant. 

In  the  Third  Loan,  the  Executive  Committee  became  the  Advisory  Committee 
and  the  personnel  was  changed  by  the  withdrawal  of  Messrs.  Ward  and  Parsons, 
the  latter  to  assume  the  title  of  Director  of  the  Liberty  Loan  Committee.  George 
Wharton  Pepper,  Chairman  of  the  Pennsylvania  Council  of  National  Defense,  and 
Horatio  Gates  Lloyd  were  appointed  members.  Howard  F.  Hansell,  Jr.,  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  to  Mr.  Parsons. 

The  Advisory  Committees  for  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey  and  Delaware  came 
into  being,  and  were  under  the  respective  leadership  of  George  K.  Reilly,  Philemon 
Dickinson,  and  Levis  L.  Mann.  Executive  secretaries  were  appointed  for  these  Com- 
mittees and  bore  the  brunt  of  the  work.  These  Secretaries  were :  E.  McLain  Watters 
for  Pennsylvania,  and  Howard  S.  Kinney  for  New  Jersey  and  Delaware.  Messrs. 
Watters  and  Kinney  became  the  Chairmen  of  these  Committees  in  the  Victory  Loan. 

One  of  the  most  important  factors  in  the  following  campaigns  was  started  under 
Carl  N.  Martin  in  the  Third  Loan.  This  was  the  Citizens'  Committee,  which 
carried  the  campaign  to  the  homes  of  the  people. 

The  Clearing  House  Committee,  under  Joseph  C.  Wickham,  was  formed  to 
collect  and  tabulate  subscriptions.  The  quarters  in  the  Lincoln  Building  were  not 
adequate,  so  this  Committee  was  housed  at  13th  and  Cherry  streets. 

The  Foreign  Language  Division  was  brought  to  a  high  degree  of  organization 
in  this  Loan  under  John  J.  Henderson,  with  the  assistance  of  Casimir  A.  Sienkiewicz, 
and  just  prior  to  the  opening  of  the  Loan,  a  house  organ,  known  as  The  Liberty  Line, 
was  started.  George  B.  Hynson  was  Editor-in-Chief.  Mr.  Bodine  assisted  in 
collecting  and  editing  the  material,  as  well  as  directing  the  activities  of  the  Boy 
Scouts.  This  organ  continued  a  successful  existence  through  thirty-eight  numbers 
to  the  close  of  the  Victory  Liberty  Loan. 

The  Publicity  Division  was  also  more  highly  organized  in  this  campaign,  under 
the  direction  of  Mr.  Norton,  with  the  establishment  of  the  following  subdivisions 
and  bureaus: 

News,  Thomas  J.  Mulvey  and  William  F.  O'Donnell;  City  Promotion,  Thomas  J.  Warren; 
County  Promotion,  Irvin  F.  Paschall;  Parade  Bureau,  E.  J.  Berlet;  Feature,  Gilbert  E.  Gable; 
Motion  Pictures,  Lawrence  D.  Beggs  and  Frank  W.  Buhler;  Service,  J.  Rowe  Stewart;  Business, 
Lewis  B.  Gwyn. 

Other  committees  formed  for  this  drive,  the  greatest  up  to  this  time,  and 
second  only  to  the  Victory  Liberty  Loan,  were: 

Clubs,  R.  M.  Stinson;  Department  and  Chain  Stores,  P.  M.  Chandler;  Fire  Insurance 
Brokers  and  Agents,  C.  W.  Churchman;  Fire  Insurance  Companies,  Benjamin  Rush;  Information, 
A.  B.  Miller;  Investment  Bankers,  George  H.  Frazier;  Life  Insurance  Companies,  George  K. 
Johnson;  Life  Insurance  Underwriters,  Thomas  L.  Fansler;  Mass  Meetings,  G.  E.  Nitzche; 
Miscellaneous,  Thomas  Duncan  Whelan;  Partial  Payments,  C.  C.  Harrison,  Jr.;  Professions, 
Tristram  C.  Colket;  Railroad  and  Public  Utilities,  Caspar  W.  Morris;  Savings  Fund,  G.  C. 
Purves;  Building  and  Loan  Associations,  C.  A.  Simpler;  Schools,  A.  G.  Neary;  Speakers,  John 
M.  Denison;  Stock  Exchange,  William  D.  Grange;  Transportation,  Lewis  B  Gwyn;  Trust 
Companies,  Effingham  B.  Morris. 

484 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W 


Stanley   Co.   of  America. 

Women  in  charge  of  Liberty  I^oan  Booth 


Organizations  were  also  formed  in  all  the  counties  of  the  three  states,  with 
chairmen  and  secretaries  for  each.  These  leaders  in  the  outlying  sections  kept  in 
touch  with  headquarters  through  their  respective  Advisory  Committees. 

The  Fourth  Loan,  which  opened  September  28th  and  closed  October  19th,  was 
the  first  to  be  floated  in  three  weeks.  This  campaign  brought  further  expansion  of 
the  committees,  but  added  few  new  ones.  Where  one  person  had  attended  to  the 
work  in  the  Third  Loan  there  now  sprung  up,  in  many  cases,  a  force  of  men.  The 
quarters  in  the  Lincoln  Building  became  inadequate,  and  the  overflow  went  into  the 
Liberty  Building  next  door,  where  the  Philadelphia  Council  of  National  Defense 
had  offices. 

Governor  Passmore  became  a  member  of  the  Executive  Committee,  which 
otherwise  remained  the  same.  Four  new  members  were  added  to  the  Central 
Committee,  and  three  dropped  out.  The  new  members  were:  William  A.  Dyer,, 
Secretary;  William  H.  Hutt,  George  H.  Stewart,  of  Shippensburg,  Pa.;  and  Louis 
A.  Watres,  of  Scranton,  Pa. 

Under  the  leadership  of  W.  Morgan  Churchman  and  Carroll  J.  Waddell,  the 
Industrial  Committee  became  a  real  force,  with  twenty-two  groups  reaching  every 
industry  in  the  city.  The  Citizens  Committee,  with  Warren  A.  Beed  as  assistant 
to  Mr.  Martin,  also  developed  remarkably. 

Mr.  Norton  became  Director  of  Publicity,  and  virtually  every  department 
under  him  enlarged  its  activities.  Mr.  Gable  was  made  assistant  to  Mr.  Norton, 
and  J.  E.  Bacon  took  charge  of  the  Supply  Department. 

485 


The  Speakers'  Bureau,  which  previously  had  cooperated  with  the  Committee, 
now  became  an  integral  part  of  it,  with  Henry  S.  Drinker,  Jr.,  and  William  J. 
Wheatley  directing  the  work  in  Philadelphia.  Benjamin  H.  Ludlow  and  J.  W. 
Rhine  were  in  charge  of  activities  outside  the  city. 

The  Fourth  Loan,  September  28-October  19,  1918,  was  the  most  difficult 
because  of  the  influenza  epidemic.  Every  day  additional  members  of  the  various 
committees  were  missing  from  their  desks.  Nevertheless,  in  face  of  all  discourage- 
ments, the  leaders  retained  their  confidence  and  with  those  who  were  unaffected 
by  the  epidemic  did  double  duty.  Both  Philadelphia  and  the  district  overscribed 
their  respective  quota. 

The  Fourth  Loan  was  the  last  while  the  war  was  in  progress.  The  armistice 
was  signed  before  the  Victory  campaign  began  and  the  war  spirit  had  begun  to  wane. 

The  War  Loan  Organization  was  formed  soon  after  the  Fourth  Loan,  combining 
the  Liberty  Loan  Committee  and  the  War  Savings  Committee  under  the  same 
head,  though  the  organizations  remained  intact  and  separate.  Mr.  Mason  was 
appointed  Director  of  the  War  Loan  Organization  for  the  Third  District. 

The  Victory  Liberty  Loan,  April  21-May  10,  1919,  necessitated  the  expan- 
sion of  practically  every  committee. 

Richard  E.  Norton,  W.  Morgan  Churchman  and  Albert  E.  Berry,  were 
appointed  Associate  Directors,  Mr.  Waddell  taking  Mr.  Morgan's  place  on  the 
Industrial  Committee. 

The  Executive  Committee  was  reorganized  as  follows: 

E.  Pusey  Passmore,  Chairman;  John  H.  Mason,  Vice-Chairman.  Publicity  Division, 
Richard  E.  Norton,  Walter  C.  Janney  and  George  Wharton  Pepper.  Industrial  Division,  W. 
Morgan  Churchman,  Horatio  G.  Lloyd  and  Joseph  Wayne,  Jr.  City  Activities  Division,  Albert 
E.  Berry,  Lewis  H.  Parsons  and  John  H.  Mason. 

The  Central  Committee  was  enlarged,  with  the  following  new  members: 


Courtesy   of   the   Philadelphia    "Press." 

German  Fokker  at  Liberty  Loan  Rally. 
486 


T.  DeWitt  Cuyler,  Edwin  S.  Stuart,  Governor  Walter  E.  Edge  and  Charles  K.  Haddon, 
New  Jersey;  Colonel  M.  C.  Kennedy,  Chambersburg,  Pa.;  A.  Mitchell  Palmer,  Chester,  Pa.; 
Governor  J.  G.  Townsend,  Delaware;   and  J.  P.  Winchester,  Wilmington,  Delaware. 

To  describe  in  detail  the  changes  that  took  place  prior  to  this  campaign  would 
require  many  pages.     Let  a  single  example  suffice. 

In  the  first  two  Loans,  publicity  was  handled  almost  entirely  by  persons  not 
officially  connected  with  the  Loan  Organization. 

In  the  Third  Loan  a  Press  Bureau  was  started.  William  F.  O'Donnell, 
assisted  by  one  stenographer,  sent  out  material  to  the  newspapers.  In  the  Fourth 
Loan,  there  were  three  men  and  two  stenographers  in  what  was  then  known  as  the 
News  Bureau.  In  the  Victory  Loan,  the  Department  of  News  included  fifteen 
newspaper  men,  three  stenographers  and  three  messengers,  covering  virtually  every 
field.  From  the  few  hundred  words  sent  out  each  day  in  the  Third  Loan,  the  pub- 
licity matter  reached  tens  of  thousands  of  words  every  day  in  the  Fifth  Loan. 

This  example  has  been  selected  because  it  was  the  one  with  which  the  writer 
was  most  familiar.  However,  it  is  typical  of  what  was  done  throughout  the  Victory 
Liberty  Loan  by  every  department.  No  chance  of  reaching  every  person  living  in 
the  Third  Federal  Beserve  District  was  overlooked. 

Among  the  committees  with  new  leaders  in  the  Victory  Liberty  Loan  were: 

Banks,  J.  R.  McAllister;  Clubs,  Charles  A.  Porter,  Jr.;  Foreign  Language,  Judge  Joseph 
Buffington;   Professions,  Owen  J.  Roberts;  Stock  Exchange,  Charles  H.  Bean.    • 

Among  the  committees  added  to  those  previously  mentioned  were: 

Artists,  H.  /Devitt  Welsh;  Civics,  Thomas  B.  Smith,  Mayor  of  Philadelphia;  Federal 
Government  Organizations,  W.  H.  Padgett;  Honor  Flag,  James  D.  Winsor,  Jr.;  Labor,  Frank 
Feeney;  Newspaper  Publicity  Fund,  A.  A.  Jackson;  Photographers,  R.  A.  Phillips;  Depart- 
ment of  Features,  Colonel  L.  J.  Magill,  U.  S.  M.  C;  Singing,  John  F.  Braun;  Real  Estate, 
Robert  J.  Nash;  Theatres,  Harry  C.  Jordan. 

It  is  a  matter  of  regret  it  is  not  possible  to  pay  tribute  to  all  who  aided  in  the 
successful  flotation  of  these  Five  Loans.  But  the  work  was  so  vast,  and  so  many 
people  had  a  share  in  it,  that  many  of  the  most  deserving  must  go  their  way 
without  reward  other  than  the  satisfaction  of  duty  and  work  well  done. 

A  SUMMARY  OF  THE  FIVE  LIBERTY  LOAN  ISSUES  IN  PHILADELPHIA 


Popula- 
tion 

Total 
Banking 
Resources 

Quota 

Subscrip- 
tion 

Allotment 

Number 
of 
Subscrib- 
ers 

Per 

Cent  of 
Popula- 
tion 
Subscrib- 
ing 

Per 

Capita 
Sub- 
scrip- 
tion 

FIRST  LOAN 

SECOND  LOAN... 
THIRD  LOAN    ... 
FOURTH  LOAN... 
FIFTH  LOAN 

1,800,000 

1,800,000 
1,800,000 
1,800,000 
1,800,000 

No  record 

$1,385,117,118 

1,240,133,000 

863,994,000 

1,074,488,676 

$94,964,750 

139,499,950 
136,499,950 
259,198,000 
186,209,450 

$145,172,950 

234,901,000 
169,350,600 
311,306,250 
208,482,200 

$96,809,650 

148,327,350 
169,350,600 
311,306,250 
174,591,350 

r  No 

\ record 
245,126 
653,182 
502,864 
350,903 

No   \ 
record  / 
13.62 
36.28 
27.93 
19.49 

$54.00 

82.00 

94.00 

173.00 

116.00 

FOREIGN  LANGUAGE  DIVISION,  LIBERTY  LOAN  COMMITTEE 

Casimir  A.  Sienkiewicz 
In  connection  with  the  Second  Liberty  Loan,  a  Foreign  Language  Division 
was  organized  in  the  Third  Federal  Beserve  District  to  take  the  message  of  Ameri- 
canism to  the  foreign  born  and  foreign  speaking  members  of  the  community. 
The  greatest  work  was  accomplished  during  the  Fourth  Loan. 

487 


Photo  by  L 


Dance  of  the  Allies — Liberty  Loan  Pageant. 


The  chairman  of  this  division  was  the  Hon.  Joseph  Buffington,  judge  of  the 
United  States  Circuit  Court  of  Appeals;  Edward  T.  Stotesbury  was  vice-chairman 
and  Casimir  A.  Sienkiewicz,  executive  secretary.  John  J.  Henderson  was  an 
ex-officio  member  of  the  committee. 

Nineteen  committees  were  formed  at  the  beginning  of  the  Fourth  Loan 
for  work  among  that  number  of  nationalities  represented  in  the  city,  and  a  very 
brief  statement  of  each  committee  is  hereby  given. 

Albanian:  The  Rev.  Mark  Kondoli  reported  that  the  700  Albanians  in 
Philadelphia  had  contributed  $13,350. 

Armenian:  Aram  K.  Jerrehian  turned  over  subscriptions  amounting  to 
$46,750  for  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan.  This  amount  does  not  include  subscrip- 
tions made  to  other  agencies  which  amounted  to  $100,000.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  that  in  the  Third  Liberty  Loan  the  Armenians  of  Philadelphia  led  in  the  per 
capita  subscription. 

Chinese  :  Under  the  direction  of  the  Rev.  Hong  Lee,  the  Chinese  subscribed 
$8,000. 

Czecho-Slovak:  About  10,000  Czecho-Slovaks  are  residents  of  this  city  and 
the  committee  sold  Liberty  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $30,850,  and  an  additional 
amount  of  about  $170,000  was  purchased  by  the  Czecho-Slovaks  in  factories, 
shops  and  other  places. 

French:  Professor  P.  F.  Giroud,  with  the  cooperation  of  a  very  effective 
women's  committee,  reported  a  total  sale  of  $89,000. 

German:    Among  the  men  in  charge  of  the  Liberty  Loan  Campaign  for 

work  with  Americans  of  German  birth  or  descent,  were  John  B.  Mayer,  Chairman; 

Louis  A.  Schmidt,  Treasurer;  Franz  Ehrlich,  Jr.,  Secretary.     In  the  amount  of 

subscriptions  this  committee  led  the  division;  their  final  report  showing  that  they 

raised  directly  or  indirectly,  $20,600,000. 
i 

488 


Greek:  The  Greek  colony  of  about  2,000,  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  S. 
Vilaras  and  C.  Stephano.,  purchased  $135,000  of  bonds  and  thus  led  in  the  per 
capita  subscription  for  the  Fourth  Loan. 

Hungarian:  Among  the  officers  of  the  Hungarian  Committee  were  Samuel 
Folkman,  who  organized  a  committee  with  the  Rt.  Rev.  Edwin  F.  Neuriher 
as  chairman,  and  Eugene  J.  Handelsmann  as  secretary.  This  committee  raised 
directly  $31,000  and  was  instrumental  in  raising  $175,000  additional  in  coopera- 
tion with  other  agencies.  At  a  single  meeting  held  on  the  first  Sunday  of  the 
campaign,  September  29,  1918,  bonds  worth  $5,000  were  sold.  Most  of  the  sub- 
scriptions were  for  $50  bonds. 

Italian:  Frank  Roma  was  chairman  and  R.  J.  Neri,  Secretary,  of  the  com- 
mittee which  carried  on  a  very  active  and  successful  work.  The  committee  raised 
directly  $5,636,450  and  the  total  amount  which  could  be  credited  to  the  70,000 
Italians  subscriptions  to  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan  is  over  eleven  and  a  half  million 
dollars. 

Japanese:  Doctor  Shinkishi  Hatai,  as  chairman  of  this  committee,  assisted 
by  Mr.  Seno,  sold  $10,000  worth  of  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan  bonds.  Many  of 
the  subscribers  were  Japanese  students. 

Lettish  :  The  officers  of  the  men's  committee  were  Andrew  Werbel,  Chairman, 
and  K.  A.  Rahwin,  Secretary.  Of  the  women's  committee,  Augusta  Hausman,  was 
Chairman,  and  Retty  Pelitt,  Secretary.  The  2,500  Letts  exceeded  their  quota 
in  the  Third  Loan  by  $3,950,  and  in  the  Fourth  Loan  their  direct  subscriptions 
amounted  to  $26,700  through  the 
men's  committee,  and  $14,500  through 
the  women's  committee,  making  a 
total  of  $41,200. 

Lithuanian:  The  Lithuanians 
of  Philadelphia,  about  8,000,  are 
chiefly  located  in  two  sections  of  the 
city,  and  two  Liberty  Loan  commit- 
tees were  formed.  Charles  Miklas 
reported  for  the  two  committees  that 
$50,000  was  secured  directly,  and 
$50,000  additional  indirectly.  In 
checking  up  the  subscriptions  for  the 
Fourth  Liberty  Loan,  the  committee 
discovered  that  the  Lithuanians 
should  be  credited  with  the  purchase 
of  $400,000  worth  of  bonds. 

Polish:  This  committee  coordi- 
nated the  efforts  of  seven  Polish 
churches,  and  over  186  fraternal  and 
social  organizations.  The  Chairman 
was  Joseph  Slomkowski,  and  the  other 
officers  were  A.  Ziernicki,  Vice-Chair- 
man;  Leo  Alexander,  First  Secretary; 

-     __       —    .  „  ,     „  Courtesy  of  C.    S.    Simonski. 

and  E.   Schurgot,  Second  Secretary.       u  ^^  of  fWg  and  h(g  gpAD  .r  UbeHy 
There  were   nine    subcommittees,  Loan  Campaign. 


489 


which  turned  in  total  subscriptions  of  $5,801,000.  The  devoted  response  of  the 
Poles  was  exemplified  by  the  widow  of  the  first  Philadelphia  Pole  who  was  killed 
while  serving  with  the  American  Army  in  France.  This  woman,  Mrs.  Mary 
Trojan,  subscribed  $550  to  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan,  which  represented  the  full 
amount  received  by  her  as  an  insurance  premium  after  the  death  of  her  husband. 

Roumanian:  John  A.  Petku  was  the  Chairman  of  a  committee  representing 
the  1,000  Roumanians  in  this  city  who  subscribed  directly  or  indirectly  $45,000. 

Russian:  The  work  in  the  Russian  colony  was  directed  by  Nicholas  Kush- 
niroff,  and  raised  $25,000  directly,  and  an  additional  sum  of  $82,000  indirectly. 

Scandinavian:  This  committee  included  people  of  Danish,  Swedish  and 
Norwegian  birth,  or  descent.  C.  A.  Moldrup  was  Chairman,  and  Anna  Petersen 
Secretary.     As  a  result  of  8,000  personal  appeals  they  secured  $153,900. 

Serbian:  Iovan  Stamoyev,  Chairman,  organized  committees  and  addressed 
mass  meetings  among  the  Serbians  of  Philadelphia  and  vicinity,  who  raised  directly 
$8,000. 

Syrian:  There  were  about  800  to  1,000  Syrians  in  this  city  and  under  the 
leadership  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Joseph  Yazbek,  Bishop  of  the  Syrian  Church,  sub- 
scriptions to  the  amount  of  $10,000,  which  included  the  returns  made  by  the 
women's  committee,  were  received. 

Ukrainian:  Eight  meetings  were  held  during  the  first  five  days  of  the  Fourth 
Liberty  Loan  Drive,  and  at  the  end  of  the  campaign,  T.  G.  Hrycey,  Chairman, 
and  Roman  Slobodian,  Secretary,  reported  sales  to  the  amount  of  $80,000. 

In  making  this  report  the  officers  of  the  Division  paid  special  tribute  to  the 
splendid  work  done  by  the  various  women's  committees. 

The  South  Philadelphia  Women's  Committee,  of  which  Mrs.  Walter  J. 
Freeman,  was  Chairman,  is  an  example  of  the  effective  work  accomplished.  In 
this  section  of  the  city  the  Italian,  Lettish,  Syrian,  French  and  Czecho-Slovak 
residents  bought  a  total  of  over  $180,000  worth  of  Fourth  Liberty  bonds. 

Among  those  who  acted  as  speakers  and  interpreters  were: 

Joseph  Jacolucci,  Alex.  Berkowitz,  M.  Malcolm  Slikas,  Leo  Alexander, 
Samuel  Folkman,  Andrew  Slabey,  Charles  Miklas,  Joseph  DeVito,  J.  Pizzagno, 
C.  C.  A.  Baldi,  John  DiSilvestro,  Joseph  Slomkowski,  John  B.  Kliniewski,  Joseph 
DiSilvestro  and  the  Rev.  A.  D.  Domenica. 

Organized  work  was  carried  out  in  cities  near  Philadelphia,  including  Allen- 
town,  Scranton,  Reading,  Johnstown,  Phillipsburg,  Lebanon,  Bethlehem,  Wilkes- 
Barre,  Shamokin,  Clearfield,  Houtzdale,  Easton,  Norristown,  Altoona,  DuBois, 
Chester  and  Harrisburg;  also  in  New  Jersey,  at  Camden,  and  Trenton,  and  at 
Wilmington,  Del. 

A  total  of  over  $100,000,000  of  Liberty  Bonds  were  sold  by  the  various  com- 
mittees during  their  tenure  of  office. 

FOUR-MINUTE  MEN 

Jacob  Warner  Rhine 

No  one  questions  but  that  the  morale  of  the  American  service  men  in  the 
trenches  and  on  the  seas,  which  amazed  all  Europe,  was  kept  up  by  the  almost 
equally  amazing  morale  of  the  people  home.  How  they  were  kept  in  line,  and 
how  their  determination  and  sacrifices  in  men  and  money  and  conveniences  were 

490 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley  Co.   of   America. 

Douglas  Fairbanks,  Mary  Pickford  and  Charlie  Chaplin  at  Liberty  Loan  Rally. 

coordinated  to  assist  the  Government  in  carrying  on  the  war,  were  features  of 
the  conflict  that  cannot  be  told  too  much  in  detail. 

Foreign  observers  who  were  in  America  at  this  time  were  almost  as  much 
impressed  by  what  the  citizen  body  volunteered  to  do  and  did  do  to  gain  the 
desired  end,  as  they  were  by  what  the  fighting  forces  were  doing  on  the  other  side. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  that  in  all  this  civilian  work  the  public  and  professional  men  of 
Philadelphia  acquitted  themselves  in  no  uncertain  manner.  What  they 
did  was  done,  not  from  mere  loose  enthusiasm  for  the  cause  but  through 
an  organization  perfectly  equipped  as  a  whole  and  intact  in  all  its  parts.  In 
Pennsylvania  the  task  of  keeping  the  public  informed  and  securing  their  whole- 
hearted and  unquestioning  support  for  all  the  projects  of  the  Government,  financially 
and  otherwise,  fell  upon  the  Pennsylvania  Four-Minute  Men,  which  was  officially 
organized  by  the  Committee  on  Public  Information,  with  the  appointment  of  Owen 
J.  Roberts  as  State  Director  on  December  1,  1917.  Henry  B.  Hodge,  who  had 
previously  been  appointed  by  the  Treasury  Department  as  Chairman  of  the  Liberty 
Loan  Speakers'  Bureau  for  the  Third  Federal  Reserve  District,  was  appointed 
Chairman  of  the  Philadelphia  Four-Minute  Men. 

On  January  1, 1918,  Henry  B.  Hodge  succeeded  Mr.  Roberts  as  State  Director 
and  appointed  the  following  staff  assistants: 

Benjamin  H.  Ludlow,  Vice-Chairman;  Jacob  Warner  Rhine,  Executive  Secretary; 
Harry  D.  Wescott,  Chairman  for  Philadelphia;  Harold  B.  Beitler,  Chairman  of  Committee  on 
Enrolment  of  Speakers;  Elliott  W.  Stinson,  Executive  Secretary  of  Philadelphia  Branch;  E.  C. 
Morey,  Chairman  of  Pittsburgh  Branch. 

The  Four-Minute  Men  was  from  the  beginning  a  voluntary  organization 

491 


receiving  no  appropriations  whatever  from  the  Federal  Government.  Realizing 
the  importance  of  the  spoken  word  and  the  great  usefulness  to  which  the  Four- 
Minute  Men  could  be  put,  and  knowing  that  an  efficient  organization  could  not 
be  effected  without  funds  with  which  to  pay  office  and  administration  expenses, 
the  Committee  of  Public  Safety  offered  to  take  the  Four-Minute  Men  into  its 
organization  as  one  of  its  correlated  branches  of  war  activities,  placing  at  the  dis- 
posal of  the  State  Director  of  the  Four-Minute  Men  an  appropriation  from  the 
Pennsylvania  Defense  Fund,  which  was  to  pay  the  office  expenses  of  the  organiza- 
tion and  traveling  expenses  of  the  speakers.  With  this  necessary  aid  from  the 
Committee  of  Public  Safety,  Mr.  Hodge  and  Mr.  Ludlow  immediately  organized 
a  branch  of  the  Four-Minute  Men  in  every  county  in  Pennsylvania,  appointing 
county  chairmen  to  act  in  cooperation  with  the  chairman  of  the  county  branches 
of  the  Committee  of  Public  Safety  in  their  respective  counties.  They  then  en- 
deavored to  establish  local  branches  of  the  organization  in  every  city  and  town 
in  the  State.  In  April,  1918,  sixty  county  branches  and  over  400  local  branches 
were  well  established. 

In  Philadelphia,  Mr.  Wescott  and  Mr.  Beitler  had  succeeded  by  the  beginning 
of  the  Third  Liberty  Loan  Campaign,  April  6,  1918,  in  perfecting  an  organization 
of  200  Four-Minute  Men  who  were  trained  speakers.  The  entire  burden  of  sup- 
plying Liberty  Loan  Speakers  during  the  Third  Liberty  Loan  Campaign  fell  upon 
the  Four-Minute  Men.  Their  activities  were  not  limited  to  the  theatres.  They 
were  sent  to  all  kinds  of  public  and  private  meetings,  to  industrial  plants, 
churches,  schools,  open-air  mass  meetings  and,  in  fact,  to  every  ready-made 
audience  that  could  be  utilized. 

During  the  Third  Liberty  Loan  Campaign  the  Philadelphia  branch  of  the 
Four-Minute  Men  furnished  speakers  for  over  1,200  meetings,  including  theaters. 
During  this  campaign,  the  State  headquarters  of  the  Four-Minute  Men  supplied 
speakers  of  national  prominence  for  over  one  hundred  mass  meetings  in 
Pennsylvania  outside  of  Philadelphia. 

The  effectiveness  of  the  work  done  by  the  Pennsylvania  Four-Minute  Men  as 
a  speakers'  bureau  was  recognized  by  those  in  charge  of  the  war  activities  within 
the  State,  and  consequently,  at  the  close  of  the  Third  Liberty  Loan  Campaign, 
all  speaking  activities  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  were  placed  under  the  direction 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Four-Minute  Men. 

The  work  done  by  the  Four-Minute  Men  acting  as  the  speakers'  bureau  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Council  of  National  Defense,  formerly  the  Committee  of  Public 
Safety  of  Pennsylvania,  in  the  speed-up  production  work  in  ammunition  plants 
and  coal  mines,  was  a  particularly  valuable  one.  During  the  War  Chest  Cam- 
paign held  in  May,  1918,  Harry  D.  Wescott,  chairman  for  Philadelphia  County, 
perfected  what  was  known  as  the  Alien  Squad,  composed  of  a  detail  of  United 
States  soldiers  in  full  equipment,  all  being  of  foreign  birth  representing  different 
nations  engaged  to  some  degree  in  the  war.  The  value  of  this  squad  of  soldiers 
for  Americanization  purposes  was  inestimable.  After  having  been  used  with 
splendid  results  in  the  Philadelphia  district,  the  squad  was  sent  to  the  Pittsburgh 
district  under  the  direction  of  John  H.  Owen,  and  a  two  weeks'  tour  made  through- 
out the  Pittsburgh  coal  and  industrial  section.  Actual  increase  in  production  was 
shown  both  at  the  coal  mines  and  industrial  plants  after  a  visit  of  the  Alien  Squad. 

The  work  done  by  the  Four-Minute  Men  in  connection  with  this  speed-up 

492 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of  America. 

Philadelphia  "Mummers"  parade  for  the  Liberty  Loan. 


production  work  was  commended  in  a  special  letter  from  the  United  States 
Ordnance  Department. 

In  August,  1918,  Henry  B.  Hodge,  having  combined  practically  all  of  the  war 
activities  of  the  speakers'  bureau  into  the  one  organization,  namely,  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Four-Minute  Men,  resigned  as  State  Director  to  take  up  a  commission  as 
Major  in  the  United  States  Army.  At  the  time  of  his  resignation,  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Four-Minute  Men  was  the  largest  and  most  effectively  organized  State 
branch  of  the  Four-Minute  Men  in  the  United  States.  The  organization  was 
composed  of  approximately  600  local  branches  throughout  the  State  and  over 
4,000  speakers. 

Benjamin  H.  Ludlow  was  appointed  to  succeed  Mr.  Hodge  as  State  Director 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Four-Minute  Men,  and  the  speakers'  bureau  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Council  of  National  Defense,  by  the  joint  appointment  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Council  of  National  Defense  and  Committee  on  Public  Information. 

Mr.  Ludlow  began  immediately  to  extend  further  the  activities  of  the  Four- 
Minute  Men  and  to  increase  the  organization.  He  appointed  the  following  asso- 
ciate directors  to  assist  him:  Harold  B.  Beitler,  Philadelphia;  Henry  S.  Drinker. 
Jr.,  Philadelphia;  George  S.  Lloyd,  Carlisle;  Harrison  E.  Nesbit,  Pittsburgh;  John 
M.  Harris,  Scranton;  Harry  D.  Wescott,  Philadelphia. 

On  the  first  of  September,  1918,  the  Philadelphia  Division  of  the  Four-Minute 
Men  was  separated  from  the  State  Headquarters.      The  Philadelphia  Head- 

493 


quarters  were  thereafter  made  at  the  Liberty  Building,  and  the  entire  Philadelphia 
Division  was  reorganized  and  the  personnel  doubled  by  Henry  S.  Drinker,  Jr., 
the  Associate  Director  in  charge  of  the  Philadelphia  district. 

Although  the  Four-Minute  Men  were  patiently  tolerated  by  the  audiences  of 
the  theatres  during  the  first  two  or  three  months  of  their  activities,  the  interest  of 
the  people  steadily  increased  in  what  these  men  had  to  say,  and  the  ability  of  the 
men  to  make  good  speeches  increased  by  leaps  -and  bounds  on  account  of  their 
special  training,  so  that  by  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  of  1918  the  Four-Minute 
Men  were  regarded  as  a  feature  at  the  local  moving-picture  houses  and  eagerly 
welcomed  by  the  theatrical  managers.  Under  Mr.  Drinker's  persistent  efforts,  the 
personnel  of  the  Philadelphia  organization  was  increased  to  about  three  hundred 
and  fifty  speakers.  These  speakers  were  classed  according  to  their  respective 
abilities  and  used  for  the  particular  kind  of  work  for  which  they  were  best  adapted. 
A  number  of  the  men,  while  unable  to  make  a  good  four-minute  speech  on  account 
of  the  briefness  of  the  time,  were  able  to  make  splendid  speeches  of  a  half-hour's 
duration.  Some  men  were  particularly  adapted  to  speaking  at  industrial  plants, 
while  others  were  particularly  adapted  to  speaking  in  churches  and  schools.  A 
system  of  criticism  was  also  instituted  in  order  to  increase  the  efficiency  and  worth 
of  the  speakers.  The  aid  of  a  number  of  prominent  men  was  enlisted  to  hear  the 
speeches  and  to  constructively  criticise  them.  Several  men  volunteered  their 
services  as  critics  and  faithfully  attended  the  theatres  and  moving-picture  houses 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler.    Stanley  Co.   of  America. 

Girl  Scouts  Lead  Liberty  Loan  Parade. 
494 


to  which  they  were  assigned  to  listen  to  four-minute  speakers.  In  this  way  the 
faults  into  which  some  of  the  speakers  had  drifted  were  brought  to  the  attention  of 
the  speaker  and  eliminated,  and  the  entire  body  of  Four-Minute  Men  were  given 
the  view  point  of  the  audiences  by  means  of  these  critics. 

By  the  beginning  of  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan  Campaign,  every  theatre  and 
moving-picture  house  in  Philadelphia  was  enthusiastically  cooperating  with  the 
Four-Minute  Men  in  all  speaking  campaigns  which  came  under  our  direction.  A 
committee  of  leading  theatrical  managers  of  Philadelphia  was  appointed  with 
Harry  Jordan  of  Keith's  Theatre  acting  as  Chairman.  Tuesday  and  Friday  nights 
were  set  aside  as  Four-Minute  nights  at  theatres  and  moving-picture  houses,  and 
every  theatre  and  moving-picture  house  in  the  City  was  covered  each  of  these 
nights  by  four-minute  speakers  assigned  to  the  respective  theatres. 

In  addition  to  the  work  in  theatres,  the  Philadelphia  Four-Minute  Men  were 
called  upon  to  send  speakers  to  practically  every  meeting  which  was  held  in  the 
City,  for  any  purpose,  during  the  period  of  the  war.  At  times  as  many  as  two 
hundred  speakers  were  assigned  for  a  given  day. 

Immediately  prior  to  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan  Campaign,  an  educational  cam- 
paign was  carried  on  by  the  Four-Minute  Men  to  show  people  the  many  concrete 
reasons  why  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  support  the  Loan  to  the  extreme  of  their 
ability,  so  that,  by  the  time  the  campaign  opened,  the  Four-Minute  Men 
changed  their  tactics  and  began  to  actually  sell  the  bonds  in  the  theatres.  In  the 
last  week  of  the  campaign  every  theatre  and  moving-picture  house  in  the  city 
conducted  a  nightly  drive  for  bonds,  these  drives  sometimes  taking  up  thirty  to 
forty-five  minutes.  The  theatrical  managers  kept  an  eagle  eye  on  the  audience 
and  the  drive  closed  as  soon  as  the  interest  began  to  wane,  but  the  remarkable 
feature  was  that  the  audience  seemed  to  enjoy  these  drives  as  much  as  the  show 
itself.  At  the  end  of  the  first  week  of  the  Fourth  Loan  Campaign  the  public  health 
authorities  banned  all  meetings,  both  indoor  and  outdoor,  on  account  of  the 
influenza  epidemic.  Many  features  that  had  been  arranged  for  Philadelphia,  such 
as  the  concerts  of  the  Great  Lakes  Naval  Band,  mass  meetings  with  moving- 
picture  stars,  including  Mary  Pickford,  Douglas  Fairbanks,  William  S.  Hart  and 
Charlie  Chaplin,  had  to  be  omitted.  Sousa's  Great  Lakes  Naval  Band  was 
assigned  to  Philadelphia  during  the  first  week  of  the  campaign  and  contributed 
a  great  service  to  the  drive.  On  account  of  the  ban  on  meetings  and 
the  fatal  character  of  the  epidemic,  it  was  found  in  the  last  week  of  the  drive  that 
Philadelphia  was  far  behind  its  quota,  and  the  Four-Minute  Men  were  called  in  to 
devise  some  means  to  reach  the  people  in  an  appeal  for  support.  Mr.  Ludlow 
and  Mr.  Drinker  devised  and  carried  out  a  scheme  of  sending  around  the  city 
upwards  of  two  hundred  speakers,  armed  with  megaphones  and  cow-bells  who  were 
to  go  as  "town  criers."  These  "town  criers"  walked  or  drove  slowly  through 
every  street  in  the  City  during  early  and  late  evening  hours,  and  talked  to  the  people 
at  their  homes.  The  results  following  the  efforts  of  the  "  town  criers  "  were  marvelous. 
People,  knowing  through  them  that  Philadelphia  was  in  danger  of  losing  her 
prestige  of  being  first  in  all  patriotic  endeavors,  journeyed  to*  the  nearest  bank 
or  Liberty  Loan  Headquarters  and  placed  their  subscriptions,  so  that  in  a  brief 
space  of  three  or  four  days  the  entire  quota  for  Philadelphia  was  subscribed. 

The  national  emergency  being  over,  President  Wilson  ordered  the  Four- 
Minute  Men  to  demobilize  on  December  31,  1918,  and  requested  that  they  at  no 

495 


future  time  reorganize,  nor  permit  the  name  "Four-Minute  Men"  to  be  used  for 
any  purpose  other  than  governmental  assistance  in  a  national  emergency. 

There  is  not  sufficient  space  in  this  short  sketch  to  give  due  individual  credit 
to  the  great  number  of  professional  and  business  men  of  Philadelphia  who  served 
as  four-minute  speakers.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  at  the  close  of  the  year  1918  the 
Philadelphia  Four-Minute  Men  was  recognized  by  the  authorities  at  Washington 
as  the  most  complete  and  efficient  speaking  organization  in  the  United  States. 


Booth  at  West  Philadelphia  Station  in  charge  of  P.  R.  R.  Women's  Division  for  War  Relief. 


496 


THE  FEDERAL  FUEL  ADMINISTRATION 


N  August  10,  1917,  President  Wilson  approved  the  law 
passed  by  Congress,  known  as  the  Lever  Act,  which  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  power  to  deal  with  the  fuel  situation. 
Administrators  were  appointed  throughout  the  United 
States  and  the  work  in  Philadelphia  was  placed  in  charge 
of  Francis  A.  Lewis. 

General  plans,  dealing  with  the  conservation  of  fuel — 
coal,  oil,  wood  or  any  other  substance  producing  heat — 
were  formulated  and  carried  into  effect. 

First  was  the  order  for  "Heatless  Days,"  which 
directed  that  on  Mondays  of  each  week,  from  January  21  to  March  25,  1918,  all 
use  of  fuel,  except  by  consumers  classed  as  absolutely  necessary,  was  prohibited. 
This  order  was  revoked  after  the  observance  of  the  third  Monday,  except  in  New 
England,  where  four  "Heatless  Days"  were  observed. 

The  voluntary  obedience  of  motorists  to  the  Fuel  Administrator's  request  to 
conserve  gasoline  on  Sundays,  in  the  summer  of  1918,  is  one  of  the  most  outstand- 
ing contributions  by  patriotic  Americans  in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia  to  the 
psychology  of  patriotic  suggestion. 

In  Philadelphia  a  Skip  Stop  system  was  adopted  as  a  war  measure  by  the 
Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Company. 

It  was  ordered  by  the  Fuel  Administration  that  from  June  1,  1918  to  May 
21,  1919,  no  fuel  of  any  kind  could  be  used  on  a  private  yacht  for  any  purpose 
save  galley  fuel. 

In  order  to  save  coal  in  office  buildings,  no  passengers  were  carried  on  elevators, 
during  a  certain  period,  from  any  one  floor  to  the  floor  immediately  above  or 
below. 

"Lightless  Nights"  were  inaugurated  by  the  Fuel  Administration,  November 
15,  1917,  for  the  purpose  of  conserving  the  fuel  supply  of  the  nation.  On  December 
14,  lightless  nights  were  restricted  to  Sundays  and  Thursdays.  On  April  22,  1918, 
this  order  was  temporarily  suspended.  On  July  20,  1918,  a  new  order  was  issued, 
effective  July  24,  which  stipulated  that  the  use  of  light  produced  by  the  use  of 
coal,  gas,  oil  or  other  fuel  for  illuminating  or  displaying  advertisements,  announce- 
ments or  signs,  or  for  the  external  ornamentation  of  any  building  would  be  dis- 
continued entirely  on  Monday,  Tuesday,  Wednesday  and  Thursday  of  each 
week  within  New  England  and  the  states  of  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey, 
Delaware,  Maryland  and  the  District  of  Columbia;  and,  on  Monday,  and  Tuesday 
of  each  week  in  all  the  remainder  of  the  United  States.  The  order  excepted 
bona-fide  roof  gardens  and  outdoor  restaurants  and  outdoor  moving-picture 
theatres.  The  use  of  light  for  illumination  for  display  in  shop  windows,  store 
windows,  or  in  signs  in  show  windows  was  discontinued  from  sunrise  to  sunset, 
and  discontinued  entirely  on  the  "lightless  nights"  designated  by  the  order. 

Street  illumination  in  all  cities  was  restricted  to  the  hours  between  sunset 
and  sunrise,  and  the  amount  of  public  lighting  in  any  city  reduced  to  that  necessary 

497 


for  safety.  The  order  charged  local  Fuel  Administration  officials  with  the  duty 
of  arranging  with  municipal  authorities  for  the  regulation  of  public  lighting,  in 
accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  order. 

Mr.  Lewis,  as  local  Administrator,  organized  three  Bureaus  in  Philadelphia. 

The  Bureau  of  Distribution,  under  Harry  P.  Sheldon,  helped  to  solve  the  prob- 
lems of  dealers  who  found  it  difficult  to  secure  coal  and  of  householders,  and  others, 
who  had  little  or  no  coal  on  hand. 

"The  determination  of  a  proper  allotment  to  buildings,  such  as  churches, 
theatres,  office  buildings,  etc.,  was  referred  to  the  Conservation  Division,  where  it 
was  acted  upon  by  a  Committee  of  Fuel  Engineers  and  others  thoroughly  conversant 
with  heating  apparatus  and  heating  problems.  The  intention  was  to  apportion 
to  each  building,  and  particularly  to  each  dwelling,  a  sufficient  amount  of  coal  for 
its  usual  requirements  to  maintain  a  temperature  of  sixty-eight  degrees  and  to 
provide  necessary  coal  for  cooking  and  other  domestic  uses.  During  the  period 
of  March  21,  1918  to  February  1,  1919,  when  this  Bureau  was  discontinued, 
800,000  orders  for  coal,  for  more  than  338,000  buildings  within  the  limits  of  the 
city,  were  passed  upon." 

The  Bureau  of  Housing,  of  which  David  Wallerstein  was  Counsel,  and 
Thomas  M.  Hyndman,  Associate  Counsel,  was  established  in  June,  1918,  and  up 
to  December  31,  1918,  handled  1,123  recorded  cases  of  what  was  popularly  known 
as  "rent  profiteering."  Because  of  war-time  conditions,  rents  were  almost  every- 
where raised,  houses,  usually  for  rent,  were  taken  off  the  market  and  held  for  sale 
only — at  greatly  increased  prices — and  old  tenants  were  ordered  to  vacate  in 
order  that  higher  rates  might  be  put  into  effect,  or  the  house  held  for  sale.  In 
some  cases  justifiable  increases  were  made  but  the  Bureau  was  able  to  prevent 
much  injustice.  The  activities  of  the  Bureau  were  so  well  known  by  the  general 
public,  that  a  large  number  of  cases  were  settled  among  the  persons  involved  with- 
out appeal  to  the  Bureau  for  aid. 

The  Bureau  received  active  cooperation  from  the  Philadelphia  Real  Estate 
Board  of  which  Hibbard  B.  Worrell  was  President,  from  John  Ihlder,  Secretary 
of  the  Philadelphia  Housing  Association  and  from  many  other  similar  organiza- 
tions. 

The  Bureau  of  Retail  Distrirution,  was  in  charge  of  Horace  H.  Fritz, 
who  organized  this  department  in  August,  1918.  The  purpose  of  this  Bureau 
"was  to  exercise  a  general  supervision  over  all  who  sold  coal  in  quantities  below 
quarter-ton  lots  and  these  distributors  represented  three  distinct  classes:  peddlers, 
store-keepers  and  baggers." 

In  September,  1918,  the  heads  of  the  various  Bureaus  of  Weights  and  Measures, 
in  Pennsylvania,  met  and  decided  that  all  dry  products,  should  be  sold  by  weight 
only.  A  brief  experiment  proved  this  impracticable  in  regard  to  coal  and  a  ten- 
quart,  galvanized  iron  bucket  was  adopted  as  a  standard  unit  of  measure.  These 
buckets  held  a  mathematical  quarter  bushel  of  coal. 

The  City  was  divided  into  eight  districts,  which  aided  the  inspectors  to  carry 
out  the  various  regulations. 

The  Bureau  formulated  the  simplest  plans  of  operation,  issued  placards 
giving  general  information  and  inserted  a  number  of  advertisements  of  its  work 
in  the  English,  Yiddish  and  Italian  newspapers  of  the  city.  After  November  1, 
1918,  and  until  the  closing  of  the  Bureau,  licenses — issued  free — were  required 

498 


of  all  peddlers,  store-keepers  and  baggers.  Thus  a  check  was  had  on  those  dealing 
in  these  capacities.  Licensees  were  given  posters  which  were  ordered  placed  on 
each  side  of  a  cart  or  wagon.  Prices  were  fixed  which  allowed  a  reasonable  profit 
to  the  vendor.  A  charge  of  sixteen  cents  was  permitted  for  a  ten-quart  bucket 
of  nut  coal  or  thirty-one  cents  for  two  buckets.  The  cost  of  pea  coal  was  fixed 
at  fourteen  cents  for  one  bucket  or  twenty-seven  cents  for  two  buckets. 

Thirteen  hundred  and  thirty-one  licenses  were  issued  to  store-keepers  and 
359  to  peddlers.  Only  five  licenses  were  revoked  and  but  nine  violators  of  reg 
ulations  fined,  a  total  of  less  than  one  per  cent  of  the  entire  number  of  licenses. 

The  Federal  Fuel  Administration  rendered  an  important  service  at  a  time 
when  the  general  public  was  willing  to  cooperate  in  every  plan  to  win  the  war 
but  when  some  suggestion  and  supervision  were  needed. 

THE  FEDERAL  FOOD  ADMINISTRATION  FOR  PENNSYLVANIA 

The  Federal  Food  Administration  for  Pennsylvania,  of  which  Howard  Heinz 
was  Administrator  and  J.  S.  Crutchfield,  Vice  Administrator,  began  its  work  in 
August,  1917,  and  closed  on  February  15,  1919.  The  Executive  Secretary  was 
Harry  C.  Hall.  It  was  created  under  Act  of  Congress,  August  10,  1917,  although, 
in  Pennsylvania,  a  somewhat  similar  work  had  been  started  under  the  Committee 
of  Public  Safety,  appointed  by  the  Governor,  in  March,  1917. 

Headquarters  were  established  in  the  Finance  Building  and  Jay  Cooke  was 
appointed  Administrator  for  Philadelphia,  and  a  member  of  the  Executive  Council. 


Courtesy  of  Frank   W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co. 


of    America. 

Signing  Up  for  Sugar. 
499 


The  following  Divisions  were  created,  the  chiefs  of  which,  as  well  as  members, 
were  largely  drawn  from  this  city. 

Law  and  Enforcement — Chief  Counsel,  Charles  J.  Hepburn.  Associates:  Stacy  B.  Lloyd, 
John  A.  Nauman,  Reynolds  D.  Brown,  F.  Markoe  Rivinus,  Ralph  C.  Stewart,  William  Barclay 
Lex,  Henry  Pepper  Norris. 

Distribution  and  Markets — Chief,  J.  S.  Crutcbfield.  Associates:  R.  P.  Smith,  Joseph 
P.  Brown,  E.  H.  Bellis,  A.  B.  Ross. 

Conservation — Chief,  Thomas  Shallcross,  Jr.,  succeeded  by  Thomas  R.  Elcock,  Jr. 

County  Administrator — Chief,  Harry  H.  Willock. 

County  Inspector — Chief,  Houston  Dunn. 

Press  News — Director,  Col.  George  Nox  McCain.  News  Editor,  H.  M.  Eaton,  succeeded 
by  S.  L.  Laciar. 

Education — Director,  Montgomery  H.  Wright.  Associates :  L.  W.  Wheelock,  Miss  Florence 
Hulings,  E.  J.  Nocton. 

Hotels,  Eating  Houses  and  Clubs— Chairman:  J.  Miller  Frazier. 

Women's  Division — Chief,  Mrs.  Charles  M.  Lea. 

Licenses,  Reports  and  Office  Management — Chief,  W.  C.  MacBride,  succeeded  by  J.  A 
Finley.     Chief  Clerk,  Martha  L.  Poulton. 

Bakeries— Chief,  Fred  C.  Haller. 

Farmers'  Interests — C.  J.  Tyson  and  M.  L.  Philips. 

Grain  Threshing — Representative,  Charles  Garber. 

Dairy  Interests — Milk  Commissioner,  Dr.  Clyde  L.  King;  Dairy  Husbandry,  Prof.  Fred. 
Rasmussen. 

Auditing — Chief,  Herbert  G.  Stockwell. 

Sugar  Distribution — Secretary,  J.  E.  Bacon. 

Price  Interpretation — Chief,  A.  F.  Geling,  succeeded  by  J.  H.  Beerits. 

Commercial  Economy — Director,  E.  Lawrence  Fell. 

Extension  Department — County  Farm  Agents — Prof.  M.  S.  McDowell. 

State  Sabbath  Schools — Representative,  W.  G.  Landes. 

Coordinated  Educational  Activities — Director,  Dr.  William  McClellan. 

Home  Economics — Pearl  MacDonald. 

U.  S.  EMPLOYMENT  SERVICE,  DEPARTMENT  OF  LABOR 

Although  no  report  of  the  general  activities  of  the  U.  S.  Employment  Service, 
in  Pennsylvania,  has  been  prepared,  the  following  brief  statement  is  given  in  order 
that  mention  may  be  made  of  this  Federal  agency. 

The  administrative  unit  of  the  Employment  Service  was  the  State.  In  Penn- 
sylvania, E.  C.  Felton  was  appointed  Federal  Director  and  offices  were  opened  in 
the  Finance  Building  on  August  1,  1918.  Mr.  Felton  was  succeeded  on  December 
1,  1918,  by  Charles  K.  Stokes,  who  continued  in  charge  of  the  Service,  as  State 
Director,  until  March  22,  1919,  when  the  office  was  closed. 

During  the  less  than  eight  months  that  the  Employment  Service  functioned, 
360,000  men  and  women  were  placed  in  positions. 

WOMEN'S  DIVISION 

Eugenie  Oelhaf 

Prior  to  1914  very  little  had  been  done  to  find  work  for  unemployed  women 
in  Philadelphia,  except  through  private  agencies.  In  the  latter  part  of  1914,  how- 
ever, when  immigration  from  foreign  ports  had  almost  ceased,  and  many  men  and 
women  were  out  of  work  in  this  country,  Secretary  Wilson  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  Labor,  directed  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration  to 

500 


instruct  the  commissioners  of  immigration  at  the  various  ports  of  entry  in  this 
country,  to  open  employment  offices  and  assign  certain  employees  of  the  Bureau 
of  Immigration  to  that  work. 

On  February  17,  1915,  Commissioner  Elmer  E.  Greenawalt  and  Assistant 
Commissioner  James  L.  Hughes  opened  an  employment  office  at  135  South  2d 
Street,  with  Henry  A.  Gehringer  in  charge  of  the  Men's  Division  and  Mrs.  E.  G. 
Oelhaf  in  charge  of  the  Women's  Division.  There  was  no  special  appropriation  by 
Congress  for  this  work,  so  in  one  small  office  with  very  meager  equipment,  the 
United  States  Employment  Service  was  launched. 

The  service  was  free,  no  charge  to  employers  or  employees,  and  circular  letters 
were  sent  to  all  employers  throughout  the  city,  advising  them  of  the  new  service,  and 
then  the  advertising  columns  of  the  newspapers  were  scanned  for  work  and 
workers. 

The  women's  division  grew  slowly,  for  the  textile  mills  usually  employ  those 
residing  in  the  immediate  neighborhood,  a  board  hung  out  on  the  building  with 
the  words  "weavers  wanted"  or  "spoolers  wanted,"  etc.,  being  usually  sufficient 
to  meet  their  needs.  There  were  many  applications  from  clerks,  stenographers  and 
office  workers  and  we  were  very  successful  in  placing  them;  also  domestics,  both 
white  and  colored.  So  we  plodded  on  until  April,  1918,  when  war  was  declared 
and  our  big  job  was  on. 

Congress  appropriated  a  large  sum  out  of  the  war  budget  for  the  Employ- 
ment Service  and  President  Wilson  added  still  another  sum  for  the  furtherance  of 
the  work.  James  L.  Hughes  was  appointed  assistant  to  the  Director  General 
for  this  district,  including  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  southern  part,  and  Delaware. 
Mrs.  Ethel  S.  Slater  was  sent  up  from  Washington  to  assist  Mrs.  Oelhaf  and  to 
establish  a  school  for  training  workers  in  the  new  service.  Advertisements  were 
inserted  in  the  newspapers  and  Mrs.  Slater  selected  for  training  a  very  fine  group 
of  women,  many  of  whom  were  afterwards  assigned  to  special  work  in  our  central 
office  in  Philadelphia  and  some  of  them  were  put  in  charge  of  the  local  offices 
opened  in  various  districts  of  the  city. 

When  the  first  call  for  needle-women  to  make  shirts  for  the  Army  came  from 
the  Schuylkill  Arsenal  in  April,  a  prompt  response  was  made  by  the  women  of 
Philadelphia.  This  work  was  to  be  done  at  home  and  that  appealed  to  the  mothers 
whose  sons  would  enlist,  and  also  to  those  women  who  wished  to  help  voluntarily, 
but  were  unable  to  do  so.  Nearly  all  those  who  applied  first,  told  us  that  they 
took  pride  and  interest  in  the  work  because  their  fathers,  grandfathers  and  great 
grandfathers  had  fought  in  the  wars  of  the  United  States. 

The  central  office,  women's  division,  was  located  at  134  S.  3d  Street,  where 
many  women  were  registered  and  through  the  courtesy  of  the  Emergency  Aid, 
its  offices  at  1428  Walnut  Street  were  thrown  open  and  large  numbers  registered 
there. 

In  May  and  June  teachers  from  public  and  private  schools,  graduates  and 
undergraduates  from  the  colleges  nearby  came,  and  with  splendid  spirit  took  jobs 
in  the  National  Biscuit  Company,  the  candy  factories,  wrapping  chocolate,  and 
large  groups  went  to  Carney's  Point,  N.  J.,  to  make  smokeless  powder  in  one 
of  the  DuPont  plants.  Other  girls  and  women  from  the  towns  nearby  were  sent 
to  the  Bethlehem  Loading  plant  below  Wilmington,  Del.;  to  the  bag  loading 
plant  at  Woodbury,  N.  J.;  many  clerks  and  stenographers  were  directed  to  the 

501 


Shipping  Board  of  the  Emergency  Fleet;  to  the  bag  loading  plant  at  Amatol, 
N.  J.,  and  to  numberless  other  plants  that  had  Government  contracts. 

The  situation  in  Philadelphia  was  the  same  as  it  was  in  Reading,  Allentown, 
Easton  and  other  points  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State,  also  in  the  Pittsburgh 
district  from  Erie  on  the  north  to  Washington,  Pa.,  on  the  south,  so  that  each  city 
and  town  had  a  sufficient  number  of  women  for  its  needs  in  the  factories  and 
plants  that  had  taken  Government  contracts.  At  the  Frankford  Arsenal,  where 
the  making  of  munitions  was  greatly  increased,  several  large  buildings  were  erected 
temporarily  to  accommodate  the  large  number  of  women  workers,  the  latter 
recruited  from  Philadelphia  and  surrounding  towns.  Schuylkill  Arsenal  did  the 
same,  so  that  at  no  time  during  the  period  was  the  transportation  of  women 
workers  from  one  county  to  another  necessary. 

To  register  and  place  women  applicants  for  war  work,  however,  required  a 
greatly  increased  force  of  paid  workers,  so  from  an  office  force  of  two  women  we 
grew  to  the  number  of  sixty-one  in  the  main  and  local  offices  throughout  the  city. 
The  main  office  of  the  United  States  Employment  Service,  Women's  Division,  was 
located  at  1311-1313  Arch  Street.  This  was  headquarters  of  the  state  staff,  of 
the  training  school  for  workers,  and  was  the  principal  point  for  registration  of 
women  workers. 

The  state  staff  included:  Eugenie  G.  Oelhaf,  Emily  Leonhardt,  Elizabeth 
Davies,  Beatrice  Millhouser,  Marie  R.  Haughey,  Grace  E.  Keenan,  Anna  L.  Kerwin, 
Jessie  L.  Peters,  Mary  A.  Brosnahan,  Margaret  Durr,  Irene  Greenawalt,  Elizabeth 
Falotico,  M.  Batignani,  Marion  Sindler,  Edith  Jelden,  L.  C.  Vandegrift,  Ethel  S. 
Slater. 

Many  women  registered  at  the  local  offices,  but  the  heaviest  registration 
was  made  at  the  central  office,  1311-1313  Arch  Street,  reaching  its  peak  with 
1,008  applicants  on  September  9,  1918. 

We  had  a  large  corps  of  recruiters,  who,  in  booths  at  Willow  Grove,  in  the 
Fair  Grounds  at  Trenton  and  elsewhere,  by  speeches  and  literature,  advised  women 
of  the  need  of  their  country  for  them,  and  of  the  United  States  Employment  Ser- 
vice, which  could  place  them  in  immediate  touch  with  all  kinds  of  war  work.  One 
of  our  recruiters,  Mrs.  Roberta  K.  Tubman,  was  particularly  successful  in  per- 
suading women  not  only  to  do  war  work  of  any  kind,  but  also  to  stay  on  their 
jobs,    when    nearby  munitions  plants   beckoned  them  with  the  lure  of  higher 

pay. 

We  made  a  complete  survey  of  the  woman  labor  of  the  State  by  November 
1st,  and  were  preparing  to  use  the  information  thus  obtained  to  improve  the  ser- 
vice, when,  on  November  11th,  the  armistice  was  signed.  Immediately  after- 
wards, when  the  need  for  women  and  girls  in  the  arsenals,  the  Navy  Yard  and  the 
large  munitions  plants  was  over,  we  obtained  information  as  to  the  time  of  the 
lay-offs,  and  sent  some  of  our  best  examiners  to  these  plants,  to  sit  in  with  the 
employment  managers,  and  as  the  girls  were  dismissed,  to  direct  them  to  other 
places  where  work  was  still  to  be  found. 

Our  workers  were  also  sent  to  Allentown,  Easton,  Reading,  Wilkes-Barre  and 
Scranton  in  an  endeavor  to  show  the  women  of  these  cities  the  value  the  Employ- 
ment Service  would  be  to  them  in  the  future.  They  spoke  before  clubs,  churches, 
and  in  special  meetings  and  much  enthusiasm  was  aroused.  The  need  of  the 
service  as  a  place  of  registry  for  trained  nurses  was  especially  stressed,  when  it  was 

502 


discovered  that  in  a  town  of  60,000  inhabitants,  one  druggist  would  call  up  a 
nurse  when  he  heard  of  a  case  and  charge  her  $1  for  it! 

The  women's  division  had  been,  up  to  this  time,  under  the  special  direction 
of  James  L.  Hughes,  who,  in  December,  was  assigned  to  the  Conciliation 
Bureau  of  the  Department  of  Labor  by  Secretary  Wilson,  and  E.  C.  Felton, 
Federal  Director  of  the  United  States  Employment  Service  for  Pennsylvania  took 
charge  of  the  women's  division.  In  January,  1919,  he  appointed  Miss  Juliet 
Stackhouse  Assistant  to  the  Federal  Director  of  Pennsylvania  for  women's  work. 
Instructions  from  Washington  were  being  received  to  reduce  the  force  and  curtail 
expenses,  and  it  was  seen  in  February  that  Congress  would  not  appropriate  any 
money  for  the  continuation  of  the  Employment  Service,  although  the  women's 
division  had  many  splendid  letters  of  commendation  on  their  work  during  the 
war  time  by  firms  to  whom  we  had  supplied  workers. 

Acting  under  orders  from  J.  B.  Densmore,  Director  General  of  the  United 
States  Employment  Service,  Miss  Stackhouse  obtained  funds  from  the  National 
War  Work  Council  of  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association  and  from  one 
of  the  clubs  of  Philadelphia  to  continue  the  service  for  a  few  months  longer.  In 
November,  1919,  the  whole  service  ceased  to  exist,  with  the  exception  of  a  small 
office  force  in  Washington,  D.  C. 

We  had  not  only  a  corps  of  very  efficient  paid  workers,  but  during  the  "rush" 
period  of  the  war,  we  had  also  many  able  volunteer  workers,  among  whom  may  be 
mentioned  Miss  Edith  T.  Fisher  and  Miss  Alice  Iungerich,  who  registered  women 
applicants.  We  were  also  aided  in  reaching  factories  and  plants  in  remote  places 
in  the  suburbs  by  the  Motor  Messenger  Service  of  the  Emergency  Aid,  occasion- 
ally, and  by  the  use  every  week  during  the  whole  period  of  the  war  of  the  cars  of 
Mrs.  Franklin  Spencer  Edmonds  and  Mrs.  Frederick  M.  Shepard,  who  drove  their 
own  cars,  and  aided  us  very  greatly  in  reaching  the  mills  of  Frankford,  Torresdale, 
Manyunk,  Falls  of  Schuylkill,  Darby,  etc. 

The  social  welfare  of  the  women  workers  in  the  arsenals  was  well  taken  care 
of  by  a  bureau  of  trained  workers  in  the  War  Department,  sponsored  by  Secretary 
Baker.  In  the  DuPont  plants,  where  thousands  of  women  were  employed,  dormi- 
tories, dining  halls  and  recreation  rooms  were  built  for  the  comfort  and  enter- 
tainment of  the  girls.  In  our  plants  in  Philadelphia,  especially  those  employing 
large  numbers  of  women  and  girls,  an  employment  manager  and  welfare  worker 
seems  to  be  an  absolute  necessity.  The  war  emphasized  the  need  of  such  an  official 
and,  since  its  close,  several  of  the  women  workers  of  the  Philadelphia  branch  of 
the  United  States  Employment  Service  have  been  offered  such  positions  and  have 
accepted  them. 

True  to  its  tradition  and  history,  Philadelphia  gave  a  splendid  report  of  itself 
in  its  women  workers,  and  the  part  they  played  in  the  great  World  War.  Whether 
in  the  ether-laden  atmosphere  of  the  smokeless  powder  room;  in  the  dangerous 
priming  of  the  huge  shells  in  the  arsenal;  in  the  hot  rooms  of  the  Biscuit  Company 
packing  cakes;  by  the  close  application  of  eye  and  fingers  to  the  assembling  of  the 
delicate  electric  instruments;  or,  in  the  unaccustomed  work  of  electric  welding, 
all  acquitted  themselves  splendidly. 

Out  of  approximately  150,000  applicants  from  April  to  November  in  the 
Philadelphia    offices,    probably  60    per  cent    of   whom  were  placed,    very   few 

503 


returned  to  find  any  fault,  and  then  it  was  usually  because  the  spirit  was  willing,  but 
the  body  not  strong  enough.  The  spirit  was  that  of  true  Americanism  everywhere, 
a  fine  willingness  to  "tackle  the  job  and  put  it  across"  to  the  best  of  her  ability. 

FEDERAL  RAILROAD  ADMINISTRATION 
E.  J.  Cleave 

The  need  for  the  utmost  utilization  of  railroad  facilities  to  handle  the  extraor- 
dinary traffic  imposed  by  war  conditions  was  especially  applicable  to  terminals  at 
large  cities.  Recause  of  the  high  value  of  property,  and  other  difficulties,  terminal 
facilities  generally  have  not  expanded  in  the  same  proportion  as  other  railroad 
facilities,  with  the  result  that  the  capacities  of  our  railroads  are  in  many  cases 
limited  by  inadequate  terminals. 

Under  date  of  December  26,  1917,  President  Woodrow  Wilson  issued  his 
famous  proclamation,  taking  possession  and  assuming  control  December  28,  1917, 
of  every  system  of  transportation  within  the  boundaries  of  the  United  States, 
and  appointing  William  G.  McAdoo  as  Director-General  of  Railroads. 

The  railroads  of  the  United  States  were  first  divided  into  three  regions,  but 
this  was  later  changed,  and  five  regions  created.  On  June  1,  1918,  C.  H.  Markham, 
formerly  president  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  was  appointed  Regional  Director 
of  the  Allegheny  region,  with  headquarters  at  Rroad  Street  Station,  Philadelphia. 
The  railroads  serving  Philadelphia  were  included  in  this  region. 

Philadelphia  was  no  exception  to  the  general  rule,  with  respect  to  inadequacy 
of  terminal  faculties.  With  its  important  export  trade  in  provisions,  munitions 
of  war,  coal,  grain,  etc.,  together  with  the  need  of  adequately  supplying  the  ex- 
tensive manufacturing  district,  the  necessity  of  coordinating  existing  facilities  was 
recognized,  and  on  September  1,  1918,  Ernest  J.  Cleave,  formerly  superintendent 
of  the  Philadelphia  Terminal  Division  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  was  appointed 
Terminal  Manager,  with  headquarters  in  the  Reading  Terminal  Ruilding,  and 
in  charge  of  all  railroad  facilities  within  the  enlarged  terminal  limits,  including 
the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railway,  Baltimore  &  Ohio 
Railroad,  and  Philadelphia  Belt  Line  Railroad.  J.  M.  Jones,  formerly  assistant 
superintendent  of  the  Philadelphia  Terminal  Division  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad, 
was  appointed  Assistant  to  the  Terminal  Manager.  Robert  E.  Nace,  formerly 
agent  at  Mantua  Transfer  Station,  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  was  made  Freight 
Supervisor  in  the  new  organization,  and  J.  A.  Wickenhaver  was  appointed  Chief  Clerk. 

The  duties  of  the  terminal  manager  were  administrative  rather  than  super- 
visory. His  chief  function  was  to  weld  the  terminal  facilities  of  all  the  railroads 
involved  into  a  unit,  and  to  see  that  each  facility  was  so  used  as  to  most  benefit 
the  whole. 

Weekly  meetings  were  held  by  the  terminal  manager  with  local  operating 
officials  of  the  different  railroads,  including  the  following: 

A.  M.  Parker,  Superintendent,  Philadelphia  Terminal  Division,  Pennsylvania  Railroad. 

A.  H.  Mars,  Freight  Train  Master,  Philadelphia  Terminal  Division,  Pennsylvania  Railroad. 

C.  H.  McCracken,  Supervising  Agent,  Philadelphia  Terminal  Division,  Pennsylvania  Railroad. 

J.  C.  Peters,  Superintendent,  Philadelphia  Division,  Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railway. 

A.  T.  Owen,  Supervising  Agent,  Philadelphia  Division,  Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railway. 

R.  R.  White,  Superintendent,  Philadelphia  Division,  Raltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad. 

J.  D.  Gallery,  Train  Master,  Philadelphia  Division,  Raltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad. 

504 


Numerous  other  officers  of  the  respective  railroads  occasionally  attended 
these  conferences.  P.  H.  Hannum,  assistant  freight  train  master  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad,  in  charge  of  their  export  traffic,  and  O.  H.  Hegeman,  who  had 
charge  of  floating  equipment  and  Port  Richmond  operations  of  the  Philadelphia 
&  Reading  Railway,  were  particularly  in  touch  with  the  terminal  manager's 
organization,  and  were  especially  helpful. 

These  meetings  provided  opportunity  to  consider  and  give  such  relief  from  one 
railroad  to  another  as  was  found  practicable.  They  furnished  a  medium  for  dis- 
cussing matters  of  general  interest,  and  aided  in  disseminating  information  as  to 
advantageous  practices  on  one  road,  which  could  profitably  be  adopted  on  another. 
They  also  brought  the  local  operating  people  of  all  the  railroads  into  close  harmony. 

Meetings  were  held  by  the  Terminal  Manager  at  frequent  intervals  with 
the  Philadelphia  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Regional  Committee  of  the  National 
Industrial  Traffic  League,  Commercial  Traffic  Managers,  Team  Owners'  Asso- 
ciation, etc.,  as  questions  arose  interesting  patrons  of  the  railroads  in  Philadelphia. 
No  action  was  taken  during  this  time,  affecting  the  interest  of  the  city,  without 
the  full  support  of  these  bodies  thus  obtained. 

Daily  detailed  reports  were  maintained  in  the  office  of  the  Terminal  Manager, 
showing  the  traffic  conditions  at  each  point  within  the  terminal,  and  these,  together 
with  daily  inspections  made  of  all  yards,  piers,  stations,  engine  houses,  etc.,  placed 
the  terminal  manager  in  position  to  divert  traffic  from  congested  points  on  one 
road  to  convenient  stations  or  piers  on  another,  which  were  able  to  expeditiously 
handle  the  business,  and  also  to  place  at  the  service  of  one  road  needing  the  same 
such  facilities  as  were  available  on  other  roads. 

In  addition  to  the  benefits  thus  obtained,  substantial  savings  were  effected  by 
consolidating  duplicate  facilities. 

Export 

With  the  prevailing  shortage  of  vessels  and  railroad  equipment,  it  was  of 
prime  importance  to  have  proper  cargoes  available  at  piers  when  steamships 
arrived,  and  at  the  same  time  avoid  undue  delay  to  cars.  As  the  terminal  facilities 
were  limited,  this  subject  necessarily  received  most  careful  attention.  Close 
cooperation  was  maintained  with  steamship  agencies,  representatives  of  Allied 
governments,  and  United  States  Army  and  Navy  officers,  which,  together  with 
close  supervision,  occasional  exercise  of  embargoes,  and  storage  of  inactive  freight, 
made  it  possible  always  to  have  desired  freight  available,  and  prevented  undue 
accumulation  and  consequent  delay  to  cars. 

Free  usage  of  joint  facilities  was  of  marked  advantage  in  handling  export 
freight.  Among  the  many  coordinate  activities,  special  benefits  were  obtained 
by  the  movement  of  freight  between  Pennsylvania  and  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
Piers  via  Philadelphia  Belt  Line  and  River  Front  Railroad  in  lieu  of  the  former 
method  of  lighterage ;  and  also  by  the  utilization  of  Pennsylvania  Railroad  ground 
storage  facilities  for  Philadelphia  &  Reading  inactive  freight,  and  Philadelphia  & 
Reading  pier  space  for  Pennsylvania  Railroad  freight. 

Grain 

On  account  of  the  two  grain  elevators,  one  located  at  Port  Richmond,  on  the 
Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railway,  and  one  at  Girard  Point,  on  the   Pennsylvania 

505 


Railroad,  the  volume  of  grain  moved  through  the  port  of  Philadelphia  for  export 
was  very  heavy.  Night  shifts  were  arranged  at  both  Port  Richmond  and  Girard 
Point  when  justified.  Close  cooperation  with  the  Grain  Corporation  of  the  United 
States  Food  Administration  insured  advance  information  of  the  arrival  of  vessels, 
making  it  possible  to  assist  the  situation  by  holding  grain  out  on  the  lines  at  times, 
other  times  expediting  its  movement  to  the  port.  Incoming  vessels  were  in  some 
cases  relieved  of  sand  ballast  by  the  railroad  people,  who  made  good  use  of  the 
same  in  connection  with  their  South  Philadelphia  improvements,  and  made  the  ves- 
sels more  quickly  available  for  their  cargoes.  Vessels  were  also  occasionally  trans- 
ferred from  one  elevator  to  another,  thus  providing  greater  elasticity  of  service. 
At  no  time  was  the  operation  of  the  elevators  or  railroad  facilities  inadequate  to 
meet  the  prompt  disposal  of  grain  to  vessels. 

General 

Large  bodies  of  troops  were  constantly  moving  through  the  district,  and  passen- 
ger business  was  heavy  at  all  times,  due  to  the  abnormal  stimulation  of  business 
activities,  troop  movements  to  and  from  camps,  etc.  Coal,  grain,  foodstuffs, 
shells,  trucks  and  all  kinds  of  munitions  of  war  moved  through  as  fast  as  vessel 
capacity  was  provided.  There  were  no  serious  wrecks  or  accidents  within  the 
district,  nor  any  labor  troubles  of  consequence,  with  the  exception  of  temporary 
shortage  of  men.  Priority  was  given  to  war  traffic,  which  was  properly  accepted  by 
local  business  interests,  and  with  reasonable  allowance,  therefore,  the  domestic 
demands  were  satisfactorily  met. 

Unstinted  effort  on  the  part  of  railroad  employes  generally,  efficient  super- 
vision, and  splendid  cooperation  of  all  hands  enabled  Philadelphia  to  meet  the 
extraordinary  war  demands. 

THE  BALTIMORE  &  OHIO  RAILROAD  COMPANY 
By  J.  E.  Teal,  Special  Engineer 

By  reason  of  the  territory  traversed  by  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  it  was  eminently 
capable  of  serving  the  country  throughout  the  period  of  the  World  War. 

It  handled  coal  from  the  great  coal  fields  of  West  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania 
to  tidewater,  for  transport  overseas  or  to  the  many  hundreds  of  industries  located 
in  the  Pittsburgh  district  and  east,  at  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia,  where  thousands 
of  tons  of  war  materials  and  supplies  were  being  turned  out  daily. 

It  served  as  one  of  the  great  east  and  west  trunk  lines  in  conveying  troops  to 
points  of  embarkation.  Two  of  the  largest  cantonments  in  the  United  States 
were  located  on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio,  Camp  Meade,  Maryland  and  Camp  Sherman, 
Ohio,  where  as  many  as  100,000  young  men  were  in  training  at  one  time  for  service 
overseas.  A  number  of  other  smaller  camps  were  located  near  the  Baltimore 
&  Ohio  lines  in  the  vicinity  of  Baltimore,  Washington,  and  at  other  points, 
such  as  Camp  Grant,  in  Illinois,  etc. 

The  Baltimore  &  Ohio  lines  served  the  great  steel  industries  in  the  Pittsburgh 
district,  as  well  as  the  valley  districts  in  northern  Ohio.  It  transported  millions 
of  tons  of  iron  ore  from  the  lake  ports,  Fairport,  Cleveland,  Lorain  and  Toledo, 
to  the  furnace  districts  in  southern  Ohio,  Kentucky  and  Virginia,  as  well  as  the 
above-mentioned  districts. 

506 


Finished  war  products  were  hurried  to  seaboard,  and  other  manufactured 
products  were  taken  to  points  where  they  were  assembled  or  required  in  other  war 
industry  activities. 

Many  industries  located  in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia  met  the  great  emergency 
brought  on  by  the  World  War,  and  were  turning  out  thousands  of  tons  of  war 
materials  and  munitions  long  before  the  United  States  Government  entered  the 
conflict. 

The  record  made  by  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  in  handling  troops  in  and  out  of 
Philadelphia  is  an  enviable  one.  During  the  period  of  the  war,  from  July, 
1917,  to  November,  1918,  a  total  of  1,846  troop  trains,  consisting  of  23,147  cars, 
and  carrying  745,203  soldiers  and  sailors,  were  handled  without  a  mishap. 

To  bear  this  burden  of  humanity  safely  and  expeditiously  through  the  Philadel- 
phia Terminals,  it  was  necessary  to  have  a  well  regulated  and  efficient  working 
force.  Unless  this  force  had  been  trained  and  made  competent  to  tackle  any 
problem,  no  matter  how  large,  the  wheels  would  have  become  clogged  when  the 
extraordinary  pressure  was  brought  to  bear. 

The  movement  of  troops  began  in  July,  1917,  when  thirteen  trains,  carry- 
ing 3,237  men,  passed  through  the  Philadelphia  Terminals.  There  was  no 
confusion  among  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  officers,  as  the  extra  trains  were  handled, 
and  it  was  realized  that  there  would  be  an  increase,  which  came  like  an  avalanche 
until  it  reached  the  peak  in  September,  1918,  when  272  troop  trains  passed  through 
Philadelphia  carrying  a  total  of  120,284  men  on  their  way  to  ports  of  embarkation. 

Practically  the  first  of  the  troop  movements  from  Philadelphia  was  the  hand- 
ling of  the  regiment  of  the  27th  Pennsylvanians,  who  were  moved  from  Philadelphia 
to  Camp  Hancock,  over  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio. 

Facilities  were  provided  and  cooperation  extended  to  the  Red  Cross  workers 
who  met  all  trains  with  sandwiches,  refreshments,  tobacco  and  other  articles  of 
the  like  for  the  soldier  boys. 

Conditions  were  somewhat  complicated  by  the  great  movement  of  drafted 
men  from  East  Pennsylvania  and  Philadelphia  to  the  Maryland  camps,  but  so 
smoothly  did  the  wheels  move  that  not  an  accident  occurred.  The  greater  part  of 
this  movement  was  handled  over  a  two-track  railroad,  and  during  the  time  when 
extensive  improvements  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Chestnut  Street  Station  in  Philadel- 
phia were  under  way. 

A  summary  of  the  movement  of  troop  trains  by  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Rail- 
road, from  the  beginning  of  the  war  until  the  armistice  came,  November  11,  1918, 
is  shown  in  the  following  tabulation: 

Month  Trains  Cars  Men 

July,  1917 13  121  3,237 

August,   1917 42  537  9,630 

September,  1917 75  1,280  23,816 

October,  1917 39  505  12,895 

November,  1917 60  777  21,568 

December,  1917 51  560  20,810 

January,  1918 52  686  14,707 

February,  1918 50  528  17,183 

March,  1918 89  1,050  33,565 

April,  1918 123  1,484  46,163 

May,  1918 172  2,260  88,324 

<  507 


Month  Trains  Cars  Men 

June,  1918 190  2,290  78,599 

July,  1918 187  2,401  87,053 

August,  1918 185  2,310  85,090 

September,  1918 272  3,473  120,284 

October,  1918 197  2,321  65,801 

November,  1918 49  564  16,478 

Total 1,846         23,147  745,203 

There  were  many  heavy  days  in  the  handling  of  troops,  such  as  Thanksgiving 
Day,  1917,  when  a  holiday  was  given  to  the  Pennsylvania  boys  who  were 
at  Camp  Meade,  Maryland.  These  boys  moved  to  Philadelphia  on  special 
trains,  and  it  was  in  the  evening,  when  they  assembled  at  the  24th  and  Chestnut 
Street  Station,  that  the  crowd  became  so  enormous  that  it  was  practically  impossible 
to  handle  it.  For  every  soldier  returning  to  the  camp  there  were  one-half  dozen 
or  more  of  his  friends  at  the  station  to  bid  him  farewell,  and  the  great  number 
of  people  assembled  can  easily  be  imagined. 

In  addition  to  the  handling  of  troops  through  the  Philadelphia  Terminal,  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  was  required  to  give  special  passenger  service  in  the  handling 
of  workmen  to  and  from  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  (Bemington  Arms  Com- 
pany) plant  at  Eddystone.  Five  passenger  trains  were  operated  daily  each  way, 
having  an  average  of  from  nine  to  ten  cars  in  each  train  to  handle  the  workmen 
aggregating  2,000  men  to  and  from  this  plant. 

Independent  of  the  heavy  movement  handled  by  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  between 
Philadelphia  and  Eddystone,  the  Philadelphia  &  Beading  ran  an  average  of  five 
trains  each  way  daily,  between  Park  Junction  and  Eastwick,  in  connection  with 
handling  labor  to  Hog  Island  Shipbuilding  Plant  and  Eddystone  Works.  All 
this  was  handled  over  a  two-track  railroad. 

As  stated  above,  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  freight  business  was  extremely  heavy 
in  serving  the  war  industries  located  adjacent  to  its  lines:  the  Emergency  Fleet 
Corporations'  activities  at  Hog  Island  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Chester,  Pa.,  where 
homes  were  constructed  for  housing  an  army  of  workmen  aggregating  30,000  people, 
are  examples. 

The  Baltimore  &  Ohio  operated  daily,  through  freight  train  service  from 
Wilsmere  to  Hog  Island  via  the  Pennsylvania  and  Philadelphia  &  Beading 
Bailroads  for  handling  material  originated  in  the  west,  direct  to  points  needed. 

The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  during  the  period  of  the  war  was  operating 
full  time  in  handling  the  large  orders  for  new  locomotives  for  the  United  States 
Bailroad  Administration  and  the  Bussian  Government. 

Other  items  of  interest  include  the  movement  of  the  first  large  gun  assembled 
for  the  United  States  Government  at  the  Baldwin  Works,  and  handled  by  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  en  route  to  Sandy  Hook,  where  it  was  tested,  and  later  for- 
warded to  France. 

All  these  various  activities  were  carried  on  under  great  handicap.  First  the 
requirements  of  the  Army  and  Navy  called  on  approximately  260  Philadelphia 
District  Baltimore  &  Ohio  men  for  active  service,  of  which  approximately  75  per 
cent  were  Philadelphia  boys.  Then  with  the  great  demand  for  labor,  which  was 
influenced  to  leave  the  railroad  ranks  by  reason  of  the  attractive  wages  paid  by 
war-time  industries,  and  later  during  September,  October  and  November,  1918, 

508 


when  the  "flu  epidemic"  further  crippled  the  force,  it  can  readily  be  seen  that  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  met  the  war  needs  of  Philadelphia  and  vicinity  in  a  very 
creditable  manner. 

PENNSYLVANIA  SYSTEM 

Eastern  Region,  Philadelphia  Terminal  Division 

A.  M.  Parker,  Superintendent 

Prior  to  the  declaration  of  war  by  the  United  States  a  large  number  of  indus- 
tries in  Philadelphia  were  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  munitions  for  the  Allied 
powers.  A  great  many  of  these  industries  had  already  enlarged  their  plants  to 
meet  the  demand  for  increased  production,  also,  new  industries  had  been  estab- 
lished. This  required  the  construction  of  additional  sidings  to  serve  the  plants,  as 
well  as  increased  railroad  facilities,  in  order  to  provide  adequate  service.  After 
war  was  declared  by  the  United  States,  the  demand  upon  the  industries  for  mu- 
nitions of  war  was  greatly  increased,  and  additional  industries  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  munitions  of  war  until  about  90  per  cent  of  the  industries  in  Phila- 
delphia were  so  engaged.  This,  of  course,  further  increased  the  demands  upon  the 
railroads.  In  order  to  meet  the  emergency,  the  method  of  operating  the  various 
freight  yards  was  revised  so  as  to  provide  additional  classifications  of  freight  for  the 
various  industries  and  to  operate  the  yards  to  the  maximum  capacity.  One 
hundred  additional  shifting  locomotives  were  placed  in  service  and  the  organization 
increased  to  provide  sufficient  employes  and  supervisory  forces  to  handle  the 
increased  business.  An  embargo  bureau  was  established  for  the  purpose  of  regu- 
lating the  freight  movement  so  as  to  expedite  the  shipments  of  materials  required 
for  winning  the  war  and  avoid  congestion  in  the  freight  yards ;  further,  this  bureau 
regulated  the  delivery  of  all  export  shipments  to  vessels  at  the  port  of  Philadelphia 
in  order  to  avoid  delays.  The  Pennsylvania  Railroad  joined  with  the  other  rail- 
roads in  Philadelphia  in  coordinating  the  facilities  of  the  several  railroads  to  avoid 
duplication  of  service,  thus  deriving  the  maximum  efficiency  from  the  facilities. 

With  the  increased  number  of  locomotives  in  service  and  the  necessity  of 
keeping  all  locomotives  in  proper  working  condition  for  operation  at  maximum 
efficiency,  it  was  necessary  to  enlarge  and  improve  the  engine  houses.  A  new 
eight-stall  engine  house  and  shops  and  appurtenances  were  constructed  in  South 
Philadelphia;  and  the  engine  houses  at  West  Philadelphia  Shops,  46th  Street  and 
Gray's  Ferry,  were  enlarged  and  improved.  A  new  railroad  was  constructed 
along  the  Delaware  River  between  Philadelphia  and  Chester  to  serve  the  Hog 
Island  Ship  Yard,  as  well  as  other  industries  along  the  Delaware  River  from  Fort 
Mifflin  to  Chester. 

In  addition  to  the  measures  taken  to  insure  the  maximum  service  to  the 
various  industries  in  Philadelphia  and  the  freight  movement  to  the  piers,  as  well  as 
the  through  freight  movement  to  other  points,  the  railroad  was  called  upon  to 
handle  large  numbers  of  troops,  Philadelphia  being  so  situated  that  the  major 
portion  of  the  troops  moved  via  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  passed  through  Phila- 
delphia. From  the  date  on  which  war  was  declared  until  the  armistice  was  signed 
1,333,194  troops  were  moved  via  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  Of  this  number 
1,054,352  or  79  per  cent  of  the  total  was  moved  through  Philadelphia.       The 

509 


number  of  coaches  used  in  transporting  troops  moved  through  Philadelphia  was 
31,896. 

THE  PHILADELPHIA  &  READING  RAILWAY  COMPANY 
J.  C.  Peters,  Superintendent,  Philadelphia  Division 

Philadelphia,  a  great  center  of  industrial  activities,  was  one  of  the 
first  localities  to  feel  the  pressure  of  business  which  followed  the  outbreak  of 
the  World  War,  and  naturally  the  railroads,  which  served  the  various  interests  of 
this  great  city,  were  early  called  upon  to  assume  responsibility  in  the  matter  of 
handling  traffic. 

The  construction  of  Hog  Island  Ship  Yard  added  greatly  to  the  responsibilities 
of  the  Philadelphia  Division,  and  this,  in  connection  with  other  large  shipbuilding 
plants  at  Chester,  together  with  many  other  industries  located  at  that  point, 
increased  the  activities  of  the  division  to  the  limit.  At  that  time  Hog  Island  and 
Chester  were  reached  by  a  single  track  line,  fourteen  miles  in  length,  and  the 
enormity  of  the  task  in  handling  traffic  to  and  from  these  busy  centers  may  be 
estimated  when  the  fact  is  considered  that  for  two  years  or  more,  the  average 
number  of  freight  cars  moved  over  this  single  track  line  was  700  per  day.  This 
required  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  freight  trains  each  day,  with  a  passenger  schedule 
of  not  less  than  thirty  trains  daily.  The  passenger  trains  were  operated  for  the 
accommodation  of  workmen  to  and  from  the  Hog  Island  and  Chester  plants,  and 
carried  passengers  to  the  number  of  approximately  10,000   every   working  day. 

It  was  of  the  utmost  importance  to  deliver  these  trains  at  their  destination 
on  time  each  morning,  and  this  was  accomplished  almost  to  100  per  cent  efficiency 
during  the  entire  busy  period,  while  not  one  passenger  was  killed  or  injured  through 
any  neglect  of  the  company  or  its  employes. 

Vast  quantities  of  raw  material  immediately  began  to  flow  in  from  all  direc- 
tions— all  of  which  had  to  be  assembled  in  the  classification  yards  at  Belmont, 
and  from  there  dispatched  to  their  destinations. 

Belmont  was  soon  buried  beneath  this  avalanche  of  traffic,  and  its  facilities 
were  inadequate  to  meet  the  requirements,  which  necessitated  the  inauguration 
of  other  and  newer  methods  of  handling  the  traffic,  one  of  which  was  to  commandeer 
all  of  the  available  space  on  the  division,  including  the  large  storage  yard  at  Wood- 
lane,  for  the  purpose  of  holding  cars  consigned  to  the  various  establishments  and 
then  move  them  as  facilities  would  permit. 

However,  Hog  Island  and  the  Chester  concerns  were  but  a  single  item  in  the 
operation  of  the  division  during  the  war-time  period  for,  aside  from  these,  a  large 
territory  had  to  be  served. 

Port  Richmond,  with  a  yard  capacity  of  4,700  cars,  at  which  point  are  located 
great  piers  for  the  export  of  freight  and  coal;  Willow  and  Noble  streets,  one  of 
the  largest  freight  stations  and  points  of  import  on  the  system,  and  the  ever  in- 
creasing movement  of  troops,  taxed  the  organization  to  its  utmost. 

Traffic  to  the  Port  Richmond  Terminal  flowed  with  great  volume,  and  the 
same  may  be  said  of  the  entire  division,  so  that  the  gateways  to  the  ports  became 
congested,  and  every  manner  of  inventive  idea  and  constructive  planning  became 
necessary  to  provide  means  by  which  the  numerous  channels  of  transportation 
might  be  kept  open  and  free  for  successful  operation. 

Then  came  the  troops  to  be  moved  with  safety  and  expedition,  and  their 

510 


presence  upon  the  line  increased,  not  only  the  responsibilities,  but  also  the  diffi- 
culties. During  the  entire  progress  of  the  war,  no  less  than  two  thousand  trains 
with  at  least  one  million,  one  hundred  thousand  troops  passed  over  the  Philadelphia 
Division,  and  as  each  train  moved,  it  meant  a  temporary  halt  in  the  movement 
of  freight.  Sometimes  for  hours,  freight  traffic  was  kept  at  a  standstill,  which  in 
the  end  concentrated  so  much  business  at  certain  given  points  as  to  seriously 
handicap  the  dispatch  of  commodities  which  were  often  as  badly  needed  for  the 
manufacture  of  munitions  as  were  the  troops  to  use  them.  This  can  be  readily 
understood  when  it  is  noted  that  at  the  height  of  the  troop  movement  as  many 
as  twenty  trains,  with  ten  or  more  cars  each,  were  dispatched  within  the  hour  at 
certain  periods,  during  which  a  daily  regular  passenger  schedule  of  no  less  than 
three  hundred  and  twenty-five  trains  was  operated. 

The  division  is  divided  into  five  districts,  and  in  order  to  handle  the  traffic 
it  was  necessary  to  have  each  district  function  in  such  a  manner  as  to  provide 
harmony  and  cooperation  throughout.  The  task  was  made  more  or  less  difficult 
by  reason  of  the  ranks  being  depleted — after  our  entry  into  the  war — by  those 
who  enlisted  and  those  who  were  called  by  the  draft. 

A  feature  which  entered  largely  into  the  operation  was  that  of  motive  power. 
The  winter  of  1917-18  was  of  such  severity  as  to  be  exceedingly  hard  on  locomotives 
on  account  of  frequent  prolonged  spells  of  freezing  temperature,  and  with  the 
enormous  number  of  cars  necessary  to  handle  daily,  the  engine  factor  became  a 
serious  one.  This  can  be  better  understood  when  one  realizes  that  for  many  months 
the  averge  number  of  heavy  freight  and  coal  trains  handled  over  the  division  was 
about  one  hundred  each  day,  totaling  about  6,000  cars,  but  the  daily  performance 
often  ran  up  to  8,000  cars  and  more.  Trains  came  in  one  after  the  other,  each  to 
its  own  assigned  terminal,  and  the  amount  of  work  that  was  required  to  break  up 
these  trains,  switch,  and  deliver  the  cars  to  their  final  destinations  would  be  hard 
to  estimate,  yet  it  was  the  daily  program  and,  judging  from  the  volume  of  material 
that  was  being  conveyed,  it  was  not  easy  to  understand  how  the  centers  of  con- 
sumption managed  to  dispose  of  it. 

The  Philadelphia  Division  is  fed  by  five  rail  connections,  viz.:  the  Reading 
Division,  from  which  comes  all  of  the  coal  and  freight;  the  New  York  Division, 
which  consists  of  two  main  branches,  one  reaching  to  Bethlehem,  connecting  with 
the  Lehigh  Valley  Railroad,  the  other  reaching  to  Jersey  City  and  New  York, 
where  direct  connections  are  made  with  the  New  York  Central  and  New  Haven 
systems;  then  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  connecting  at  Belmont;  and  the  Balti- 
more &  Ohio  at  Park  Junction,  not  mentioning  the  water  routes  with  their  docking 
piers  at  Port  Richmond  and  Noble  Street. 

AMERICAN  RAILWAY  EXPRESS 
Stanley  W.  Todd* 

If  a  complete  record  of  the  part  which  the  railroads  and  transportation 
companies,  which  served  Pennsylvania's  greatest  metropolis  during  the  war,  could 
be  written  it  would  occupy  many  volumes.  Unfortunately,  however,  the  record  is 
necessarily  incomplete,  as  every  transportation  man  was  devoting  his  attention 

*Director,  Educational  Service  Bureau,  American  Railway  Express. 

511 


to  the  task  of  helping  to  win  the  war  rather  than  that  of  noting  what  was  going 
on  at  the  time. 

No  period  in  the  history  of  American  railroads  and  of  the  express  companies, 
which  have  been  operating  upon  them  for  nearly  three-quarters  of  a  century,  has 
had  compressed  in  it  the  many  instances  of  patriotic  service  that  came  when  the 
Great  War  started  in  1914  and  threw  this  country  into  a  fever  of  war-time  prepa- 
ration. While  the  United  States  was  not  immediately  involved,  munition  making 
became  its  chief  industry,  and  transportation,  both  railroad  and  express,  was 
depended  upon  to  carry  the  supplies  so  greatly  needed  to  the  Allies. 

Philadelphia  became  the  center  of  the  most  important  munition  plants  and 
shipyards  in  the  East.  In  April,  1917,  numerous  training  camps  sprang  up  in 
the  environs  and  they,  too,  required  the  daily  service  of  the  transportation 
lines,  and  all  the  carriers  responded  without  reserve.  The  railroad  freight 
service  was  called  upon  to  handle  the  bulk  shipments;  the  express  service  was 
required  to  expedite  the  movement  of  the  smaller  and  more  urgent  commodities, 
both  for  the  Government  and  for  the  private  plants  engaged  in  manufacturing 
war  supplies. 

Among  the  principal  war  depots  in  Philadelphia  was,  for  instance,  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Depot  Quartermaster.  This  branch  of  the  Army  had  the 
task  of  supplying  the  training  camps  and  the  many  companies  of  troops  getting 
ready  for  embarkation  to  France.  The  very  exigencies  of  the  times  required  that 
no  moment  be  lost  in  transportation.  Express  service  was  constantly  used  to  move 
food  and  emergency  supplies  to  the  camps  and  the  express  people  were  kept 
busy  responding  to  the  demands  of  the  Army  officials.  It  was  at  a  time  when 
there  was  a  serious  shortage  of  cars  on  the  railroads  and  the  express  people  were 
often  at  their  wits'  end  to  prevent  the  clogging  of  express  terminals  and  keep 
the  freight  moving. 

Hundreds  of  "through  cars,"  carried  in  special  trains  or  in  regularly  scheduled 
passenger  trains,  transported  out  of  Philadelphia  tons  of  war  material.  Thousands 
of  cars,  solidly  loaded,  passed  through  the  city  on  the  way  to  the  seaboard.  What 
was  in  these  cars  was  not  always  known.  In  one  instance  an  express  car  train 
loaded  with  depth  bombs,  on  its  way  to  the  seaboard,  passed  through  Philadelphia. 
It  carried  a  load  of  ammunition  for  an  outgoing  destroyer  that  was  waiting  in  New 
York  Bay  for  it.  It  was  to  convoy  several  transports  across  the  dangerous  seas 
infested  by  German  submarines.  The  bombs  went  through  safely,  although  they 
kept  the  express  officials  up  nights  worrying  about  them. 

Steel  rods  went  to  the  mills  by  express;  percussion  caps  to  the  steel  plants; 
acids,  gas  appliances^— these  and  almost  everything  else  traveled  by  express  some 
time  during  the  war  period.  In  every  case  the  expressmen  realized  their  respon- 
sibilities and  took  pride  in  the  part  which  they  played  to  help  the  nation  mobilize 
its  forces  and  equipment,  so  that  American  soldiers  could  take  their  places  on  the 
battle  fronts  in  France  in  the  shortest  possible  time.  The  training  camps  sprang 
up  in  all  parts  of  the  country  and  became  military  cities,  requiring  a  constant  flow 
of  food  and  other  supplies,  while  the  enlisted  and  selective  service  men  were  stream- 
ing into  them  by  the  thousands.  These  men  required  clothing ;  the  baggage  which 
they  had  brought  with  them  had  to  be  returned;  the  commissaries  and  camp 
kitchens  needed  perishable  food.  All  of  these  commodities  required  the  swiftest 
movement  and  the  express  service  was  relied  upon  to  furnish  it. 

512 


The  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard,  more  familiarly  known  as  League  Island,  was 
also  a  heavy  user  of  express,  both  inbound  and  outbound,  and  for  a  considerable 
period  averaged  from  five  to  ten  cars  of  express  matter  a  week.  Carloads  of 
clothing  were  required  for  the  sailors  on  warships  getting  ready  to  sail  under  orders. 
The  Navy  Yard  required  thousands  of  articles  in  a  hurry  and  the  express  wagons 
and  motor  trucks  delivered  tons  of  matter  every  month. 

At  the  office  of  the  Depot  Quartermaster,  the  American  Railway  Express 
Company,  the  unified  organization  which  took  over  the  express  business  for  the 
Government  soon  after  the  Federal  authorities  took  charge  of  the  railroads,  was 
one  of  the  chief  agents  of  transportation.  Officials  of  the  carrier  placed  themselves 
at  the  beck  and  call  of  the  Army  and  approximately  four  hundred  cars  were  sent 
from  Philadelphia,  by  express,  each  month,  loaded  to  capacity  with  Army  supplies 
destined  to  various  points  throughout  the  country,  where  Army  camps  were  located. 

Countless  special  express  trains  slipped  out  of  the  city  with  cars  consigned  to 
points  as  far  west  as  San  Francisco.  The  principal  special  trains  were  "made  up 
on"  Camp  Sevier,  Camp  Humphreys  and  Camp  Greenleaf  located  in  the  South. 
Hog  Island,  the  great  shipbuilding  plant,  used  vast  quantities  of  articles  in  fabri- 
cating the  ships  which  were  on  the  ways — and  as  a  railway  had  extended  its  lines  to 
the  yard,  express  service  was  readily  available  and  constantly  used.  In  fact, 
the  yards  received  several  carloads  of  express  matter  each  day,  via  the  Philadelphia 
Gateway. 

Philadelphia  was  one  of  the  centers  of  the  production  of  gas  masks.  The 
Hero  Manufacturing  Company,  a  war-time  organization,  had  its  principal  plant 
in  the  city  and  turned  out  the  bulk  of  the  gas  masks  for  the  troops  serving  in 
France  and  even  for  those  in  Siberia.  There  were,  at  times,  thirty  to  forty  car- 
loads of  these  gas  masks  for  Hoboken,  Newport  News,  and  other  ports  and  also 
a  solid  train-load  of  six  cars  for  San  Francisco,  shipped  to  the  American  troops  in 
Siberia. 

How  the  express  served  the  munition  plants  was  shown  in  the  case  of  the 
Eddystone  Plant  of  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  where  large  guns  were 
manufactured  for  the  Government.  The  large  naval  guns  mounted  on  railway 
carriages  were  made  here,  and  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  most  of  the  material 
used  in  their  manufacture  had  to  be  forwarded  by  express,  in  order  to  expedite 
the  completion  of  the  guns,  so  that  they  could  be  transported  to  France  forthwith 
and  be  used  to  batter  down  the  German  offensive. 

With  this  epitome  of  the  part  which  the  express  service  of  Philadelphia  played 
during  the  war  it  is  interesting  to  review  briefly  the  history  of  the  various  carriers 
during  the  conflict.  Up  to  the  first  of  1918,  when  the  Government  took  over 
control  of  the  railroads,  Philadelphia  was  served  by  three  of  the  large  express 
companies.  There  was  the  Adams  Express  Company,  operating  express  business 
on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad;  the  Wells  Fargo  Company  operated  on  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  system;  the  American  Express  Company  had  its  relationships 
with  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading  and  Central  Railroad  of  New  Jersey  system. 
Thus,  Philadelphia  was  an  important  "common  point"  for  all  of  these  companies, 
and  they  maintained  large  operating  organizations,  had  big  terminals  and  offices 
and  transported  vast  quantities  of  express  matter  on  the  roads  with  which  they 
had  contracts. 

But  when  the  Director-General  of  Railroads  assumed  control  of  the  rail  carriers 

513 


of  the  country,  the  express  contracts  with  the  roads  were  made  inoperative  and 
the  express  companies  were  instructed  to  form  a  single  unified  organization  which 
could  handle  the  express  business  of  the  entire  country  and  act  as  the  agent  of  the 
Director-General.  In  this  way  was  brought  into  existence  the  American  Railway 
Express  Company,  and  the  day  when  this  event  took  place,  July  1,  1918,  will  long 
be  a  memorable  one  in  the  express  business,  as  it  brought  together  135,000  express- 
men under  one  banner,  ready  for  a  big  patriotic  task. 

When  the  new  express  company  began,  it  announced  its  official  organization 
thus:  George  C.  Taylor,  president  of  the  American  Express  Company,  became 
president  of  the  American  Railway  Express  Company,  while  B.  D.  Caldwell, 
president  of  Wells  Fargo  &  Company,  was  elected  chairman  of  the  Board  of  Directors 
of  the  new  company,  and  W.  M.  Barrett,  president  of  the  Adams  Express,  retired 
from  active  participation  in  the  express  business.  All  of  these  officials  continued 
as  presidents  of  their  companies,  in  most  cases  largely  holding  companies,  except 
the  American  Express  Company,  which  proceeded  to  develop  and  expand  its  large 
foreign,  financial  and  travel  business. 

Speaking  of  Pennsylvania  generally,  the  express  business  came  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  Robert  E.  M.  Cowie,  who,  as  vice-president  and  general  manager 
of  the  new  company,  assumed  control  of  the  express  business  in  the  East.  Mr. 
Cowie  had  held  a  similar  position  with  the  American  Express  Company.  H.  E. 
Huff,  who  had  been  vice-president  and  general  manager  of  the  East  for  the  Adams 
Express  Company,  was  made  assistant  to  Vice-President  Cowie,  while  F.  J.  Hickey, 
formerly  general  superintendent  for  Wells  Fargo  &  Company  Express,  at  New  York, 
became  general  manager  of  the  American  Railway  Express  Company's  Alleghany 
department,  with  his  headquarters  in  Philadelphia. 

In  the  City  proper,  A.  G.  Gurney,  formerly  of  the  American  Express,  was 
appointed  City  Manager  for  the  new  company,  while  H.  G.  Ransburg,  formerly 
with  the  American  Express  at  Harrisburg,  continued  as  superintendent  for  the 
American  Railway  Express  Company  of  its  Eastern  Pennsylvania  Division. 

The  expressmen  of  Philadelphia  did  their  part  in  the  war  as  soldiers  or  sailors 
of  the  United  States.  Hundreds  volunteered  for  the  Army,  many  were  called  into 
the  selective  draft  camps,  and  others  went  into  various  war  industry  plants,  de- 
pleting the  express  ranks  to  such  an  extent  that  their  loss  was  keenly  felt.  The 
men  who  remained,  many  of  them  veterans  of  the  business  for  twenty-five  years 
or  more,  stood  by  their  posts  and  participated  to  the  full  in  the  Liberty  Loan  drives 
and  various  patriotic  movements. 

While  the  records  are  meagre,  it  is  known  that  the  express  ranks  in  Phila- 
delphia sent  many  men  to  France.  Several  of  them  saw  active  service  and  received 
Distinguished  Service  crosses.  Expressmen  were  represented  in  the  American 
Army  in  the  Argonne  Forest,  at  Chateau-Thierry,  St.  Mihiel,  and  other  famous 
battles  in  which  the  American  troops  were  engaged. 

The  war  period  will  never  be  forgotten  by  express  officials  and  express  veterans 
in  Philadelphia.  They  are  proud  of  the  record  of  the  express  carriers  and  have 
welcomed  back  to  their  ranks  the  men  who  carried  the  express  spirit  into  their 
fighting  in  France. 


514 


ffi 


"COLUMN,  RIGHT" 

The   Philadelphia   Newspapers  and  the  War 

John  L.  Murray 

HETHER  mirror  or  mould  of  public  opinion,  the  press  of 
Philadelphia  so  wrote  itself  into  the  city's  record  of  the 
years  of  conflict  that  Philadelphia's  part  in  the  World 
War  gains  no  little  honor  from  her  newspapers,  both 
English  and  foreign  language. 

Even  the  German  language  journals  spoke  the  common 
thought  of  undivided  patriotism  once  the  United  States 
had  entered  the  war.  Scorning  that  subterfuge,  noted 
elsewhere,  of  only  reluctant  and  passive  compliance  with 
laws  made  to  curb  the  recalcitrant  of  their  kind,  they 
made  a  positive  stand  for  America  and  American  arms,  with  only  one  seeming 
exception,  for  the  Tageblatt,  which  was  put  out  of  existence  and  its  editors  jailed, 
was  in  reality  the  propagandic  mouth  of  rabid  socialism.  The  real  newspapers,  with 
no  exception,  helped  to  silence  that  single  alien  and  seditious  voice. 

Getting  the  news  and  telling  the  news  with  no  distortion  of  coloring,  no  half 
truths  of  sinister  suppressions,  none  of  the  skulking,  covert  misuse  of  journalism 
that,  coiled  in  the  flag,  hissed  and  struck  at  our  Allies,  Philadelphia's  newspapers 
upheld  the  best  traditions  of  the  Fourth  Estate. 

But  getting  and  telling  the  truth  was  only  their  old  function,  and  keeping 
their  integrity  only  their  old  duty  performed  more  carefully  to  meet  the  demands 
of  a  nation  at  war.     They  did  more  than  mere  duty. 

In  standing  staunchly  behind  the  men  overseas,  Allies  and  Americans  alike, 
they  carried  the  flag  of  Philadelphia  into  the  foremost  rank  of  all  the  big  American 
cities  in  zealous  patriotism,  for  the  editorial  record  of  the  press  of  no  other  commun- 
ity shows  more  conspicuously  all  those  fine,  new  functions  that  journalism  achieved 
for  itself  in  the  war. 

Advocates  of  sound  preparedness,  even  when  preparedness  was  not  a  popular 
cry,  counselors  of  forbearance  as  long  as  tolerance  of  attack  was  honorable, 
the  press  of  the  city  went  into  the  war  with  the  real  spirit  of  Americanism, 
and  became  something  vastly  greater  than  news  tellers  or  editorial  mirror-moulds. 
The  immense  sums  of  money  raised  by  Liberty  Loan  campaigns,  the  relief  funds, 
the  welfare  work  at  home  and  at  the  front,  the  food  and  fuel  conservation,  all  the 
public  intelligence  machinery  that  required  quick  and  extensive  and  simultaneous 
utterance  and  reiteration  of  Government  edict  or  plea,  all  the  means  of  America's 
rapid  cooperation  and  concentration  on  the  work  of  war,  even  and  especially  the 
selective  service  that  gathered  together  her  armies,  would  have  been  impossible 
without  the  functions  of  journalism,  so  admirably  performed  by  America's 
newspapers  and  nowhere  exceeding  Philadelphia's. 

The  war  value  of  the  sustained  enthusiasm  of  the  newspapers  to  make  successful 
every  war  move  of  the  Government  could  not  be  computed  in  any  terms,  not  even 

515 


in  terms  of  money,  for  the  extra  space  devoted  to  systematic  aid  of  the  execution  of 
war  measures,  beyond  the  dictates  of  news  values  that  ordinarily  would  govern 
newspaper  practice,  runs  into  incalculable  millions  of  dollars. 

Perhaps  the  most  difficult  task  of  all,  the  task  that  meant  for  the  first  time  in 
American  history  the  stifling  almost  of  the  very  breath  of  native  journalism,  the 
suppression  of  the  journalistic  instinct  and  purpose  to  criticise,  was  performed  the 
more  signally  because  of  its  contrast  to  journalism's  wonted  rights  to  the 
exercise  of  such  liberty.  All  through  the  time  of  great  promises  that  lingered  on 
obscured  by  secrecy  and  unfulfilled,  that  still  were  receding  hopes  when  the  armistice 
came,  all  through  the  weeks  and  months  of  ineptitude  that  the  sudden  plunging  of 
a  peaceful  people  into  conflict  finds  in  any  war,  the  press  of  Philadelphia  forebore 
the  comment  and  censure  that  might  have  discouraged  its  own  citizens  and  given 
comfort  to  the  enemy. 

Never  a  line  or  word  from  this  city  in  editorial  observation  of  the  American 
participation  in  the  war  impaired  an  administration  in  Washington  particularly 
and  remarkably  intolerant  of  criticism. 

American  papers,  freer  than  any  press  of  Europe  before  the  war,  were  as  re- 
stricted in  the  war  days  as  the  most  survcilled,  with  the  great  difference  that  the 
American  press  was  its  own  censor,  not  only  for  the  suppression  of  military  infor- 
mation that  might  have  helped  the  enemy,  which  was  an  obvious  duty,  but  for  the 
restraint  from  any  animadversion  against  the  censure-deserving  that  might  be  con- 
strued as  partisan  attack  and  national  rift  at  a  time  when  all  the  world  must  see 
America  united  in  every  sense  and  part. 

The  columns  of  Philadelphia's  press  marched  as  truly  and  as  courageously 
against  the  enemy  hordes  as  those  columns  of  khaki  that  baptized  France  and 
Flanders  with  American  blood.  If  doubt  or  misgivings  ever  seized  the  hearts  of 
those  who  wrote  her  counsel  and  comment,  Philadelphia's  press  never  showed  it, 
or  failed  in  that  greatest  of  wartime  press  functions  to  hold  the  morale  of  the 
people  high  and  unwavering. 


516 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA  ACADEMY  OF  THE  FINE  ARTS 

EFORE  the  United  States  entered  the  war  an  interesting 
incident  occurred  in  connection  with  a  portrait  of  George 
Washington,  painted  by  Rembrandt  Peale.  It  was  brought 
to  this  country  by  James  Stuart  Sloan,  from  whom  the 
Academy  purchased  it,  Mr.  Sloan  intending  to  devote  the 
proceeds  in  the  defense  of  France,  his  adopted  country. 
It  seems  that  the  portrait  had  been  presented  to  Lafayette 
as  a  token  of  gratitude  for  what  he  had  done  in  the  defense 
of  America,  and  after  Lafayette's  death  the  portrait  passed 
to  M.  Roux  de  Rochelle,  at  one  time  Minister  from  France 
to  the  United  States,  and  from  whom  the  portrait  descended  to  Mr.  Sloan,  Mr. 
Sloan's  grandmother  upon  his  mother's  side  being  the  niece  of  M.  Roux  de  Ro- 
chelle. It  is  significant  that  this  portrait,  presented  to  Lafayette  in  token  of  grat- 
itude for  his  services  to  America,  should  finally  be  sold  and  its  proceeds  devoted 
to  the  service  of  France. 

The  corporate  action  of  the  Academy's  management  in  the  matter  of  war  work 
was  chiefly  confined  to  subscriptions  to  Liberty  Loans.  The  activity  of  the  officers 
and  directors  was  varied,  and  is  more  or  less  referred  to  in  other  places  in  this  book. 
President  Lewis  was  appointed  by  Mayor  Smith  a  member  of  the  Executive 
Committee  on  Home  Defense  on  March  23,  1917,  and  Chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  Posters  and  Decorations.  By  reason  of  the  duties  this  work  entailed  upon  him, 
the  directors  of  the  Academy,  at  a  meeting  April  2,  1917,  authorized  the  employ- 
ment of  an  assistant  to  the  President  to  act  as  Executive  Secretary. 

On  October  26,  1917,  Mr.  Lewis  was  placed  in  charge  by  the  United  States 
Shipping  Board  of  the  Government  Schools  of  Navigation  and  Marine  Engineering, 
established  by  the  Board  between  the  Connecticut  River  and  Norfolk,  Va.,  his 
headquarters  being  in  Philadelphia.  A  Navigation  and  a  Marine  Engineering 
School  were  organized  in  Brooklyn,  two  Navigation  Schools  and  one  of  Marine 
Engineering  in  New  York,  one  Navigation  School  and  a  Marine  Engineering  School 
in  Jersey  City,  similar  organizations  in  Philadelphia  and  in  Baltimore,  and  a 
Navigation  School  in  Norfolk.  There  were  twelve  schools  in  this  section  and 
they  required  much  of  Mr.  Lewis's  time. 

The  effect  of  the  war  on  the  schools  of  the  Academy  was  necessarily  dis- 
organizing. About  sixty  per  cent  of  the  young  men  enlisted  or  entered  Govern- 
ment service,  and  probably  all  of  the  young  women  and  all  the  rest  of  the  young 
men  were  directly  or  indirectly  engaged  in  war  work. 

All  students  in  Government  service  who  applied  for  free  tuition  were  given 
scholarships,  and  the  service  flag  which  was  hung  in  front  of  the  building  contained 
ninety  red  stars  and,  alas,  one  gold  one.  The  exact  number  of  students  in  the 
service  was  probably  greater  than  the  flag  recorded. 

The  galleries  of  the  Academy  were  thrown  open  at  all  times  free  of  charge  to 
soldiers  and  sailors  in  uniform,  and  free  admission  granted  them  to  all  entertain- 
ments. 


517 


At  the  Academy's  Summer  School  at  Chester  Springs  entertainments  were 
given  for  the  ambulance  fund  and  war  purposes,  and  instruction  imparted  in 
camouflage,  the  class  being  greatly  stimulated  by  personal  visits  from  representa- 
tives of  the  Camouflage  Department  of  the  United  States  Shipping  Board. 

More  detailed  information  is  included  in  the  report  of  the  Academy's  Fellow- 
ship. 

War  Work  of  the  Academy  Fellowship 

Ninety-five  members  of  the  Fellowship  were  in  active  Government  service  in 
the  army,  navy,  marine  corps,  air  service  and  the  medical  corps.  Of  this  number 
many  were  officers,  and  a  large  number  served  with  the  Canadian  or  British  forces 
before  the  United  States  entered  the  war.  Most  of  the  members  served  overseas 
and  were  in  action  at  Chateau-Thierry,  in  the  Argonne  and  other  well-known 
battles. 

Alfred  Smalley  was  killed  in  action  at  Sedan  and  Ralph  Melville  died  of  disease. 

George  Harding  was  one  of  the  official  artists  for  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment, sharing  the  hardships  and  dangers  of  those  in  actual  service.  He  was  later 
commissioned  Captain  and  was  the  Philadelphia  representative  of  the  eight  Amer- 
ican artists  who  were  selected  to  make  official  sketches  for  the  American  Expe- 
ditionary Forces. 

The  Fellowship  kept  in  touch  with  its  members  in  the  service;  sending  them 
packages  of  chocolate,  maple  sugar,  tobacco  and  knitted  garments.  Letters  were 
also  written  to  them  and  special  remembrances  were  sent  at  Christmas  and 
Easter  time. 


Copyrighted  liy  George  Harding. 


Firsl  Day  of  the  Sf.  Mihiel  Offensive. 
518 


The  civilian  members  of  the  association  also  made  a  good  showing,  many  of 
them  organizing  and  conducting  Red  Cross  units.  They  taught  French  classes 
for  soldiers  and  sailors,  studied  to  teach  the  blind  and  acted  as  assistants  to  nurses 
in  the  hospitals.  A  number  worked  as  farmers  and  "  farmerettes, "  while  some  of  the 
girls  acted  as  mechanics'  apprentices  in  motor  shops,  preparatory  for  overseas 
service.  Men  and  women  drove  ambulances  in  this  country  and  abroad — in 
fact,  almost  every  kind  of  war  work  was  done  by  members  of  the  Fellowship. 

Soldiers  and  sailors  were  entertained  at  the  Academy  on  several  occasions  and 
entertainments  were  given  at  League  Island  Navy  Yard  and  individual  members 
also  arranged  parties  for  the  soldiers  and  sailors  in  Philadelphia. 

To  meet  the  expenses  of  the  Fellowship  Ambulance  Fund,  three  entertainments 
were  given.  The  first,  "Masks"  by  Miss  Blanche  Dillaye,  was  given  at  the  Academy 
by  "Plays  and  Players";  the  second  was  "A  War  Benefit"  by  the  students  of 
the  Academy,  and  the  third  was  a  musicale  and  auction  of  ambulance  parts.  As  a 
result  of  these  entertainments  four  ambulances  were  presented  to  the  Red  Cross 
for  overseas  service.  These  were  known  as:  The  Henry  J.  Thouron,  the  Thomas 
Eakins,  the  Thomas  P.  Anschutz  and  the  William  M.  Chase  Ambulances.  A 
fifth,  the  General  Pershing  Ambulance,  was  later  given  to  the  Italian-British 
Hospital  Unit  on  the  Italian  front. 

Artists  of  Philadelphia,  most  of  them  members  of  the  Fellowship,  painted 
portraits  for  the  Third,  Four  and  Fifth  Liberty  Loans  and  many  of  them  made 
posters.  For  the  Victory  Liberty  Loan,  the  Philadelphia  artists  were  given  the 
use  of  "The  Biggest  Little  Street  in  the  World" — South  Camac  Street,  between 
Locust  and  Spruce  streets.  They  were  given  a  quota  of  $50,000,  but  as  a  result  of 
their  efforts  over  $3,700,000  worth  of  bonds  were  sold.  Among  those  who  assisted 
were:  H.  Devitt  Welsh,  Joseph  Pennell,  Herbert  Pullinger,  Charles  Paul,  Florence 
W.  Fulton  and  Virginia  Wright  Garber. 

Twelve  large  sighting  canvases  were  painted  under  the  auspices  of  the  Fellow- 
ship and  presented  to  Camp  Dix.  A  number  of  other  similar  canvases  were 
painted  by  individual  artists  and  forwarded  to  Camp  Dix. 

French  and  Belgium  orphans  were  adopted  and  contributions  made  and 
solicited  for  various  war  relief  funds. 

The  students  of  the  Pennsylvania  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts  formed  a  war 
service  club.  They  published  monthly  The  Academy  Fling,  which  was  sent  regu- 
larly to  all  members  in  the  service.  The  students  also  supplied  various  packets 
for  the  men  and  knitted  a  large  number  of  supplies,  the  wool  being  furnished  by 
Mrs.  John  Frederick  Lewis. 

In  conclusion,  it  can  be  confidently  stated  that  the  members  of  the  Fellowship 
of  the  Academy  and  the  students  there,  unitedly  and  individually,  rendered  fine 
service  during  the  entire  period  of  war. 

WAR  WORK  OF  PHILADELPHIA  ARTISTS* 

In  connection  with  war  work,  an  appeal  was  made  for  posters,  and  among 
the  Philadelphians  who  contributed  their  work,  were  the  following: 

Joseph     Pennell  —  Third     Liberty     Loan  —  Battleship     Poster  —  "Provide 
the  Sinews  of  War." 


*Note:    Summarized  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Philadelphia  War  History  Committee  from 
the  records  of  H.  Devitt  Welsh. 

519 


Fourth  Liberty  Loan  —  Statue  of  Liberty  Poster  —  "That  Liberty  Shall 

not  Perish  from  the  Earth." 
Three  posters  for  the  War  Films:  one  1-sheet  poster;  one  3-sheet  poster  and 

one  8-sheet  poster. 

Mr.  Pennell  also  provided  a  mammoth  poster  for  the  United  States  Shipping 
Board,  as  well  as  a  number  of  other  posters. 

Walter  H.  Everett  —  The  poster  "Mother  and  Children,"  for  the  Fourth 
Liberty  Loan. 

F.  Walter  Taylor  —  Committee  on  Public  Information  —  poster  "America 
Gave  You  All  That  You  Have  to  Give,  Give  It  —  She  Needs  Now." 

M.  L.  Blumenthal  —  Work  with  the  War  Savings  Committee. 

George  Gibbs  and  Joseph  Coll  —  Both  made  drawings  for  United  States 
Shipping  Board. 

H.  Devitt  Welsh  —  Among  the  posters  for  the  Four-Minute  Men,  by  Mr.  Welsh, 
was  the  one  used  in  front  of  all  theatres  authorized  to  receive  official  mes- 
sages from  the  Committee  on  Information.  Mr.  Welsh  also  supplied 
posters  for  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  The  War  Savings  Committee  and 
The  Committee  of  Training  Camp  Activities. 

In  the  First  Liberty  Loan,  Philadelphia  artists  under  the  direction  of  Charles  R. 
Paul,  painted  a  number  of  bill  boards,  eight  feet  by  twenty  feet,  in  front  of  the 
Liberty  Building.  Among  the  artists  were  George  Harding,  Frederick  Wagner, 
M.  L.  Blumenthal,  John  Dull,  Herbert  Pullinger,  Charles  H.  Sykes  and  H.  Devitt 
Welsh. 

In  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan  a  number  of  portrait  painters,  under  the  direction 
of  Theodore  Weidersheim,  made  paintings  of  all  who  bought  $10,000  or  more 
Liberty  Bonds.  Among  the  artists  were:  Leopold  Seyffert,  Joseph  Sacks,  Lazar 
Raditz  and  Adolph  Borie. 

In  the  Fifth  Liberty  Loan  drive  the  artists  of  Philadelphia  put  on  a  show  in 
Camac  Street  under  the  caption  of  "The  Biggest  Little  Street  in  the  World." 

Cooperating  with  Mr.  Welsh  were  Charles  R.  Paul  and  Herbert  Pullinger. 
The  committee  in  charge  included:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph  Pennell,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
F.  Walter  Taylor,  Mrs.  Charles  R.  Wood,  Richard  J.  Beamish,  John  Sinberg, 
Harry  T.  Jordan,  Prof.  William  Gray,  Judge  John  M.  Patterson. 

The  artists  of  the  city  also  arranged  for  the  decorating  of  the  streets  sur- 
rounding City  Hall,  the  general  scheme  being  known  as  the  "Court  of  the  Allies." 
In  planning  for  their  work  the  artists  took  as  their  motto  the  words:  "Con- 
ceived in  Victory  and  Dedicated  to  the  Proposition  that  all  Men  are  Created  with 
an  Appreciation  of  the  Beautiful." 

This  work  was  under  a  subcommittee  of  the  Advisory  Council  and  included : 
Thornton  Oakley,  Chairman;  Joseph  Pennell,  Violet  Oakley,  Charles  Grafly,  John 
McClure  Hamilton,  Nicola  D'Ascenzo,  Charles  Z.  Klauder,  J.  Frank  Copeland, 
Wilson  Eyre. 

This  committee  was  seriously  handicapped  by  the  brief  time  in  which  it  was 
necessary  to  finish  the  work,  and  it  seemed  as  if  this  lack  of  time,  coupled  with  the 
insufficiency  of  funds,  would  be  insurmountable.  However,  the  results  were  so 
picturesque  that  tens  of  thousands  of  men,  women  and  children  passed  through 
the  "Court  of  the  Allies"  and  the  adjacent  streets  from  early  morning  until  late 
at  night.     A  description  of  the  decorations  is  in  order: 

520 


"The  Court  of  the  Allies'  with  its  Statue  of  Winged  Victory  was  the  radiating 
center  of  the  Victory  Loan  decorations. 

"Looking  up  Broad  Street  from  the  Union  League  the  eye  was  caught  by  the 
central  figure  of  the  Victory  Statue  framed  by  the  great  sunburst  on  the  City  Hall 
facade.  This  background  was  shaded  to  produce  flame  color  in  daylight.  The 
statue,  which  was  the  design  of  Albert  Laessle,  who  also  designed  the  Golden  Eagle 
over  the  speaker's  stand,  was  not  white  as  many  people  seemed  to  think,  but  was 
a  shade  of  cream  which  appeared  dazzling  in  the  daylight.     This  was  one  of  the 


Courtesy   of   the   Philadelphia   "Press." 

Decorations  for  the  Victory  Liberty  Loan- 


-looking  north  on  Broad  Street  to  the  Victory  Statue. 
521 


color  motifs  which  had  to  be  studied  out  and  various  shades  were  tried  before  the 
correct  one  was  found. 

"Special  note  should  be  made  in  regard  to  the  base  on  which  was  mounted 
the  French  airplane  in  S.  Broad  Street.     This  was  the  work  of  Nicola  D'Ascenzo. 

"The  committee  first  outlined  a  plan  to  have  Broad  Street  at  the  statue 
ceilinged  with  enormous  colored  canopies,  but  this  plan  had  to  be  abandoned  as 
wind  pressure  would  have  been  too  great. 

"The  committee  was  also  confronted  with  the  problem  of  safety  and  the  final 
solution  decided  upon  was  to  place  poles  on  both  sides  of  Broad  Street  carrying 
the  flags  of  the  Allies.  These  poles,  fifty  feet  in  height,  were  sunk  eight  feet  in 
steel  sleeves  and  permitted  a  sway  of  at  least  six  inches  in  any  direction. 

"The  committee  which  had  charge  of  this  particular  part  of  the  decorations 
were:  Richard  E.  Norton,  Chairman;  John  B.  Gantz,  G.  E.  Gable,  and  Richard  A. 
Humphreys. 

"The  national  flags  as  they  appeared  in  'The  Court  of  the  Allies'  were 
arranged  as  follows: 

"Around  the  City  Hall  Plaza — the  flags  of  the  United  States;  from  Chestnut 
Street  south  on  Broad  Street  to  Walnut  Street — the  flags  of  France;  from  Walnut 
Street  to  Locust  Street  on  Broad  Street — the  flags  of  Italy;  from  Broad  Street  to 
Juniper  Street  on  Chestnut  Street — the  flags  of  Great  Britain;  from  Juniper  Street 
to  13th  Street  on  Market  Street — the  flags  of  Belgium;  from  13th  Street  to  12th 
Street  on  Market  Street — the  flags  of  Italy;  from  the  North  Plaza  to  Arch  Street 
on  Broad  Street — the  flags  of  France;  from  Arch  Street  to  Race  Street  on  Broad 
Street — the  flags  of  Great  Britain;  and  from  Broad  Street  to  15th  Street  on 
Chestnut  Street — the  flags  of  Japan. 

"It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  number  of  flags  used  in  these  decorations 
amounted  to  47,500,  which,  if  placed  end  to  end  would  make  a  streamer  of  inter- 
national colors  reaching  fifty-five  miles. 

"All  the  decorations,  including  the  Victory  Statue,  were  placed  in  fourteen 
days,  requiring  the  labor  of  150  men,  some  of  whom  were  brought  from  cities  as 
far  distant  as  Chicago. 

"These  men  worked  for  fifty-four  hours  without  sleep,  so  that  the  decorations 
might  be  sprung  as  a  surprise  on  the  city.  In  the  painting  of  the  great  'V  on 
Broad  Street  in  the  'Court  of  the  Allies,'  fifty  men  worked  from  midnight  until 
seven  o'clock  the  next  morning." 


522 


AMERICAN  RED  CROSS 
PENNSYLVANIA-DELAWARE  DIVISION 


'URING  the  summer  of  1917,  National  Headquarters  of 
the  American  Red  Cross  decided  to  divide  the  country  into 
divisions  for  the  purpose  of  taking  care  of  the  great  volume 
of  Red  Cross  work  which  had  resulted  from  the  entry  of 
this  country  into  the  war 

Late  in  August,  1917,  Charles  Scott,  Jr.,  of  Philadel- 
phia, was  appointed  manager  of  the  proposed  Pennsylvania 
Division  which  had  for  its  territory  the  States  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Delaware,  and  the  county  of  Camden,  N.  J. 
The  county  of  Camden  was  attached  to  the  Atlantic 
Division  about  October  1,  1917. 

On  October  1,  1917,  the  Division  began  its  official  existence  with  head- 
quarters in  fourteen  rooms  of  the  Medical  Arts  Building,  134  S.  16th  Street,  Phila- 
delphia, and  15,000  square  feet  of  warehouse  space  at  1015  Filbert  Street. 

The  first  piece  of  constructive  work  was  the  issuance  of  a  chart  and  pamphlet 
to  the  chapters  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Division,  outlining  to  them  the  new 
plan  for  organization  and  operation.  Field  secretaries  were  at  once  appointed 
and  during  the  last  three  months  of  1917  did  most  intensive  work,  educating  the 
chapters  to  the  necessity  for  an  adequate  organization,  both  chapter  and  divisional, 
properly  to  meet  the  demands  being  made  on  the  Red  Cross. 

Two  institutes  for  the  instruction  and  training  of  home  service  workers  were 
at  once  opened,  one  in  Philadelphia  and  one  in  Pittsburgh. 

Immediately  upon  the  organization  of  the  Division  and  the  establishment  of 
headquarters  the  following  departments  were  organized: 

Division  Manager,  Charles  Scott,  Jr.     Assistant  to  Manager,  Alan  D.  Wilson. 

Bureau  of  Development. — Director,  Stephen  Fuguet;  Assistant,  Richard  E.  Wilson. 

Woman's  Bureau. — Director,  Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin.  Surgical  Dressings,  Superintendent, 
Mrs.  E.  Walter  Clark;  Hospital  Garments  and  Supplies,  Superintendent,  Mrs.  James  C.  Newlin; 
Knitted  Articles,  Superintendent,  Mrs.  Henry  B.  Coxe. 

Bureau  of  Nursing. — Director,  Susan  C.  Francis. 

Bureau  of  Civilian  Belief. — Director,  J.  Byron  Deacon. 

Bureau  of  Supplies. — Director,  Frederick  H.  Strawbridge. 

Bureau  of  Accounting. — Director,  John  F.  Porter;  Assistant,  Chester  T.  Davis. 

Bureau  of  Junior  Membership. — Director,  F.  Corlies  Morgan. 

Bureau  of  Canteen  Service. — Director,  Mrs.  G.  W.  C.  Drexel. 

In  December  of  1917,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  have  charge  of  the  Christ- 
mas Membership  Campaign,  which  was  to  be  held  by  the  Red  Cross  throughout 
all  divisions.     J.  Heron  Crosman,  Jr.,  was  the  Acting  Chairman  of  this  Committee. 

In  January  of  1918  a  Rureau  of  Camp  Service  was  organized  with  J.  Hartley 
Merrick  in  charge. 

In  February  of  1918  a  Rureau  of  Personnel  was  established  to  take  care  of  the 
enrolments  for  overseas  service  with  the  Red  Cross.  H.  W.  Moore  was  Director 
and  Mary  A.  L.  Neilson  was  Associate  Director,  in  charge  of  female  personnel. 

The  warehousing  space  had  now  increased  from  15,000  to  65,000  square  feet 

523 


524 


and  supplies  were  moved  to  253  N.  Broad  Street,  a  separate  bureau  being  formed 
to  take  charge  of  this  work,  under  William  M.  Field  as  Director. 

In  March  of  1918  a  school  for  instruction  of  division  field  instructors  in  surgical 
dressings,  etc.,  was  formed,  and  a  Bureau  of  First  Aid  established  with  Dr.  Harry 
Toulmin  as  Director. 

A  Division  Committee  was  appointed  to  handle  the  Second  War  Fund  Drive 
of  the  Red  Cross,  Major  Edgar  Munson  acting  as  Executive  Secretary. 

In  May,  1918,  in  recognition  of  the  splendid  work  done  by  the  people  of  the 
State  of  Delaware  for  the  Red  Cross,  it  was  determined  to  change  the  name  from 
the  Pennsylvania  Division  to  the  Pennsylvania-Delaware  Division. 

In  June,  1918,  a  divisional  medical  director,  Dr.  John  H.  Chapman,  was 
appointed  in  connection  with  the  work  of  the  Bureau  of  Personnel.  At  the  same 
time  the  Bureau  of  Chapter  Production  was  established  with  T.  Williams  Roberts 
as  Director. 

W.  W.  Hepburn  was  appointed  Director  of  the  Speakers'  Bureau,  under  the 
Department  of  Publicity,  with  Harry  A.  Thompson  as  Director  of  the  Publicity 
Department. 

In  June,  1918,  the  Department  of  Military  Relief  was  formed,  to  have  under 
it  and  reporting  to  it  the  Bureaus  of  Camp  Service,  Canteen,  First  Aid  and  Motor 
Corps.     The  director  of  this  department  was  appointed  later. 

The  Bureau  of  Communications  and  Prisoners  Relief  was  formed  in  1918,  with 
Richard  E.  Wilson  as  Director. 

The  following  chart  of  the  organization  on  June  30,  1918,  shows  the  many 
changes  which  were  made  owing  to  the  increased  activity.  The  personnel  increased 
from  46  in  October,  1917,  to  325  in  June,  1918,  of  whom  112  were  paid  and  213  were 
volunteers.  The  payroll  had  grown  from  $2,218.57  to  $8,832.44;  the  office  space 
had  increased  from  3,762  square  feet  to  5,434  square  feet  and  warehouse  space  from 
15,000  to  65,000  square  feet  during  the  same  period  of  time. 

To  distinguish  between  those  units  reporting  directly  to  the  management, 
and  those  reporting  to  other  units  of  the  organization,  it  was  decided  to  call  the 
first  "departments"  and  the  latter  "bureaus."  The  services  of  the  executive 
heads  of  all  departments  and  bureaus  were  without  expense  to  the  division,  exclud- 
ing the  two  technical  departments  of  Nursing  and  Civilian  Relief. 

Organization — June  30,  1918. 

Division  Manager,  Charles  Scott,  Jr.;  Assistant  Division  Manager,  Alan  D.  Wilson;  Coun- 
selor, F.  Corlies  Morgan;  Medical  Director,  Dr.  John  H.  Chapman. 

Department  of  Development. — Director,  F.  Corlies  Morgan;  Associate,  J.  Barton  Townsend. 

Bureau  Chapter  Organization. — Director,  Richard  E.  Wilson. 

Bureau  Chapter  Production. — Director,  T.  W.  Roberts;  Executive  Secretary,  Mrs.  H.  A. 
Dresser.  Surgical  Dressings — Superintendent,  Mrs.  E.  W.  Clark.  Hospital  Garments  and 
Supplies — Superintendent,  Mrs.  Benjamin  Rush.  Knitted  Articles — Superintendent,  Mrs. 
Henry  B.  Coxe.  School  of  Instruction — Superintendent,  Mrs.  A.  H.  Reeve.  Model  Work 
Room — Director,  Mrs.  Charles  Scott,  Jr. 

Bureau  of  Junior  Membership — Director,  Louis  Nusbaum.  Boys'  Work — Superintendent, 
Millard  D.  King.    Girls'  Work — Superintendent,  Mrs.  Anna  C.  Green. 

Department  Civilian  Relief. — Director,  Cheney  C.  Jones;  Associate,  John  S.  Newbold; 
Assistant,  Mrs.  Martha  J.  Megee. 

Department  of  Supplies. — Director,  James  Hancock. 

Bureau  Transportation  and  Warehouse. — Director,  William  M.  Field. 

525 


Department  of  Accounts. — Director,  John  F.  Porter;  Associate,  Henry  G.  Cowgill;  Assistant, 
Chester  T.  Davis. 

Department  of  Publicity. — Director,  Harry  A.  Thompson. 

Speakers'  Bureau. — Director,  W.  W.  Hepburn. 

Department  of  Nursing. — Director,  Miss  Susan  C.  Francis.  Instruction  Classes — Assistant, 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  H.  Schnabel.     Nurses'  Aid — Assistant,  Miss  Letitia  Windle. 

Department  of  Military  Relief. — Awaiting  appointment  of  Director. 

Bureau  of  Camp  Service. — Director,  J.  Hartley  Merrick;  Field  Director,  Randolph  F. 
Justice;  Field  Director,  John  K.  Lamond;  Field  Director,  Robert  C.  Rrooks. 

Bureau  of  Canteen  Service. — Director,  Mrs.  G.  W.  C.  Drexel. 

Bureau  of  Motor  Corps. — Acting  Director,  J.  Hartley  Merrick. 

Bureau  of  First  Aid. — Director,  Dr.  Harry  Toulmin. 

Department  of  Personnel. — Director,  H.  W.  Moore;  Associate,  Miss  Mary  A.  L.  Neilson. 

Bureau  Communications  and  Prisoners'  Relief. — Director,  Richard  E.  Wilson. 

Second  War  Fund  Campaign. — Executive  Secretary,  Major  Edgar  Munson.  Speakers' 
Bureau,  W.  W.  Hepburn.     Publicity,  John  C.  Gilbert. 

Finance  Committee. — Chairman,  E.  T.  Stotesbury;  Vance  McCormick,  A.  W.  Mellon, 
Pierre  S.  Dupont,  Geo.  W.  Pepper,  J.  Benj.  Dimmick. 

Christmas  Membership  Campaign. — Chairman,  W.  H.  Conyngham;  Vice-Chairman,  J.  Heron 
Crosman;  Major  Edmund  Mitchell,  W.  H.  Foster. 

During  the  nine  months  from  October,  1917,  to  June  30,  1918,  it  is  obvious 
that  a  great  deal  of  constructive  organization  work  was  done.  Starting  in  with 
105  chapters,  and  by  a  process  of  combining  small  ones  and  establishing  new  ones, 
the  same  number  was  maintained.  This  required  hard  work  and  much  traveling. 
The  real  picture  is  shown  in  the  growth  of  the  branches  and  auxiliaries,  viz. :  From 
1,101  to  2,447;  in  the  growth  of  the  adult  membership  from  545,842  to  1,823,063 
and  in  the  junior  membership  from  nothing  to  2,753  auxiliaries  with  782,221 
members.  This  made  a  total  Division  membership  on  June  30th  of  2,605,284.  Dur- 
ing the  Christmas  Campaign  of  1917  there  were  enrolled  1,373,231  and  during  the 
Second  War  Fund  Campaign  $20,894,426.26  was  raised. 

The  Belgian  clothing  campaign  in  March,  1918,  resulted  in  the  collection  of 
431,050  pounds  of  clothing.     The  total  production  for  nine  months  was  as  follows: 

Surgical  dressings,  15,499,054;  hospital  garments  and  supplies,  1,662,943;  knitted  articles. 
727,922;  refugee  garments,  24,710;  miscellaneous  articles,  79,990.     Grand  total,  17,994,619. 

The  sale  of  raw  materials  to  chapters  for  October,  1917,  and  June,  1918,  gives 
some  idea  of  the  growth  in  activity. 

October,  1917 $18,196.54 

June,  1918 265,875.54 

The  Bureau  of  Camp  Service  distributed  2,142  sweaters  in  October,  1917, 
and  15,441  sweaters  in  December  of  the  same  year.  The  work  of  this  Bureau  also 
included  continuous  activity  among  the  men  at  the  Navy  Yard  here  and  at  the 
various  camps  and  hospitals  throughout  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware. 

The  Bureau  of  Canteen  Service  started  in  with  six  canteen  stations  in  October 
and  by  June  the  number  had  increased  to  sixty-two.  In  Philadelphia  alone  there 
were  nearly  3,000  women  active  in  canteen  work.  During  the  nine  months'  period 
mentioned  the  Canteen  fed  501,439  men. 

The  Bureau  of  Motor  Corps  was  not  established  until  some  time  after  October, 
but  in  June  they  reported  four  chapters  organized  for  the  work. 

526 


The  Bureau  of  First  Aid  reported  for  the  nine  months'  period:  156  classes 
formed;  2,676  students  enrolled;  978  students  examined ;  1,174  certificates  issued; 
sixty-five  instructors  appointed ;  fifty-four  examiners  appointed. 

The  Department  of  Civilian  Relief  was  the  only  one  in  the  country  able  to 
report  all  chapters  in  the  Division  organized  for  home  service.  During  this  nine 
months'  period,  a  flood  at  Lock  Haven  and  a  fire  at  Loganton,  Pa.,  were  both  han- 
dled by  the  Department  of  Civilian  Relief.  In  October,  1917,  there  were  ten 
cases  cleared  through  the  Department  of  Civilian  Relief  and  no  families  dealt 
with.  In  June  of  1918  there  were  431  cases  cleared  through  the  Division  office 
and  7,252  home  service  families  dealt  with. 

The  Department  of  Publicity  began  with  the  irregular  publication  of  a  four- 
page  Division  paper  and  grew  to  a  twelve-page  edition  published  twice  a  month 
with  a  circulation  of  about  9,000.  Motion-picture  service  has  also  been  added  to 
the  work  of  the  Department. 

The  Department  of  Personnel  up  to  June  30  had  completed  forty-three  files 
for  male  personnel  and  thirty-nine  files  for  female  personnel  for  overseas  service. 
This  Bureau  was  rated  by  the  National  Director  in  Washington  as  being  the 
best  organized  and  operated  in  the  country. 

The  Department  of  Nursing  organized  eight  enrolment  committees  throughout 
the  State,  established  instruction  classes  and  organized  a  department  for  Nurses 
Aids.     There  were  800  nurses  enrolled  in  this  nine  months'  period. 

The  Department  of  Accounts  reported  total  expenses  for  the  Division  for  the 
first  nine  months  of  $152,526.01,  and  total  sales  of  raw  materials  for  the  same 
period  of  $1,159,446.83. 

From  July  1,  1918,  when  the  organization  was  as  shown  above,  until  Decem- 
ber 31,  1918,  the  following  important  changes  were  made: 

The  Division  now  had  two  warehouses,  one  for  finished  products  and  one  for 
raw  materials. 

George  W.  Childs  Drexel  accepted  the  position  of  Director  of  Military  Relief 
in  September,  1918.  Anita  Phipps  accepted  the  position  of  Director  of  Motor  Corps 
Service  at  the  same  time. 

In  October,  1918,  at  the  request  of  Washington  a  nursing  survey  was  insti- 
tuted. 

The  influenza  epidemic  in  Philadelphia  first  broke  out  in  the  Navy  Yard 
and,  realizing  the  seriousness  of  its  effect  on  the  civilian  population,  a  Committee 
on  Influenza  was  appointed  composed  of  representatives  of  the  various  Division 
departments  concerned,  with  Joseph  W.  Sharp,  Jr.,  as  Chairman.  This  committee 
gathered  together  the  resources  of  the  Division  and  arranged  for  the  distribution 
of  supplies. 

A  number  of  Professors  were  appointed  Temporary  State  Directors  to  look 
after  the  men  in  the  S.  A.  T.  C.  at  various  colleges  and  schools. 

A  Division  cutting  plant  was  instituted  in  October,  1918. 

In  November,  1918,  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  the  Bureau  of  Conserva- 
tion, which  had  been  formed  to  take  charge  of  the  collection  and  conserving  of 
articles  wanted  by  the  Governement,  was  no  longer  needed  and  so  was  at  once 
disbanded. 

A  school  of  instruction  for  Division  field  instructors  in  hospital  garments  and 
knitted  articles  was  established  at  1512  Spruce  Street,  under  Miss  Girvin. 

527 


The  work  of  the  Department  of  Personnel  was  now  over  with  the  exception 
of  completing  their  records,  the  Director  and  his  associates  resigned  and  the  per- 
sonnel was  reduced  from  fourteen  to  four. 

The  Department  of  Nursing,  preparing  for  future  peace  activity,  formed  the 
Bureau  of  Public  Health  Nursing,  with  Mrs.  F.  B.  Downing  as  Director.  Miss 
Flora  Bradford  was  made  Field  Instructor  in  Home  Hygiene  and  care  of  the  sick. 

Francis  Farquhar,  of  York,  Pa.,  was  appointed  Division  Chairman  for  the 
Christmas  Roll  Call  of  1918,  wilich  he  directed  from  York. 

Owing  to  the  complete  cessation  of  surgical  dressings  work,  T.  Williams 
Roberts,  Director  of  Chapter  Production,  resigned. 

After  the  signing  of  the  armistice  the  Manager  of  the  Division  felt  that  he 
was  not  justified  in  asking  those  associated  with  him  as  volunteers  to  disregard 
their  personal  affairs  for  the  Red  Cross  and  adjustments  were  made  as  quickly 
as  possible  to  enable  them  to  return  to  their  businesses. 

The  Bureau  of  Communications  was  eliminated  and  all  production  ended. 

The  model  workroom  was  abandoned  in  December,  1918,  making  in  all 
the  elimination  of  the  following  departments: 

Department  of  Personnel. 

Bureau  of  Conservation. 

Bureau  of  Communications  and  Prisoners'  Relief. 

Bureau  of  Camp  Service. 

Bureau  of  Hospital  Service. 

This  left  the  Division  with  the  following  organization  on  December  31,  1918: 

Manager,  Charles  Scott,  Jr.;  Assistant  to  Manager,  Alan  D.  Wilson;  Assistant  Division 
Manager,  F.  Corlies  Morgan;  Counselor,  F.  Corlies  Morgan;  Medical  Advisor,  Dr.  John  R. 
Chapman. 

Department  of  Development. — Director,  F.  Corlies  Morgan;  Associate,  J.  Barton  Townsend. 

Bureau  Chapter  Organization. — Director,  Richard  E.  Wilson. 

Bureau  Chapter  Production. — Secretary,  Mrs.  H.  A.  Dresser. 

Surgical  Dressings. — Superintendent,  Mrs.  Benjamin  Rush;  Chief  Inspector,  Mrs.  Harry 
Bailey. 

Hospital  Garments  and  Supplies. — Superintendent,  Mrs.  Benjamin  Rush;  Assistant  Super- 
intendent, Lila  Fisher;  Chief  Inspector,  Mrs.  M.  B.  Fine. 

Knitted  Articles. — Superintendent,  Mrs.  Henry  B.  Coxe;  Assistant  Superintendent,  Mrs. 
Charles  Scott,  Jr.;  Inspector,  Mrs.  George  Frazier;  Chief  Inspector,  Constance  Lee. 

School  of  Instruction. — Mary  Girvin. 

Bureau  Junior  Membership. — Director,  Louis  Nusbaum.  Boys'  Work. — Millard  D.  King. 
Girls'  Work. — Mrs.  Anna  C.  Green. 

Department  Civilian  Belief. — Director,  Cheney  C.  Jones;  Associate,  John  S.  Newbold;  As- 
sistant, Mrs.  Martha  J.  Megee;  Case  Supervisor,  Helen  V.  White;  Field  Supervisor,  Helen  Blanton. 

Department  of  Supplies. — Director,  James  M.  Reed;  Associate,  J.  G.  Rittenhouse;  Assistant, 
I.  C.  McLaughlin. 

Department  of  Accounts. — Director,  Henry  G.  Cowgill;  Assistant,  Chester  T.  Davis. 

Department  of  Publicity. — Director,  Henry  A.  Thompson. 

Speakers'  Bureau. — Director,  W.  W.  Hepburn. 

Department  of  Nursing. — Director,  Susan  C.  Francis. 

Bureau  Public  Health  Nursing. — Director,  Mrs.  Florence  Downing. 

Instruction  Classes. — Assistant,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Schnabel. 

Nurses'  Aides. — Assistant,  R.  L.  Hirsh. 

Department  Military  Belief. — Director,  G.  W.  C.  Drexel. 

Bureau  Canteen  Service. — Director,  Mrs.  G.  W.  C.  Drexel. 

Bureau  Motor  Corps. — Director,  Anita  Phipps. 

528 


Bureau  First  Aid. — Director,  Dr.  Harry  Toulmin;  Field  Directors. — John  K.  Lamond, 
Robert  G.  Brooks,  J.  V.  S.  Bishop. 

Division  Chairman  Christmas  Roll  Call,  December,  1918. — Francis  H.  Farquhar. 
Division  Supervisor  Nursing  Survey. — William  O.  Easton. 

During  the  six  months  covered  by  the  period  of  July  1st  to  December  31, 
1918,  the  development  of  Red  Cross  service  and  operation  was  at  its  height.  A 
number  of  campaigns  were  held,  including  the  campaign  for  graduate  nurses,  in 
which  1,023  nurses  were  enrolled,  the  Belgian  Clothing  Campaign,  in  which  652 
tons  of  clothing  were  actually  shipped  by  the  chapters  of  this  Division,  the  Linen 
Shower,  during  which,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  influenza  epidemic  hampered 
all  activities  throughout  the  chapters,  there  were  nevertheless  57,432  pieces  col- 
lected ;  Red  Cross  Calendar  Campaign,  when  4,042  Red  Cross  calendars  were  sold ; 
the  Christmas  Roll  Call  Campaign,  with  a  total  enrolment  of  1,670,860;  the 
Nursing  Survey  in  45  chapters  and  the  Christmas  Carton  Campaign,  during  which 
there  were  filled,  inspected  and  sent  overseas  by  this  Division  173,672  cartons. 

The  Bureau  of  Chapter  Organization,  etc.,  accurately  defined  the  territory 
of  seventy-one  out  of  the  105  chapters.  This  necessitated  much  field  work  and 
personal  adjustment. 

A  statistical  department  was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  accurately  deter- 
mining the  productive  capacity  of  each  chapter.  The  school  for  division  instruc- 
tion in  hospital  garments  and  knitted  articles  was  instituted  in  order  to  improve 
the  general  standard  of  the  chapter  work. 

The  production  of  the  Bureau  for  this  six  months  was  as  follows: 

Surgical  dressings,  7,303,067;  hospital  garments  and  supplies,  1,060,914; 
knitted  articles,  668,797;  repaired  garments,  227,912;  miscellaneous  articles, 
12,566.     The  estimated  value  of  this  production  was  $2,855,065.11. 

The  Bureau  of  Junior  Membership  rendered  invaluable  service  in  all  campaigns 
held  during  the  six  months'  period. 

The  Bureau  of  Conservation  was  formed  in  an  effort  to  have  the  chapters 
help  in  the  conservation  of  articles  desired  by  the  Government.  Affairs  were 
progressing  most  satisfactorily  when  the  armistice  was  signed. 

The  Bureau  of  Communications  handled  11,871  communications  regarding 
prisoners  and  wounded  men,  as  well  as  soldiers  who  neglected  to  write  home. 
They  also  handled  454  A.  E.  F.  inquiries  and  339  letters  from  foreign  territory. 

The  Department  of  Supplies  had,  in  August,  1918,  about  90,000  square  feet 
of  warehouse  space  in  each  of  two  warehouses,  making  a  total  of  about  180,000 
square  feet.  Total  sales  to  chapters  by  the  Department  of  Supplies  amounted  to 
$1,521,968.46.  Total  shipments  were:  Export,  7,438  cases;  domestic,  2,976  cases; 
Government,  1,854  cases. 

The  following  is  a  summary  of  the  Military  Relief  Department  activities  for 
these  six  months: 

First  Aid  classes  held 83 

Attendance 1,756 

Number  canteens  organized 62 

Number  motor  corps  organized 27 

Number  military  establishments  in  territory 5 

Number  naval  establishments  in  territory 4 

Number  military  hospitals  in  division 4 

Number  naval  hospitals  in  division 3 

529 


Number  articles  distributed  in  camp  service 156,320 

Value  of  these  articles $320,867.50 

Number  nurses  homes None 

Number  convalescent  houses None 

Value  hospital  supplies  distributed $23,819.43 

The  Bureau  of  Canteen  Service  summary: 

Canteens  organized 62 

Canteen  workers  in  division 4,039 

Canteen  huts 11 

Shower  baths 14 

Information  and  rest  rooms  at 32  stations 

Number  men  served 941,103 

Sick  men  removed  to  hospital 20 

Sick  men  aided 16,586 

The  Bureau  of  Motor  Corps  reported  an  increase  from  four  organized  corps 
to  twenty-eight,  with  a  total  of  496  active  workers.  During  the  epidemic  they 
rendered  most  valuable  and  efficient  service. 

Influenza  Epidemic. — The  care  of  this  situation  was  probably  the  best  piece 
of  work  done  in  the  Division  during  these  six  months.  All  possible  resources  were 
gathered  and  the  chapters  were  instructed  to  render  every  possible  aid  along 
general  fines.  At  the  request  of  the  Acting  Commissioner  of  Health  in  the  State, 
the  Assistant  Manager  went  to  Harrisburg,  and  either  he  or  some  one  else  from 
the  Division  constantly  occupied  a  desk  there  until  the  epidemic  was  over.  The 
chapters  did  excellent  work,  numbers  of  emergency  hospitals  were  equipped  and 
opened  at  short  notice  and  great  quantities  of  supplies  were  given  to  all  existing 
hospitals.  The  medical  supplies  were  in  great  demand  and  volunteers  travelled 
throughout  the  Division  and  made  prompt  delivery  of  them.  The  Department 
of  Nursing  allotted  the  nurses  on  hand  and  also  enrolled  many  who  had  retired.  In 
addition,  a  large  number  of  nurses'  aids  were  sent  out  under  the  graduate  nurses. 
Great  praise  was  given  the  chapters  for  their  help  in  all  local  emergencies  and  a 
very  appreciative  letter  was  sent  the  Division  by  the  Acting  Commissioner  of 
Health. 

The  Department  of  Civilian  Relief  cared  for  8,883  families  during  the  month 
of  July  and  24,338  in  December,  thus  showing  the  growth  in  activity.  During  the 
six  months  they  organized  in  all  105  chapters  for  home  service.  The  total  ex- 
penditures for  home  service  cases  were  $214,916.06;  99,619  families  were  helped. 

The  Department  of  Publicity  issued  fortnightly  Clippings,  the  Division  paper, 
with  a  circulation  of  10,729,  together  with  special  editions  in  connection  with  vari- 
ous campaigns,  etc.  Four  hundred  newspapers  throughout  the  Division  were 
regularly  supplied  with  news  by  this  department. 

The  Speakers'  Bureau  supplied  speakers  for  all  campaigns,  meetings,  etc. 

The  Department  of  Accounts,  in  addition  to  its  regular  work,  made  system- 
atic efforts  to  get  financial  statements  from  chapters  and  their  branches;  also 
statement  of  the  raw  materials  on  hand  in  the  chapter  territory. 

The  total  receipts  in  the  Division  for  these  six  months  were  $1,557,130.94. 
The  total  expenditures  for  all  purposes  of  Administration  were:  $289,673.09. 

Following  the  period  of  time  covered  by  the  above  history,  the  Division 
Organization  concerned  itself  with  the  finishing  up  of  the  war  work  and  the  carrying 

530 


out  of  the  peace  program  of  the  Red  Cross.  The  former,  of  course,  was  a  dimin- 
ishing activity,  while  the  latter  was  a  most  constructive  piece  of  work,  including 
the  working  out  of  cooperative  arrangements  with  the  State  Department  of  Health 
and  its  various  sub-departments,  the  establishment  of  public  health  nursing 
services,  baby  clinics,  health  centers,  etc.,  throughout  the  State  of  Pennsylvania. 
On  April  1,  1921,  as  part  of  a  nation-wide  plan  to  return  the  Red  Cross  organ- 
ization to  a  pre-war  basis,  the  Pennsylvania-Delaware  Division  was  abolished  and 
the  supervision  of  all  Red  Cross  activities  in  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware  trans- 
ferred to  the  Atlantic  Division,  with  headquarters  in  New  York  City. 

SOUTHEASTERN  PENNSYLVANIA  CHAPTER  AMERICAN  RED  CROSS 

The  organized  life  of  the  Southeastern  Pennsylvania  Chapter  American  Red 
Cross  dates  from  March  4,  1916,  when  approval  of  its  organization  was  received 
from  National  Headquarters  in  Washington. 

A  meeting  was  held  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  C.  Harrison,  1618 
Locust  Street,  Philadelphia,  on  January  22,  1916.  At  this  time  efforts  were  being 
made  throughout  the  country  to  arouse  interest  in  the  reorganized  and  enlarged 
American  Red  Cross.  The  Hon.  William  Howard  Taft,  Chairman  of  the  Central 
Committee,  Ernest  Ricknell,  Director  of  Civilian  Relief,  and  Colonel  Jefferson 
Kean,  Director  of  Military  Relief,  of  the  National  Red  Cross,  were  present  at  the 
meeting  and,  following  their  suggestions,  a  temporary  executive  committee  was 
elected  with  Dr.  Richard  H.  Harte  as  Chairman. 

Negotiations  for  the  recognition  of  the  Chapter  and  the  adjustment  of  its 
relations  to  the  National  Organization  were  carried  on  and  brought  to  a  successful 
conclusion  through  the  efforts  of  a  committee  consisting  of  Dr.  Alfred  Stengel, 
Chairman,  Dr.  D.  J.  McCarthy  and  Colonel  Samuel  D.  Lit. 

The  territory  assigned  to  the  Chapter  included  Rucks,  Chester,  Delaware, 
Montgomery  and  Philadelphia  counties. 

Public  attention  was  turned  toward  the  proposed  activities  of  the  Chapter  by 
an  exhibit,  which  was  held  during  the  month  of  April,  1916,  in  the  Widener  Ruilding, 
a  part  of  which  was  afterward  transferred  to  the  Commercial  Museum  in  con- 
nection with  a  civic  exposition  called  "Philadelphia  Today  and  Tomorrow."  Further 
publicity  was  secured  through  a  leaflet  printed  at  the  expense  of  Mrs.  Arthur  H. 
Lea.  Out  of  the  Widener  Ruilding  exhibit  grew  the  establishment  of  the  instruc- 
tion classes  in  first  aid,  elementary  hygiene  and  home  care  of  the  sick,  and  dietetics. 

Shortly  after  this,  the  first  membership  campaign  was  undertaken  by  a  com- 
mittee under  direction  of  Colonel  Samuel  D.  Lit.  This  drive  brought  the  member- 
ship up  to  16,000  by  the  end  of  July,  1916. 

The  organization  of  a  base  hospital  in  Philadelphia  claimed  attention  in  June, 
1916,  and  subsequently  Dr.  Harte  reported  that  he  had  received  from  the  Women's 
Committee  on  Preparedness  the  sum  of  $25,000  to  be  used  for  such  a  hospital. 
Out  of  this  grew  Rase  Hospital  No.  10,  with  which  Dr.  Harte  later  went  abroad  as 
director.  The  personnel  of  this  hospital  was  drawn  from  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital. 
Other  base  hospitals  were  formed  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  Jefferson  and 
Episcopal  hospitals,  with  a  naval  base  in  the  Methodist  Hospital  and  a  field 
hospital  unit  in  the  Presbyterian  Hospital.  All  of  these  were  later  called  into 
service,  and  while  the  chapter  was  in  no  sense  directly  responsible  for  them,  it 

531 


acted  as  custodian  for  some  of  their  funds  and  cheerfully  supplied  whatever  ma- 
terial was  requested. 

Until  October  31, 1916,  the  affairs  of  the  chapter  were  managed  by  the  executive 
committee  as  originally  appointed,  with  additions  from  time  to  time.  Various 
committees  of  this  body  were  entrusted  with  specific  duties  as  the  needs  arose. 
But  in  the  fall  of  1916  a  more  definite  plan  was  adopted,  under  which  a  board  of 
directors  was  elected  and  its  Chairman  authorized  to  appoint  the  necessary  com- 
mittees in  order  to  secure  proper  division  of  labor.  The  key  to  the  structure  was 
the  Executive  Committee,  on  which  Dr.  Harte,  the  Chapter  Chairman,  appointed 
the  following  members:  Dr.  Charles  J.  Hatfield,  Chairman,  G.  W.  C.  Drexel, 
C.  J.  Rhoads,  Colonel  S.  D.  Lit  and  Dr.  Alfred  Stengel.  This  committee,  changed 
somewhat  in  its  personnel  by  resignations  and  appointments,  served  until  October 
15,  1917,  when  its  functions  were  taken  over  in  large  part  by  the  Executive 
Director  and  the  Special,  afterward  General,  Committee. 

A  noteworthy  achievement  of  the  Executive  Committee  was  the  creation  and 
installation  of  a  carefully  wrought  out  scheme  of  departmental  organization  and 
business  management.  This  was  the  work  in  the  main  of  Captain  J.  Franklin 
McFadden,  whose  business  acumen  was  a  most  valuable  asset  to  the  Chapter  dur- 
ing this  year  of  intense  activity  and  rapid  growth. 

The  first  office  of  the  Chapter  was  at  608  Chestnut  Street,  afterward  transferred 
to  1419  Walnut  Street,  and  later  to  221  S.  18th  Street,  until  removal  to  1615 
Chestnut  Street  in  the  summer  of  1918.  Notwithstanding  the  size  of  the  18th 
Street  house,  loaned  to  the  chapter  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  T.  Stotesbury  in  most 
generous  fashion,  and  the  larger  quarters  on  Chestnut  Street,  it  was  at  no  time  pos- 
sible to  put  all  the  departments  of  the  Chapter  under  one  roof. 

At  the  high  tide  of  work,  seven  buildings  were  in  use,  221  S.  18th  Street,  218  S. 
19th  Street,  southwest  corner  18th  and  Locust  streets,  1607  Walnut  Street,  1703 
Walnut  Street,  1609  Walnut  Street  and  1315  Market  Street. 

The  active  participation  of  women  in  the  chapter  work  is  marked  by  the 
appointment,  on  June  27,  1916,  of  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea  as  Chairman  of  a  Woman's 
Auxiliary  Committee,  with  authority  to  select  other  members.  At  no  time  since 
have  Red  Cross  women  failed  in  their  marked  devotion  to  the  cause.  Unstinted 
praise  is  due  the  multitude  of  women  volunteers  who  served  in  the  Chapter  depart- 
ments and  in  the  branches  and  auxiliaries,  numbering  at  least  50,000  in  all. 

As  the  scope  of  the  Chapter's  activities  enlarged,  it  was  found  advisable  to 
adopt  a  policy  for  subsidiary  organization  throughout  the  five  counties.  In  the 
summer  of  1916  it  was  therefore  agreed  that  the  term  "Branch"  should  be  used 
geographically,  and  membership  in  such  branches  was  made  inclusive  of  all  in  each 
particular  locality  who  wished  to  become  members;  and  that  the  term  "Auxiliary" 
be  used  as  an  administrative  definition  to  apply  to  groups  of  individuals  only, 
subject  to  the  direction  of  the  Chapter. 

Sixty  branches,  some  with  dependent  auxiliaries  and  others  with  sectional  or 
group  subdivisions,  were  organized.  The  number  of  auxiliaries  identified  with 
branches  was  105.  In  Philadelphia  326  auxiliaries  were  recognized,  with  five 
auxiliaries  at  large  in  as  many  outlying  districts. 

Of  vital  importance  to  the  Red  Cross  was  the  inauguration  of  the  First  War 
Fund,  for  which  it  was  proposed  to  raise  throughout  the  country  $100,000,000,  the 
Chapter's  share  being  $1,125,000.    The  week  of  June.  18  to  25, 1917,  was  designated 

532 


as  the  period  of  the  drive.  Interest  in  this  campaign  was  aroused  by  the  visit  to 
Philadelphia  of  H.  P.  Davison,  Chairman  of  the  Red  Cross  War  Council. 
E.  T.  Stotesbury  was  elected  Chairman  of  the  Chapter  on  May  31,  1917,  in  succes- 
sion to  Dr.  Richard  H.  Harte,  resigned.  Mr.  Stotesbury  served  as  Chairman  for 
the  War  Fund  Campaign.  The  sum  finally  raised  in  the  Chapter  amounted  to 
$2,800,000. 

Prior  to  the  launching  of  the  Second  Red  Cross  War  Fund,  a  War  Welfare 
Council  was  organized  in  the  territory  of  the  Chapter  for  the  purpose  of  making  a 
concerted  effort  to  secure  the  funds  for  war  relief  work  apportioned  to  Philadelphia 
and  vicinity  through  the  national  relief  organization,  including  the  American  Red 
Cross.  The  War  Chest  movement  relieved  the  organizations  of  the  Chapter  from 
any  active  participation  in  securing  contributions.  It  resulted  in  the  raising  of 
over  $6,000,000  for  the  Second  Red  Cross  War  Fund. 

By  the  time  of  the  annual  election  of  officers  in  October,  1917,  the  Chapter  was 
in  the  full  swing  of  its  war  relief  work.  There  was  a  great  increase  in  activities 
and  two  important  steps  directed  toward  a  closer  coordination  of  departments 
and  a  greater  degree  of  efficiency  were  taken. 

A  special  committee  of  the  board,  later  known  as  the  general  committee, 
authorized  on  October  15,  1917,  and  consisting  of  Randal  Morgan,  Chairman, 
Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea,  Dr.  Charles  J.  Hatfield,  Mrs.  Thomas  Robbins  and  John 
B.  Townsend,  Secretary,  was  appointed.  It  was  made  the  duty  of  this  committee 
"to  review  the  work  of  the  chapter  and  report  to  the  board."  A  series  of  con- 
ferences with  the  heads  of  the  fourteen  departments  of  the  chapter  was  arranged. 
The  amount  of  information  brought  to  the  board  by  the  committee  and  its  authori- 
tative character  were  of  inestimable  value  in  guiding  the  work  of  the  Chapter 
through  all  that  period.  No  recommendation  of  the  committee,  which  altogether 
held  thirty-six  meetings,  ever  failed  of  adoption  by  the  board.  The  quiet,  strong 
leadership  of  Randal  Morgan,  the  Chairman,  deserves  far  more  than  the  single 
sentence  here  written  in  its  recognition. 

The  other  important  action  in  the  autumn  of  1917  was  the  appointment  of 
the  recently  elected  Secretary  of  the  Chapter,  John  Barnes  Townsend,  to  the 
position  of  Executive  Director,  in  which  he  served  with  rare  skill  and  energy  until 
January,  1919.  The  Red  Cross  owes  its  success  to  such  volunteer  workers  as  Mr. 
Townsend  and  his  colleagues  in  the  direction  of  the  Chapter  activities.  When  the 
war-time  leaders,  Mr.  Stotesbury  and  Mr.  Townsend,  relinquished  their  official 
positions  they  left  a  Red  Cross  organization  in  every  way  equipped  and  nicely 
adjusted  to  carry  on  the  less  strenuous,  though  equally  important,  peace  program. 

Department  of  Memberships,  Branches  and  Auxiliaries 

Prior  to  July  1,  1917,  the  solicitation  of  memberships,  apart  from  the  special 
campaigns,  was  in  the  hands  of  a  Committee  on  Memberships.  Paralleling  the 
increase  of  memberships,  the  development  of  branches  and  auxiliaries  went  on 
throughout  the  chapter  under  the  direction  of  the  executive  committee.  On  July 
1,  1917,  these  two  phases  of  extension  work  were  united  in  the  Department  of 
Memberships,  Branches  and  Auxiliaries.  The  committee  consisted  of  Dr.  Charles 
D.  Hart,  Chairman;  Mrs.  John  White  Geary,  Vice-Chairman  of  Memberships,  and 
Mrs.  Joseph  Leidy,  Vice-Chairman  of  Branches  and  Auxiliaries,  who  later  resigned. 

533 


Howard  Wayne  Smith,  later  Execu- 
tive Secretary  of  the  Chapter,  was 
appointed  Extension  Manager  in 
May,  1917. 

On  January  1,  1917,  there  were 
18,000  members  in  the  Chapter.  A 
small  campaign  conducted  in  the 
spring  increased  the  number  to  100,- 
000.  The  first  roll  call,  held  from 
December  17th  to  24th,  raised  the 
total  to  425,000  members. 

The  1918  Christmas  roll  call  was 
held  from  December  16th  to  23d, 
directed  by  the  following  committee : 
Dr.  Charles  D.  Hart,  Chairman; 
Marshall  S.  Morgan,  Treasurer;  W. 
Hinckle  Smith,  Colonel  Samuel  D. 
Lit,  James  M.  Willcox. 

Early  in  the  summer  of  1918 
the  Committee  on  Memberships  was 
placed  in  charge  of  a  campaign  for 
the  enrolment  of  nurses  for  service  in 
the  Army  and  Navy.  Although  this 
campaign  was  begun  at  an  unseason- 
able time  of  year,  after  most  of  the 
nurses'  training  schools  had  held  their 
commencements,  meetings  were  held, 
literature  was  distributed,  personal 
appeals  were  sent  to  all  nurses  whose 
names  could  be  secured,  and  every 
available  prospect  was  solicited  to 
enroll  for  service. 

Appeals  for  help  were  sent  to 
the  various  nurses'  training  schools  in  this  vicinity.  The  quota  assigned  to  the 
Chapter  was  400,  and  262  were  finally  secured.  This  equaled  the  average  through- 
out the  United  States,  where  20,494  were  enrolled  out  of  a  national  quota  of  50,000. 
The  outbreak  of  influenza  in  the  city  prevented  a  vigorous  prosecution  of  the 
campaign,  as  every  available  nurse  was  drafted  for  service  in  the  battle  against  the 
epidemic. 

Dr.  Hart  having  resigned  in  the  early  part  of  1919,  Mrs.  John  White  Geary 
became  Chairman  of  the  department. 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,   Stanley  Co.   of   America. 

An  Irresistible  Appeal. 


Department  of  Workrooms 

In  January,  1917,  Mrs.  Thomas  Potter,  Jr.,  was  appointed  Chairman  of  the 
Women's  Working  Committee.  Other  members  of  the  committee  were:  Mrs. 
Charles  C.  Harrison,  Mrs.  Alfred  Stengel,  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea,  Mrs.  Charles  W. 
Nevin,  Mrs.  William  R.  Mercer,  Mrs.  Charles  J.  Rhoads,  Mrs.  Horace  Rinney 
Hare,  Miss  Emily  R.  Smith,  Miss  Henrietta  Ely,  Mrs.  R.  R.  Porter  Rradford, 

534 


Miss  Emily  B.  Fox,  Miss  Susan  C.  Francis,  Mrs.  Richard  H.  Harte,  Miss  Hannah 
Wright  and  Mrs.  John  W.  Geary. 

On  February  12,  1917,  the  Working  Committee  opened  rooms  on  the  street 
floor  of  221  S.  18th  Street.  At  that  time  there  were  no  auxiliaries  or  branches, 
and  the  Committee  was  obliged  to  do  the  work  as  well  as  finance  itself.  This  was 
done  by  generous  contributions  of  $1,000  each  from  Mrs.  Harrison  and  Mrs.  Lea, 
to  which  others  added  some  $3,000  during  the  following  two  months. 

The  first  work  undertaken  was  the  equipment,  wholly  or  in  part,  of  the  five 
base  hospitals  which  went  from  Philadelphia.  In  March,  1917,  the  board  of 
directors  authorized  the  financing  of  the  Committee  from  the  general  Red  Cross 
funds. 

The  Committee,  in  the  early  days,  did  its  own  buying  and  its  own  cutting  and, 
aided  by  friends,  undertook  all  sewing. 

In  the  beginning  the  Working  Committee  made  surgical  dressings,  the  Surgical 
Dressings  Committee  making  sample  boxes  and  inspecting  the  work  of  the  auxili- 
aries and  branches. 

Four  rooms  were  set  aside  for  surgical  dressing  use  on  the  second  floor  of  221 
S.  18th  Street,  where  classes  were  conducted  for  four  months  under  the  supervision 
of  Mrs.  Charles  W.  Nevin. 

The  Workrooms  Department  was  then  asked  to  add  to  its  other  work  a  class 
of  instruction  in  surgical  dressings.  This  work  was  promptly  got  under  way  with 
two  classes  daily,  numbering  twenty  members  each. 

On  July  12,  1917,  the  surgical  dressings  rooms  were  turned  over  to  the  Surgical 
Dressings  Department,  and  the  instruction  classes  were,  about  the  same  time, 
transferred  to  the  Department  of  Instruction. 

As  the  work  increased  the  department  moved  twice,  in  each  case  to  larger 
quarters;  first  to  rooms  at  1417  Walnut  Street  and  then  to  Chapter  Headquarters, 
1615  Chestnut  Street. 

In  July,  1917,  came  the  first  demands  for  larger  quantities  of  knitted  articles. 
Wool  was  sold  at  cost  to  those  who  would  return  the  finished  products  to  the  Red 
Cross.  Within  a  few  months  it  was  determined  to  distribute  wool  without  charge, 
and  a  time  limit  was  set  for  the  return  of  the  completed  articles. 

Mrs.  William  Henry  Trotter,  Chairman  of  the  Wool  Committee,  assisted  by 
Mrs.  J.  Rutherford  McAllister  and  Mrs.  Walter  Ross,  Vice-Chairmen,  did  splendid 
and  generous  service  in  this  department. 

Early  in  the  fall  of  1917  a  Miscellaneous  Supply  Department  was  established 
under  Mrs.  Albert  Fink  Smith,  to  care  for  the  accumulation  of  articles  which  were 
not  authorized  by  the  Red  Cross  nor  made  from  accepted  Red  Cross  patterns. 
This  department  was  housed  at  1419  Spruce  Street,  and  the  articles  handled  by  it 
were  primarily  for  the  use  of  the  Home  Service  Section,  although  thousands  of  articles 
were  given  to  other  relief  committees  and  to  the  Red  Cross  Rureau  of  Camp  Service. 

Through  the  summer  of  1917  the  thousands  of  garments  needed  in  the  work 
were  cut  free  of  charge  through  the  courtesy  of  the  tailors  of  Philadelphia  and  of 
the  Snellenburg  Company.  Soon  the  work  assumed  such  proportions  that  it  was 
necessary  to  establish  a  separate  cutting  department.  This  was  done  in  December, 
1917,  at  1419  Spruce  Street,  the  house  being  loaned  for  that  purpose  by  Mr.  Francis 
A.  Lewis.  Mrs.  John  Hallowell  was  placed  in  charge  of  this  work,  which  was  con- 
tinued with  great  success  and  economy  until  October,  1918,  when  National  Head- 

535 


quarters  arranged  that  all  cutting  be  done  by  the  various  divisions,  and  the  Cutting 
Department  was  then  transferred  to  the  Pennsylvania-Delaware  Division. 

In  December,  1917,  the  Pennsylvania-Delaware  Division  found  itself  with 
thousands  of  garments  in  its  warehouse  which,  on  account  of  some  minor  defect, 
could  not  be  shipped.  Transportation  difficulties  made  it  impossible  to  return 
these  garments  to  the  chapters  by  which  they  had  been  made.  On  this  account 
the  Department  of  Workrooms  opened  a  Correction  Department  at  1419  Spruce 
Street,  to  assist  the  division.  Mrs.  Henry  D.  Paxson  was  placed  in  charge  of  the 
work,  to  which  was  added  the  making  of  model  garments  for  the  division.  This 
work  was  discontinued  in  October,  1918.  During  that  month  the  workrooms 
began  making  refugee  garments. 

On  several  occasions  the  department  faced  situations  demanding  swift  action. 
During  the  influenza  epidemic  500  children's  night  dresses  were  made  one  Sunday 
and  were  ready  for  distribution  Monday  morning.  Later,  3,000  knitted  undervest 
sweaters  were  supplied  within  twenty-one  days  for  the  use  of  nurses  serving  in 
Northern  France.  At  another  time  9,000  wind-proof  paper-lined  vests  were  needed 
for  shipment  to  Siberia  within  three  weeks. 

An  interesting  variation  in  the  work  was  a  linen  shower  for  France  held  during 
October  and  November,  1918,  in  order  to  replenish  depleted  hospitals.  The  call 
was  for  350,000  sheets,  towels,  napkins  and  handkerchiefs.  The  response  from 
the  auxiliaries  and  branches  was  generous  and  gratifying. 

A  paid  force  facilitated  the  system  of  supply  at  the  workrooms,  but  the  burden 
of  the  work  was  assumed  by  volunteer  workers,  some  fifty  in  all,  whose  promptness, 
efficiency  and  tireless  devotion  made  it  possible  to  meet  the  constantly  increasing 
demands  of  the  work. 

The  following  figures  do  not  include  the  75,000  knitted  articles  and  comfort 
kits  which  were  distributed  individually  by  the  branches  and  auxiliaries  to  the 
local  Draft  Boards,  or  the  French  linen  shower: 

Chapter  Production 

From  branches  and  auxiliaries: 

Hospital  garments 646,670 

Knitted  garments 252,529 

Refugee  garments 94,817 

Miscellaneous  supplies 8,405 

1,002,421 

Volunteer  factory 22,933 

Junior  Red  Cross 25,135 


1,050,489 

Mrs.  Thomas  Potter,  Jr.,  as  executive  head  of  the  department  and  Vice-Chair- 
man,  was  actively  in  charge  of  its  work  from  the  beginning.  The  department  had 
four  chairmen:  Charles  J.  Rhoads,  Charles  L.  McKeehan,  Leonard  T.  Beale  and 
Mrs.  Thomas  Potter,  Jr. 

Department  of  Instruction 

This  department  had  charge  of  the  education  activities  of  the  Chapter,  and  be- 
gan operations  July  1,  1916,  when  it  was  established  in  the  temporary  headquarters 

536 


at  1417  Walnut  Street,  under  direction  of  the  Activities  Committee,  consisting 
of  Dr.  Alfred  Stengel,  Dr.  C.  H.  Frazier,  Dr.  C.  L.  Furbush  and  Dr.  R.  H.  Harte. 

In  the  fall  of  19U5  the  work  of  the  department  was  divided,  Dr.  H.  M.  R. 
Landis  becoming  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Instruction  for  Women,  while 
Dr.  Stengel,  remained  chairman  of  the  First  Aid  Committee.  Later  the  whole  work 
of  instruction  in  the  Chapter  was  consolidated  at  the  Teaching  Center  under  the 
chairmanship  of  Dr.  Joseph  S.  Neff. 

The  department  grew  rapidly  after  it  moved  with  headquarters  to  221  S.  18th 
Street  and  in  June,  1917,  was  installed  in  the  Teaching  Center,  at  218  S.  19th  Street. 

The  first  classes  took  up  the  study  of  elementary  hygiene,  home  care  of  the  sick 
and  first  aid.  Later  classes  were  formed  in  surgical  dressings  instruction,  dietetics, 
with  an  equipped  kitchen,  the  making  of  hospital  garments  and  the  inspection  of 
hospital  and  refugee  garments.  The  records  show  that  426  classes  were  formed  with 
an  enrolment  of  3,183. 

The  course  for  Nurses'  Aides,  designed  to  teach  prompt  and  intelligent  action 
in  emergencies,  was  given  to  185  classes.  The  proof  of  its  efficiency  appears  in 
connection  with  the  remarkable  work  done  at  the  time  of  the  influenza  epidemic. 

Surgical  Dressings  Department 

This  department  was  organized  in  April,  1917.  In  eighteen  months  of  work, 
9,267,380  surgical  dressings  were  made.  These  were  packed  and  sent  to  all  branches 
of  the  service,  including  battleships,  destroyers,  base  hospital  units,  army  camps 
and  evacuation  hospitals. 

During  the  influenza  epidemic  the  department  made  55,000  face  masks  and 
500  pneumonia  jackets. 

At  the  close  of  hostilities,  when  the  department  ceased  work,  the  balance  of 
dressings  on  hand  was  distributed  among  the  local  hospitals,  a  portion,  however, 
being  reserved  for  use  in  disaster  relief. 

The  splendid  record  of  the  department  was  achieved  through  the  cooperation 
of  women  workers  in  the  Surgical  Dressings  Departments  of  the  branches  and 
auxiliaries. 

Constant  changes  in  the  types  of  dressings  were  made  necessary  by  the  character 
of  the  wounds  inflicted  by  modern  warfare  and  the  different  kinds  of  treatment. 
The  navy  sent  many  requests  for  shell-wound  dressings,  which  were  promptly  filled. 

When  the  Allied  medical  officers  in  France  ordered  the  standardization  of  all 
dressings  it  necessitated  the  production  of  the  larger  types. 

The  committee  included  Mrs.  Rodman  E.  Griscom,  Chairman;  Mrs.  John  H. 
Gibbon,  vice-chairman;  Mrs.  Francis  R.  Packard,  Secretary,  and  Mrs.  J.  Alison 
Scott,  in  charge  of  inspection  and  packing. 

Home  Service  Section 

At  the  meeting  of  the  board  of  directors,  held  March  28,  1917,  plans  for  a 
department  of  soldiers'  and  sailors'  families  were  presented  by  Stevens  Heckscher. 
The  name  of  the  department,  of  which  Mr.  Hecksher  became  chairman,  was  after- 
ward changed  to  Department  of  Civilian  Relief.  A  sub-committee  for  the  care  of 
the  families  of  the  soldiers,  sailors  and  marines  was  formed,  of  which  Mrs.  Henry 
C.  Royer  was  made  chairman.    This  committee  became  known  as  the  Home 

537 


In  the  office  of  the  Home  Service  Section. 

Service  Department  of  the  Chapter,  and  performed  the  functions  originally  assigned 
to  the  Department  of  Civilian  Relief. 

Early  in  April,  1917,  the  Home  Service  Department  started  work  in  two  small 
rooms  at  1419  Spruce  Street,  given  the  Red  Cross  by  Francis  A.  Lewis.  The 
committee,  two  or  three  volunteers,  one  stenographer  and  one  social  service  worker 
were  thought  sufficient  to  do  the  work,  but  the  department  became  one  of  the 
largest  in  the  Chapter  and  was  of  incalculable  importance  in  maintaining  the  morale 
of  the  soldiers  in  the  trenches  and  camps  by  giving  them  the  assurance  that  their 
families  received  every  care  and  consideration. 

Instead  of  two  rooms,  the  Home  Service  used  the  very  large  house,  1607  Walnut 
Street,  generously  donated  by  Mrs.  Campbell  Harris,  as  an  administrative  office, 
the  office  for  the  After  Care  of  the  Discharged  Soldier  and  also  for  the  Information 
Service.  In  various  parts  of  the  city  eleven  district  offices  were  opened.  The 
Clothing  Committee  was  housed  at  218  S.  19th  Street  and  the  committee  in  charge 
of  the  Home  Service  work  of  the  branches  at  the  same  place.  From  109  applica- 
tions and  97  families  under  care  during  April,  1917,  the  work  increased  to  6,545 
applications  during  the  month  of  March,  1919,  and  10,305  families  under  care  on 
April  1,  1919,  a  total  of  38,112  applications  having  been  received  from  families 
during  these  two  years.  The  staff  of  workers  increased  correspondingly  to  a  total 
of  170  paid  clerical  workers  and  462  volunteers. 

The  work  of  the  Home  Service  was  "everything" — financial  aid,  health,  em- 
ployment, education  and  recreation.  When  a  soldier  left  home  it  sometimes  took 
from  six  weeks  to  two  months  before  his  family  received  his  first  pay  and  govern- 

538 


ment  allowance.  The  Home  Service  saw  that  the  family  was  given  enough  money 
to  live  on.  When  the  allotment  and  allowance  reached  the  family,  it  was  not  always 
enough  to  cover  expenses  unless  further  assistance  was  given  by  the  Home  Service. 
A.  loan  was  sometimes  needed  to  pay  interest  on  the  mortgage  or  insurance  and  to 
tide  over  a  bad  time.  Bad  housing  conditions  must  be  reported;  medical  and 
hospital  service  often  had  to  be  secured;  someone  in  the  family  might  be  ill,  con- 
valescent care  was  needed,  an  operation  necessary,  or  tuberculosis  suspected. 

In  the  matter  of  health  the  Home  Service  was  ably  assisted  by  Dr.  Edward 
Parker  Davis  and  a  committee  of  volunteer  physicians.  The  hospitals  and  dis- 
pensaries were  most  cooperative.  Dr.  R.  Hamill  Swing  helped  the  Home  Service 
frequently  with  advice  and  service  whenever  dental  work  was  necessary.  Summer 
outings  were  arranged  for,  and  in  the  summer  of  1918,  750  women  and  children 
were  sent  to  the  country  or  seashore  for  a  two  weeks'  vacation.  Whenever  it 
seemed  likely  that,  because  of  the  absence  of  the  man  in  the  service,  a  child  would 
be  compelled  to  leave  school  and  go  to  work  to  help  support  the  family,  the  Home 
Service  Section  gave  a  scholarship  and  arranged  for  vocational  guidance  through 
the  White- Williams  Foundation  so  that  the  child's  education  need  not  be  inter- 
rupted. 

Clothing  for  the  family  was  a  big  problem.  After  the  family  was  able  to 
manage  its  finances  a  clothing  allowance  was  given.  Before  that  time  the 
Clothing  Committee  undertook  the  work  of  supplying  the  family  with  neces- 
sary garments.  From  September,  1917,  when  this  department  was  started, 
31,168  garments  were  distributed.  Providing  coal  for  the  families  of  soldiers  was 
a  necessary  service,  particularly  in  the  severe  winter  of  1917-1918.  In  two  years 
$17,778.07  was  spent  for  coal.  Of  this  amount,  $1,287.80  was  refunded  by  the 
families. 

The  Information  Service  gave  information  in  regard  to  allowance  and  allot- 
ment, casualties,  the  location  of  men  in  the  service  and  application  for  the  bonus 
allowed  discharged  men.  In  this  department,  besides  the  superintendent,  ten 
interviewers  and  eighteen  clerks,  there  were  a  notary  public  and  a  lawyer,  the  last 
two  donating  their  services  daily.  For  about  six  months  a  worker  was  on  duty  at 
Broad  Street  Station  seven  nights  a  week,  giving  information  and  assistance  to 
enlisted  and  discharged  men  applying  to  the  Canteen  Workers. 

The  officers  of  the  executive  committee  were:  Mrs.  Henry  C.  Boyer,  Chairman; 
Mrs.  Gibson  Bell,  Treasurer;  Henry  H.  Bonnell,  Secretary. 

Canteen  Department 

The  Canteen  Department,  organized  in  the  fall  of  1917  by  Mrs.  G.  W.  C. 
Drexel,  was  composed  of  seventy-eight  auxiliaries  and  branches,  2,700  workers, 
fifty-seven  captains  and  fifty-four  lieutenants.  Two  million,  thirty-three  thousand, 
three  hundred  and  seventy-five  men  were  cared  for  from  September  20,  1917,  when 
activities  began,  until  November  1,  1919,  when  the  Canteen  went  on  reserve. 
Of  this  number  1,718,260  were  cared  for  at  railroad  stations.  The  captains  and 
lieutenants  with  their  workers  were  in  charge  of  the  various  services  from  6  a.m. 
to  9  p.m.,  serving  light  refreshments,  which  consisted  of  fruit,  chocolate,  cigarettes 
and  ice  cream,  or  sandwiches  and  coffee,  often  providing  lunches  or  dinners  at 
the  request  of  commanding  officers. 

The  Motor  Truck  Transportation  Service  began  January  1,  1918,  with  Mrs. 

539 


J.  Somers  Rhodes,  captain  in  charge.  Motor  messengers  met  convoys  at  the 
city  line  and  learned  their  requirements  from  the  commanding  officer,  either 
taking  the  men  to  Broad  Street  Station  and  giving  them  a  hot  meal  or  sending 
jam  and  jellies,  fruit  and  cigarettes  to  City  Hall,  where  the  men  were  billeted. 
During  the  period  of  service  30,000  men  were  served. 

The  first  transport  sailed  from  the  port  of  Philadelphia  May  6,  1918,  which 
marked  the  beginning  of  the  Embarkation  Service,  with  Mrs.  Henry  Pepper  Vaux, 
captain  in  charge;  29,602  men  were  served  with  coffee,  rolls  and  cigarettes,  and 
were  provided  with  books,  papers,  magazines  and  games. 

Debarkation  began  January  19,  1919,  with  Mrs.  Henry  Pepper  Vaux,  captain 
in  charge;  53,825  men  were  returned  to  this  port  and  were  served  ice  cream,  cake 
and  coffee.  The  wounded  and  sick  men  were  transferred  from  the  ships  to  the 
various  hospitals  throughout  the  city  by  the  Canteen  Motor  Corps. 

Hospital  trains  began  to  pass  through  the  city  in  August,  1918,  Mrs.  George  B. 
Evans,  Vice-Commandant,  in  charge.  Hot  meals,  consisting  of  roast  beef  or  chicken, 
potatoes,  peas,  coffee,  rolls  and  dessert,  were  served  to  the  men  at  the  request  of 
the  commanding  officer.  These  meals  were  served  for  a  period  of  three  months, 
until  the  government  sent  out  fully  equipped  trains.  The  men  were  then  given 
fruit,  milk,  ice  cream  and  cake,  reading  matter  and  games.  One  hundred  and 
fifty-six  thousand  and  eighty  men  were  taken  care  of  on  hospital  trains  by  a 
specially  trained  corps  of  workers. 

The  Hospital  Train  Escort  Service,  with  Mrs.  George  W.  Boyd,  Vice-Command- 
ant, in  charge,  took  up  its  duties  on  November  1,  1918.  Twenty-six  thousand 
five  hundred  and  thirty-one  sick  and  wounded  men  were  cared  for  by  the  escorts 
on  hospital  trains  throughout  this  division. 

The  information  booths  at  railroad  stations  were  opened  on  November  1,  1918, 
Mrs.  George  W.  Boyd,  Vice-Commandant,  in  charge.  This  committee  cared  for 
baggage  and  gave  aid  and  information  to  173,242  men.  Twelve  thousand  four 
hundred  and  forty-six  men  were  sent  by  the  Canteen  Department  to  the  City 
Council  Barracks'  sleeping  quarters  at  1721  Arch  Street,  from  January,  1919, 
to  November,  1919. 

On  May  15,  1919,  at  the  request  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  16,000  men  of  the 
28th  Division  were  given  a  hot  dinner  at  Shibe  Park  after  their  parade,  the  service 
being  performed  by  300  women  in  110  minutes. 

During  the  period  of  activity  17,956  hot  meals  and  25,184  lunches  were  served 
on  troop  trains  at  the  request  of  commanding  officers,  and  draftees  leaving  Phila- 
delphia were  provided  with  a  box  luncheon  at  the  request  of  the  City  Council. 

The  donations  to  the  service  from  the  auxiliaries  and  branches  in  the  South- 
eastern Pennsylvania  Chapter  amounted  to  $20,492.68.  Personal  cash  donations 
amounted  to  $13,401.72.  Donations  of  salaries  and  wages  of  employees,  telephones, 
and  part  equipment  for  piers  and  railroad  stations  amounted  to  $34,622.62. 

The  special  donations  were  headquarters  for  offices,  workrooms,  and  store- 
rooms, fully  equipped,  located  at  southeast  corner  of  18th  and  Locust  streets, 
Philadelphia,  three  information  booths  at  railroad  stations,  two  canteen  huts, 
and  two  canteen  kitchens. 

The  Canteen  Motor  Transportation  Corps,  Miss  Marian  K.  Johnson,  captain 
in  charge,  donated  the  use  of  cars  and  services  of  drivers  for  the  transportation 
of  wounded  men,  canteen  workers  and  supplies. 

540 


o 


541 


On  November  1,  1919,  fifty-four  auxiliaries  and  branches,  and  1,555  workers 
of  the  Canteen  Department,  went  on  the  reserve  to  be  called  out  in  case  of  emer- 
gency or  disaster  of  any  kind. 

Shipping  Department 

The  duties  of  this  department  were  to  collect  and  ship  all  articles  and  to 
take  care  of  all  transportation  required  by  the  Chapter. 

The  committee  had  charge  of  receiving,  sorting,  packing  and  shipping 
clothing  for  the  Belgian  relief  drive,  in  March,  1918,  and  the  transportation  of 
the  clothing  received  during  the  second  Belgian  relief  drive,  in   October,  1918. 

The  committee  arranged  for  the  collection  and  shipping  of  all  goods  received 
by  the  Conservation  Committee. 

The  Volunteer  Factory  received  from  the  Junior  Red  Cross,  25,135  refugee 
garments,  and  made  themselves  18,423  refugee  garments,  and  4,510  articles  of 
hospital  supplies,  all  of  which  were  transported  by  the  shipping  committee. 

The  Shipping  Department  took  charge  of  the  storing  of  the  equipments  of  the 
following  base  hospitals:  Pennsylvania,  No.  10;  University,  No.  20;  Jefferson, 
No.  38;  Episcopal,  No.  34;  and  a  part  of  the  equipment  for  Methodist,  No.  5; 
and  the  Presbyterian  Unit.  The  equipment  consisted  of  30,000  crates,  some  of 
the  crates  weighing  from  one  to  two  tons;  in  all,  there  were  approximately  fifty 
carloads  of  material,  weighing  about  300  tons.  The  equipments  were  stored, 
checked  and  inventoried  and  turned  over  to  the  United  States  Government  when 
required. 

The  Shipping  Department  received,  inspected  and  placed  in  cases  for  ship- 
ment, 19,723  Christmas  packages,  to  be  sent  to  the  troops  abroad  and  at  the 
various  cantonments  in  the  United  States,  during  the  Christmas  season  of  1917. 

The  surgical  dressings  were  packed  by  the  Surgical  Dressings  Committee, 
the  boxes  being  transported  by  the  Shipping  Committee  as  directed.  The  number 
of  surgical  dressings  forwarded  was  6,318,809  in  5,897  boxes. 

The  Shipping  Committee  was  also  charged  with  the  duty  of  storing  and  pack- 
ing all  the  hospital  supplies  and  knitted  goods  produced  by  the  Chapter,  and  for 
their  distribution.  This  committee  also  arranged  to  have  in  stock  at  all  times 
sufficient  articles  readily  obtainable  for  emergencies. 

The  quantity  of  hospital  garments,  supplies  and  knitted  goods  received,  stored 
and  packed  amounted  to  1,094,369,  divided  as  follows:  Hospital  supplies,  444,054; 
hospital  garments,  393,574;  and  knitted  goods,  256,641,  shipped  in  3,295  cases. 

That  the  Chapter  was  able  to  forward  all  articles  promptly  after  being  made 
and  inspected,  and  that  the  great  work  for  which  the  articles  were  intended,  of 
furnishing  relief  to  our  wounded  soldiers,  was  not  delayed,  was  due  to  the  efficient 
work  of  the  following:  Paul  Thompson,  Chairman,  Mrs.  J.  Gardner  Cassatt, 
Vice-Chairman,  Mrs.  Albert  Lucas,  Mrs.  William  J.  Willcox,  Miss  Gertrude  McCall, 
Mrs.  Frank  Thorne  Patterson,  Mrs.  Samuel  Bispham,  Mrs.  Edward  T.  Stotes- 
bury  Lewis,  Mrs.  Howard  W.  Lewis,  Miss  Elizabeth  N.  Cooke,  Mrs.  William 
Ellis  Scull  and  Stockton  Townsend. 

Supply  Department 

This  department,  under  the  direction  of  Colonel  Samuel  D.  Lit  as  Chairman, 
with  Mrs.  Alfred  Stengel  as  Vice-Chairman,   accomplished  the  following  tasks: 

542 


Furnished  and  equipped  the  headquarters  and  various  departments ;  purchased 
stationery,  supplies,  coal,  and  superintended  all  repair  work. 

Supplied  to  the  auxiliaries,  Junior  Red  Cross,  Workrooms  and  Volunteer 
Factory,  wool,  needles,  raw  materials,  cotton  for  making  surgical  dressings,  hospital 
and  refugee  garments,  and  comfort  kits  with  their  contents. 

Provided  the  Motor  Corps,  Christmas  Parcels  Committee  and  Instruction 
Department  with  necessary  equipment,  supplies  and  insignia. 

Furnished  with  full  equipment  all  emergency  hospitals  during  the  influenza 
epidemic,  and  disposed  of  this  equipment  at  its  termination. 

Sold  a  large  number  of  Red  Cross  Christmas  calendars. 

Ordered  all  service  badges. 

Arranged  for  packing  and  storing  of  surplus  stock  of  materials  and  wool, 
without  charge  to  the  Chapter. 

Obtained  from  the  department  stores  the  use  of  motor  trucks  for  delivery. 

Maintained  a  small  force  of  paid  and  volunteer  workers  who  were  constantly 
at  the  service  of  auxiliaries  and  others  interested  in  Red  Cross  activities. 

Department  of  Mending  Soldiers'  Clothes 

When  the  Quartermaster's  Department  of  the  United  States  Army  asked  the 
Red  Cross  to  help  with  reclamation  work — namely,  the  patching  of  soldiers'  gar- 
ments, and  the  sewing  on  of  buttons — a  department  for  mending  soldiers'  clothes 
was  organized  on  September  12,  1918,  Mrs.  Henry  D.  Paxson,  Chairman.  This 
was  located  at  1122  Walnut  Street,  where  the  entire  building  was  taken  over  for 
offices,  a  distributing  depot  and  central  workrooms  for  volunteer  labor. 

These  rooms,  under  the  management  of  Mrs.  Franklin  Bache,  proved  a  re- 
markable success,  and  thirty  women  worked  there  daily.  They  were  also  used 
as  an  instruction  center  for  the  chairmen  of  branches  and  auxiliaries.  Soldiers 
who  passed  and  saw  the  sign  came  in  to  have  small  repairs  made,  and  officers 
dropped  in  to  have  chevrons  or  service  stripes  sewed  on. 

From  the  Schuylkill  Arsenal  the  department  collected  all  soldiers'  clothing 
which  needed  mending.  The  articles  were  distributed  to  the  branches  and  auxili- 
aries and,  when  finished,  were  returned  again  to  the  arsenal.  From  September 
15th  to  February  15th  the  department  received  and  mended  292,169  garments. 
In  addition  to  these,  the  arsenal  received  and  delivered  several  thousand  garments 
directly  to  auxiliaries. 

An  artistic  poster,  made  especially  for  the  department  by  Miss  Edith  Emerson, 
was  widely  distributed  through  the  State  in  response  to  requests  received  from 
public  libraries  and  schools. 

Transportation  was  an  important  part  of  the  work,  and  was  handled  by 
volunteer  private  cars  and  trucks  from  the  arsenal  and  Red  Cross. 

Navy  Auxiliary 

At  the  request  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  the  Navy  Auxiliary  of  the  South- 
eastern Pennsylvania  Chapter,  American  Red  Cross,  was  organized  by  Mrs.  Edward 
T.  Stotesbury  in  October,  1917  to  make  knitted  garments  and  supplies  for  men  in 
the  navy  and  to  safeguard  their  interests  in  every  possible  way. 

Headquarters  were  opened  at  221  S.   18th  Street,  and  the  policy  of  the 

543 


Courtesy  of  Frank   \V. 


Buhler,    Stanley   Co.    of   America. 

Officers  and  Members  of  the  Navy  Auxiliary  on  Parade. 


organization  was  shaped  by  the  officers  and  executive  board.  Mrs.  Alfred  M. 
Gray,  the  Vice-Chairman,  actively  directed  the  work. 

On  the  first  day  of  its  existence  a  committee  of  men  representing  5,000  civilian 
employees  of  League  Island  came  to  headquarters  with  a  donation  of  $1,000  to 
provide  a  tobacco  fund  that  would  supply  "smokes"  to  .American  men  in  foreign 
waters.  Later  contributions  totaled  $9,600,  which  fund  was  administered  by  As- 
sistant Paymasters  Rembert  and  Kehoe,  of  the  League  Island  Navy  Yard. 

Groups  of  people  wishing  to  work  for  the  navy  were  formed  into  sections  of 
the  auxiliary.  When  the  armistice  was  signed  the  auxiliary  included  150  sections, 
representing  16,000  workers  drawn  from  all  sections  covered  by  the  Chapter. 

The  Navy  Auxiliary  Motor  Corps  was  formed  in  March,  1917,  with  thirty-five 
members  under  the  command  of  Mrs.  Milton  Herold.  Each  member  owned  and 
drove  her  own  car  and  paid  the  cost  of  operation. 

The  chief  duty  of  the  corps  was  the  delivery  of  supplies,  but  the  cars  were  also 
placed  at  the  disposal  of  naval  officers  for  urgent  official  calls  and,  whenever  pos- 
sible, cars  were  supplied  to  the  Home  Service  Department  of  the  Red  Cross,  and 
all  the  allied  war  organizations.  During  the  influenza  epidemic  the  members  often 
served  fourteen  hours  a  day.  The  Stonemen's  Fellowship  offered  the  use  of  one  of 
their  ambulances  to  the  corps,  and  this  was  used  to  transfer  sick  men  from  the  ships 
and  Navy  Yard  to  the  hospital.  The  corps  likewise  transported  physicians  and 
nurses  and  carried  food  from  a  district  center  to  families  of  influenza  victims  in 
sections  where  the  epidemic  was  especially  severe. 

One  motor  car  was  used  as  a  hearse,  when  none  could  be  procured,  and  on  two 
occasions,  a  detail  of  cars  carried  soldiers  from  their  barracks  to  the  funeral  of  a 
comrade,  who  otherwise  could  not  have  been  buried  with  military  honors. 

514 


During  the  epidemic  the  auxiliary  cooperated  with  the  Medical  Corps  of  the 
Fourth  Naval  District  in  opening  two  emergency  hospitals  at  48  S.  22d  Street 
and  the  adjoining  building,  which  were  cleaned,  renovated  and  made  ready  for  use 
in  two  days. 

The  Country  Club  for  enlisted  men  at  Fox  Chase  was  opened  as  a  convalescent 
hospital.  The  auxiliary  supervised  the  work,  and  the  section  of  Fox  Chase,  under 
Mrs.  F.  H.  Argo,  constituted  itself  the  Hospitality  Committee. 

A  Hospital  Committee  was  formed  which  provided  comforts  for  sick  men  in 
all  naval  hospitals  in  Philadelphia.  Crates  of  oranges,  jellies  and  ice  cream  were 
sent  to  these  hospitals.  In  addition,  150  daily  newspapers  were  distributed  to  the 
patients,  and  the  men  were  provided  with  games,  victrolas,  magazines  and  picture 
puzzles. 

Coincident  with  the  organization  of  the  auxiliary,  workrooms  were  opened  at 
headquarters,  and  were  maintained  under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  William  A.  Piatt. 
The  wool  room,  in  charge  of  Mrs.  Jules  Mastbaum,  supervised  an  output  of  73,000 
knitted  garments,  which  were  made  by  the  sections. 

The  knitted  garments,  when  inspected,  under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  William 
Ridpath,  were  sent  direct  to  Assistant  Paymasters  Rembert  and  Kehoe,  at  the  Red 
Cross  Supply  Station  at  League  Island  Navy  Yard.  All  requests  from  individuals, 
from  ships,  or  from  adjacent  training  stations,  were  promptly  filled  by  these 
officers.  The  method  of  distribution  insured  prompt  action  and  eliminated 
duplication. 

A  Reclamation  Department,  opened  later  under  Mrs.  Joseph  Israel  for  the 
repair  of  clothing,  reclaimed  more  than  1,000  garments  for  the  government. 

In  May  a  sewing  room,  under  the  direction  of  the  Navy  section,  was  opened 
at  headquarters,  and  2,538  hospital  garments  were  made.  In  October  a  surgical 
dressings  room  was  opened;  6,589  miscellaneous  articles  were  made.  A  special 
department  for  comfort  kits  turned  out  4,000  completed  bags  and  "housewives." 

The  armistice  found  the  auxiliary  members  preparing  Christmas  packages 
for  men  in  foreign  waters.  More  than  7,800  boxes  were  shipped  to  Rrest,  France, 
Guatanamo  Ray  and  Cuba,  filled  with  socks,  candy,  tobacco  and  Christmas  cards. 

The  Navy  Auxiliary  was  the  only  organization  of  this  character  in  Philadel- 
phia, where  some  50,000  sailors  were  continuously  located.  In  fulfilling  its  pur- 
pose to  safeguard  the  navy  interests,  it  constantly  gave  advice  and  assistance  to  the 
sailors  in  their  personal  affairs. 

The  personnel  of  the  auxiliary  included  the  following  members:  Mrs.  E.  T. 
Stotesbury,  Chairman;  Mrs.  Alfred  M.  Gray,  Vice-Chairman;  Mrs.  John  Gribbel, 
treasurer,  and  Miss  Julia  Rush,  secretary.  The  committee  chairmen  were:  Mrs. 
George  Fales  Raker,  Miss  Julia  Rerwind,  Mrs.  Ellis  Gimbel,  Mrs.  Milton  Herold, 
Mrs.  Samuel  Lit,  Mrs.  Jules  Mastbaum,  Mrs.  William  A.  Piatt,  Miss  Caroline 
Sinkler,  Mrs.  Joseph  Snellenburg  and  Mrs.  George  W.  Urquhart.  Lieutenant- 
Commander  F.  R.  Payne  was  the  naval  aide. 

Volunteer  Factory 

On  February  28,  1918,  Red  Cross  Factory  Service  No.  1  came  into  existence. 
A  two  months'  test  was  ordered  by  the  Chapter  to  determine  whether  the  pro- 
duction of  refugee  garments  on  a  factory  basis  was  entirely  satisfactory.  Recog- 
nition and  approval  were  accorded  before  the  eight  weeks  expired.     The  enormous 

545 


gain  in  production  and  the  saving  in  time  and  labor  proved  the  advantages  of  the 
factory  method  and  the  power  machines. 

The  factory  was  established  at  1315  Market  Street,  with  Mrs.  Grenville  D. 
Montgomery  in  charge.  The  leading  merchants  and  manufacturers  of  the  city 
donated  the  entire  equipment,  furniture,  machinery,  motor  power,  light,  and  even 
the  time  clock.  John  Wanamaker  gave  the  floor  space  for  the  factory,  rent  free. 
Two  floors  were  used.  Thirty-eight  electrical  power  machines  lined  the  center  of 
one  floor. 

Shelves  and  bins  were  provided  for  work  in  different  stages  of  completion. 
There  were  long  tables  for  cutting  and  assembling  garments,  and  storage  closets 
were  loaded  with  bales  of  uncut  material. 

The  women  came  in  hundreds.  The  factory  opened  with  two  shifts  daily, 
lasting  three  hours  each.  During  the  next  week  evening  shifts  were  arranged  on 
Tuesdays  and  Thursdays  to  accommodate  experienced  operators,  who  volunteered 
their  services,  despite  a  day's  driving  work  in  their  own  factories. 

Originally  it  was  planned  to  handle  refugee  garments  only,  but  in  July  these 
were  laid  aside  because  of  the  immediate  need  for  surgeons'  operating  gowns. 
In  response  to  this  "hurry  call"  4,510  were  made. 

From  the  opening  day  until  January  9,  1919,  the  factory  production,  including 
the  operating  gowns,  totaled  22,933  completed  garments. 

Twenty-four  thousand  six  hundred  and  twenty  garments  were  cut  for  the 
factory  and  an  additional  650  for  the  division. 

The  work  was  augmented  by  the  opening  of  a  receiving  station  for  the  work 
of  the  Junior  Red  Cross,  which  was  added  to  the  above  production.  Many  of 
these  articles  were  sent  by  various  high  schools,  where  the  students  responded 
enthusiastically  to  the  call  for  volunteers.  From  this  source  alone  a  total  of  25,135 
garments  was  received  up  to  January  1st.  Of  this  number  22,288  were  inspected, 
packed  and  shipped. 

Mrs.  Montgomery  was  aided  in  her  work  by  many  efficient  helpers,  who 
acted  as  assemblers,  instructors  and  inspectors.  Among  them  were  Mrs.  James 
Newlin,  Mrs.  E.  S.  Briggs,  Miss  Frances  Crawford  and  Mrs.  Eavenson. 

Motor  Corps 

The  Motor  Corps  of  the  Chapter  began  work  on  June  25,  1918,  at  the  time 
the  rush  of  government  production  was  at  its  height.  There  were  103  women 
volunteers  in  the  corps,  all  owning  and  operating  their  own  cars.  Primarily,  the 
corps  had  been  taken  over  to  facilitate  Red  Cross  work  by  quick  and  economical 
transportation.  Special  service  was  rendered  to  the  Canteen  Department,  which 
handled  wounded  soldiers  returning  from  overseas. 

At  the  outset,  however,  the  cars  were  placed  at  the  disposal  of  government 
officials,  to  whom  time  was  valuable,  and  the  corps  members  acted  as  chauffeurs 
for  members  of  the  Secret  Service,  the  Ordnance  and  the  Quartermaster's  Depart- 
ments. 

In  six  months  the  corps  filled  2,373  calls.  The  total  mileage  was  69,948. 
There  were  370  stretcher  "cases"  handled  by  the  corps,  and  the  members  assisted 
at  all  embarkations  and  debarkations  at  the  port  of  Philadelphia. 

An  ambulance  service  was  organized  with  nine  ambulances.  During  the 
influenza  epidemic  these  were  kept  busy  night  and  day,  and  were  driven  only  by 

546 


Photo  by  L.   R.   Snow. 


Motor  Messenger  Corps. 


members  of  the  corps.  On  September  28th,  another  ambulance  was  presented  by 
the  pupils  of  Miss  Wright's  School,  and  the  new  vehicle  was  used  immediately 
for  emergency  work. 

All  women  drivers  of  Motor  Corps  ambulances  were  trained  in  first  aid  and 
military  stretcher  drill,  and  had  to  have  mechanical  certificates,  chauffeurs'  licenses 
and  health  certificates. 

The  work  of  the  Canteen  Department  became  especially  heavy  with  the 
arrival  of  many  men  wounded  in  the  war.  A  truck  was  obtained  and  two  others 
were  given  to  the  corps.  It  became  necessary  to  establish  a  night  service  to  answer 
emergency  calls. 

The  officers  of  the  corps  were:  Mrs.  Thomas  Langdon  Elwyn,  Captain;  Miss 
Helen  Dougherty,  Adjutant;  Mrs.  W.  Morgan  Churchman,  Quartermaster;  Mrs. 
Nathaniel  Knowles,  Mrs.  Sidney  Thayer,  Mrs.  Norman  P.  Sloan,  Mrs.  J.  Somers 
Rhodes,  Mrs.  George  Dallas  Dixon,  Jr.,  Mrs.  I.  M.  Loughhead,  Miss  Madeline 
Asbury,  First  Lieutenants;  Mrs.  Nelson  Warwick,  Mrs.  Stevenson  Crothers,  Mrs. 
Spencer  K.  Mulford,  Mrs.  Ralph  C.  Scott,  Mrs.  S.  Leonard  Kent,  Jr.,  Second  Lieu- 
tenants. 

Junior  Red  Cross 

When  President  Wilson  proclaimed  a  junior  membership  in  the  American 
Red  Cross  on  September  15,  1917,  the  opportunity  to  foster  a  spirit  of  service 
among  the  children  and  to  permit  them  to  translate  it  into  terms  of  activity  was 

547 


recognized  and  encouraged  by  school  officials.  Henry  J.  Gideon,  a  member  of 
the  Department  of  Superintendence  of  Philadelphia  Public  Schools,  and  officially 
in  charge  of  the  Bureau  of  Compulsory  Education,  became  chairman  of  the  de- 
partment. 

Individual  memberships  were  not  required  nor  received  from  pupils.  The 
membership  unit  was  the  school  itself  or  the  school  district.  When  a  public, 
parochial  or  private  school  fulfilled  the  necessary  requirements  and  joined  the 
Junior  Red  Cross  all  the  boys  and  girls  automatically  became  members. 

Shortly  after  the  establishment  of  the  Volunteer  Factory,  at  1315  Market 
Street,  a  receiving  station  was  opened  for  the  products  of  the  Junior  Red  Cross. 
Between  February,  1918,  and  the  first  of  1919,  25,135  garments  were  received  and 
22,288  were  inspected  and  packed  and  shipped. 

William  C.  Ash,  director  of  Vocational  Education,  Philadelphia  Public  Schools, 
reported  the  following  list  of  articles  made  by  the  schools  in  the  Southeastern 
Pennsylvania  Chapter:  8  eight-foot  tables,  11  six-foot  tables,  33  benches,  10 
tabourets,  25  folding  tables,  10  ink  wells,  200  tableware  chests,  100  plain  bread- 
boards, 100  folding  bread-boards,  5,000  veneer  splints  (12  to  package),  24  drawing 
boards;  a  total  of  5,521. 

Three  thousand  nine  hundred  and  thirty  waterproof  cases  were  completed,  and 
the  entire  output  was  turned  into  the  factory  before  the  end  of  the  winter  school 
term. 

Miss  Alice  L.  Keech,  supervisor  of  Domestic  Art,  Philadelphia  Public  Schools, 
had  oversight  of  the  making  of  hospital  garments  and  supplies  and  refugee  gar- 
ments. 

Disaster  Relief  and  Influenza  Epidemic 

In  the  pre-war  days  of  the  Red  Cross  the  Department  of  Disaster  Relief  was 
one  of  the  two  important  sections  into  which  the  national  work  was  divided.  When 
the  Chapter  came  to  be  organized  in  March,  1916,  there  was  appointed  a  committee, 
with  Theodore  J.  Lewis  as  Chairman,  on  the  subject  of  Disaster  Relief.  This 
committee  had  but  little  to  do  until  the  influenza  made  its  appearance  in  the  fall 
of  1918.  At  this  time  a  new  committee  was  in  process  of  organization  under  the 
leadership  of  John  C.  Bell,  Chairman;  Dr.  George  H.  Meeker,  Vice-Chairman; 
Joseph  E.  Widener,  Treasurer;  John  Ihlder,  Secretary. 

The  committee  took  immediate  action,  and  Emergency  Hospital  No.  2,  as  it 
was  called,  was  completely  furnished  within  forty-eight  hours  in  the  Medico-Chi- 
rurgical  Hospital,  a  building  which  had  been  temporarily  vacated  because  of  the 
building  operations  on  the  new  Parkway.  The  hospital  and  all  its  furnishings  were 
placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  committee  by  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  They, 
in  turn,  offered  it  to  the  Mayor  of  Philadelphia  and  to  the  Director  of  Public 
Health  on  behalf  of  the  Red  Cross.  The  offer  was  gratefully  accepted,  and  the 
building  was  equipped  for  $14,493.49.  The  contribution  was  of  inestimable  value. 
Ordinary  agencies  were  entirely  unprepared  to  cope  with  the  pestilence,  which 
caused  hundreds  of  deaths  each  day,  and  piled  up  a  mortality  record  of  13,000  for 
Philadelphia. 

Conditions  were  aggravated  by  the  scarcity  of  physicians  and  nurses.  War 
service  had  depleted  their  ranks,  and  those  who  undertook  to  answer  the  many  calls 
were  soon  weakened  by  fatigue  and  succumbed  to  the  epidemic. 

548 


On  Wednesday,  October  9th,  just  three  days  after  a  committee  meeting  had 
been  held  to  discuss  relief  methods,  the  hospital  opened  its  doors.  There  were 
200  beds,  and  the  staff  included  a  force  of  270  persons,  the  majority  of  whom  were 
volunteers.  Miss  Anna  Rogers,  supervisor  of  the  Department  of  Instruction,  acted 
as  superintendent.  All  patients  were  treated  without  charge,  and  the  institution 
saved  scores  of  lives  by  providing  care  that  was  almost  impossible  to  obtain  other- 
wise in  view  of  the  prevailing  conditions. 

Operating  expenses  to  cover  the  cost  of  food,  drugs,  wages,  light  and  heat  for 
Emergency  Hospital  No.  2  totaled  $11,338.81.  The  cost  of  equipment  and  main- 
tenance was  $25,827.80,  and  operations  were  concluded  finally  on  Saturday,  Novem- 
ber 16,  1918,  twelve  days  after  the  last  patients  had  been  discharged. 

During  the  influenza  epidemic  of  1918,  the  members  of  the  Red  Cross  at  home 
were  courageous  and  zealous  in  fighting  the  mysterious  disease.  They  scrubbed 
floors,  nursed  the  sick,  fed  the  hungry,  comforted  the  dying,  and  performed,  with 
gentle  hands,  the  last  rites  for  those  who  died  among  strangers. 

At  Chapter  headquarters,  thickly  piled  reports  from  chairmen  of  the  depart- 
ments, branches,  auxiliaries,  organizations  in  the  counties  and  the  small  groups 
in  churches  and  schools  tell  of  the  tireless  work  done.  Some  chairmen  report  with 
sorrow  the  death  of  workers  who  contracted  the  disease  while  nursing. 

For  the  greater  part,  however,  the  work  was  done  "unofficially,"  without 
mention — often  without  recognition — by  men  and  women  eager  to  help.  The 
money  expended  in  fighting  the  plague  and  the  supplies  furnished  by  the  South- 
eastern Pennsylvania  Chapter  totaled  $100,000. 

Inside  of  forty-eight  hours,  the  United  Service  Club,  on  S.  22d  Street,  and 
the  adjoining  building  were  transformed  into  an  emergency  hospital,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Navy  Auxiliary.  Similar  dispatch  was  used  at  Rryn  Mawr,  where, 
within  three  days,  an  old  inn  was  completely  equipped;  and  at  Kennett  Square, 
where  an  academy  in  bad  repair  was  made  ready  in  twenty-four  hours  for  oc- 
cupancy. Wherever  an  emergency  hospital  was  needed,  the  same  speed  charac- 
terized the  work,  and  in  all,  there  were  thirty-two  established.  Altogether  help 
was  extended  to  sixty-seven  regular  and  emergency  hospitals. 

Emergency  Corps 

Originally  the  Emergency  Corps  was  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  William  R. 
Nicholson.  In  May,  1918,  when  he  was  unable  to  remain  in  anything  but  an 
advisory  capacity,  Dr.  Mercedes  A.  Roberts  became  director. 

The  records  of  the  corps  show  a  large  amount  of  service  rendered  in  the  com- 
munity which  was  outside  of  Red  Cross  activities,  but  which  might  properly  be 
termed  disaster  relief. 

The  directors  of  the  Free  Library  of  Philadelphia  loaned  the  65th  Street  and 
Haverford  Avenue  branch  for  the  lectures,  quizzes  and  practical  demonstrations 
in  dietetics  which  Dr.  Roberts  gave  each  Tuesday.  The  sessions  ended  with  an 
army  drill.  Arrangements  were  made  to  admit  the  young  women  to  the  West 
Philadelphia  Homeopathic  Hospital  as  substitute  nurses  and  helpers  in  the  clinics, 
and  they  each  averaged  six  hours  a  week. 

When  the  epidemic  came,  members  of  the  corps  left  their  places  of  employ- 
ment and  went  into  Emergency  Hospital  No.  2,  on  the  Parkway.     Those  whose 

549 


employers  insisted  on  part  time  worked  from  four  in  the  afternoon  until  midnight 
in  the  hospital.     Others  went  on  duty  from  11  p.m.  until  6  a.m. 

The  Emergency  Corps  had  an  ambulance,  the  gift  of  the  Chapter,  which  was 
housed  at  63d  Street  and  Girard  Avenue. 

Department  of  Conservation 

The  Conservation  Department  was  established  October  3,  1918,  to  collect 
certain  materials  which  the  government  deemed  essential  for  war  activities.  This 
department  was  under  the  direction  of  the  following  committee:  C.  Hartman 
Kuhn,  Chairman,  Samuel  Bell,  Jr.,  Edward  Ilsley,  W.  Hinckle  Smith,  Paul  Thomp- 
son, T.  R.  Tunis. 

The  work  moved  with  such  rapidity  that  the  first  carload,  containing  27,500 
pounds  of  peach  and  prune  stones,  sent  to  the  Gas  Defense  Division,  U.  S.  A.,  at 
Astoria,  N.  Y.,  was  acknowledged  by  them  as  the  first  shipment  received  from  any 
Red  Cross  Chapter. 

By  November  19th  the  total  shipments  reached  97,400  pounds  of  fruit  pits 
and  nutshells.  Further  collections  were  checked  by  the  signing  of  the  armistice. 
Between  300  and  400  pounds  of  lead  and  tin-foil  on  hand  at  that  time  were  sold, 
and  the  proceeds  turned  over  to  the  Chapter. 

The  first  metal  donation,  oddly  enough,  was  a  silver  medal  struck  off  in  com- 
memoration of  the  fifteenth  anniversary  of  the  former  Kaiser's  wedding. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  the  United  Gas  Improvement  Company  and  the 
Stedman  Bent  Company,  truck  service  was  supplied  to  the  department  at  cost. 
The  Armory  Board  furnished  storage  space  in  the  basement  of  the  Squadron  Armory 
at  32d  Street  and  Lancaster  Avenue. 

Belgian  Clothing  Relief  Committee 

The  Belgian  Clothing  Relief  Committee  had  its  beginnings  in  calamity,  when 
calls  for  help  from  Belgium  came  to  America.  In  March  and  September,  1918, 
two  campaigns  for  the  collection  of  clothing  for  the  people  of  the  devasted  country 
were  made.     More  than  167  tons  were  shipped  abroad. 

Mrs.  J.  Gardner  Cassatt  was  Chairman  of  the  March  Committee,  which  in- 
cluded Mrs.  Albert  Lucas,  Mrs.  Bayard  Henry,  Paul  Thompson,  Stockton 
Townsend,  Miss  Elizabeth  N.  Cooke,  Mrs.  Horace  Brock,  Mrs.  Edward  S.  Lewis, 
Miss  Bryce,  Miss  Gertrude  McCall,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Willcox,  and  Miss  Elizabeth 
Washington. 

G.  Heide  Norris  was  Chairman  of  the  September  Committee,  which  included 
Mrs.  Bayard  Henry,  Mrs.  J.  Gardner  Cassatt,  Paul  Thompson  and  Stockton 
Townsend. 

Christmas  Package  Department 

The  government  plan  for  sending  Christmas  parcels  through  the  Red  Cross 
to  soldiers  and  war  workers  overseas  was  put  into  operation  on  November  1,  1918, 
when  a  committee  on  Christmas  parcels  was  appointed,  with  Livingston  E. 
Jones  as  Chairman. 

Through  H.  B.  Harper,  of  the  Overland-Harper  Company,  central  head- 
quarters were  opened  at  1627  Arch  Street. 

More  than  75,000  cartons  were  distributed  through  the  Chapter  to  the  rela- 

550 


tives  of  fighting  men  and  war  workers  overseas.  Each  carton  was  opened  and  ex- 
amined to  see  that  the  contents  complied  with  the  inspection  rules.  This  work 
was  in  charge  of  a  special  committee,  headed  by  Mrs.  Randal  Morgan.  The 
packages  were  weighed,  wrapped,  sealed  and  sent  to  the  post  office.  From  then 
on,  the  department  and  military  officials  overseas  were  responsible  for  delivery. 

Nursing  Survey 

In  spite  of  handicaps,  the  Nursing  Survey  for  the  Chapter,  conducted  by  Dr. 
S.  Lewis  Ziegler,  was  achieved  through  a  vigorous  campaign,  and  2,300  nurses 
and  190  midwives  were  registered.  Sixty-nine  hundred  questionnaires  were 
issued,  and  900  clergymen  were  asked  to  announce  the  survey.  Circulars  were 
sent  to  1,500  physicians. 

Department  of  Accounts  and  Records 

With  monthly  disbursements  of  $130,000  and  the  compilation  of  a  mass  of 
records  listing  names  of  more  than  500,000  members,  the  Department  of  Accounts 
and  Records  had  a  most  important  part  in  the  functioning  of  the  Chapter.  The 
most  insignificant  item  in  the  Chapter's  huge  flow  of  financial  transactions  was 
recorded.  The  expenditure  of  every  dollar  was  checked.  The  purchase  of  each 
yard  of  material  was  noted.  Financial  reports  from  the  branches  and  auxiliaries 
were  collected. 

The  first  Chairman  of  this  department  was  C.  H.  Krumbhaar,  Jr.,  who  was 
succeeded  by  Marshall  S.  Morgan.  Livingston  E.  Jones  was  the  Vice-Chairman 
of  the  committee. 

Bureau  of  Communications 

A  welfare  message  sent  by  a  civilian  in  Philadelphia  to  a  relative  in  Germany 
marked  the  opening  of  the  Bureau  of  Communications  on  May  10,  1918.  This 
department  forwarded  communications  to  persons  living  in  enemy  countries 
and  received  and  distributed  answers.  It  also  handled  inquiries  about  prisoners 
and  the  non-receipt  of  soldiers'  mail,  as  well  as  casualty  reports. 

Three  hundred  and  seven  persons  were  advised  how  to  send  money  and  pack- 
ages to  those  in  service.  The  Bureau  forwarded  730  communications  to  Austria- 
Hungary,  823  to  Germany,  311  to  Russia,  25  to  Turkey,  9  to  Belgium,  12  to  Rou- 
mania,  2  to  Bulgaria,  1  to  Italy,  5  to  Siberia  and  4  to  Asia  Minor. 

Many  replies  were  received,  and  a  great  number  of  unclaimed  messages  sent 
from  abroad  were  successfully  delivered  by  the  Bureau  after  the  post  office  had 
failed  to  do  so. 

General  Service  Badges 

In  recognition  of  the  loyal  service  given  by  women  and  men  workers  of  the 
Red  Cross,  certificates  were  issued  carrying  with  them  the  right  to  purchase  and 
wear  the  Red  Cross  service  badge.  For  women  workers  this  is  a  badge  with  a 
ribbon  bar,  and  for  men  it  is  a  button  to  be  worn  in  the  coat  lapel. 

Awards  were  made  to  those  who  gave  minimum  service  of  800  hours  for  not 
less  than  six  months. 

Certificates  bearing  the  signatures  of  the  chairman  of  the  Chapter  and  fac- 
similes of  those  of  President  Wilson,  president  of  the  American  Red  Cross  and 

551 


Henry  P.  Davison,  chairman  of  the  Red  Cross  War  Council,  were  issued,  ''in 
recognition  of  service  faithfully  performed  in  behalf  of  the  nation  and  her  men 
at  arms." 

A  total  of  3,810  such  certificates  were  awarded. 

Information  Department 

An  Information  Department  at  Chapter  headquarters  was  maintained  to 
answer  all  questions  relating  to  Red  Cross  work. 

In  December,  1917,  Mrs.  J.  Alison  Scott  was  asked  to  oversee  the  bureau, 
and  under  her  direction  Mrs.  Reauveau  Rorie,  Jr.,  became  actual  head  of  the 
department,  giving  virtually  all  her  time  to  this  service. 

In  one  year,  40,000  individuals  asked  everything  from  how  to  trace  a  man 
in  the  army  to  advice  on  sweater  patterns,  and  how  to  get  a  divorce. 

Two-fifths  of  the  visitors  were  referred  to  appropriate  bureaus  and  the  re- 
mainder were  given  information  direct.  The  department  also  handled  member- 
ship enrolments  and  received  donations. 

A  branch  desk,  which  supplied  the  same  sort  of  service,  was  maintained  by 
the  Chapter  on  the  first  floor  of  the  Wanamaker  store. 

OFFICERS  AND  BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS— 1916-1917 

Officers 

Richard  H.  Harte,  M.D.,  Chairman  (resigned  May  11,  1917);  E.  T.  Stotesbury  (elected 
May  31,  1917);  Alfred  Stengel,  M.D.,  Vice-Chairman;  George  W.  Childs  Drexel,  Secretary 
(resigned  April  25,  1917);  Francis  B.  Reeves  (elected  May  7, 1917);  C.  C.  Harrison,  Jr.,  Treasurer. 

Board  of  Directors 

Richard  L.  Austin,  Mrs.  A.  J.  Cassatt,  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis,  T.  DeWitt  Cuyler,  George 
W.  Childs  Drexel,  Mrs.  George  W.  Childs  Drexel,  Charles  H.  Frazier,  M.D.,  C.  Lincoln  Furbush, 
M.D.,  C.  C.  Harrison,  Jr.,  Charles  D.  Hart,  M.D.,  Richard  H.  Harte,  M.D.,  Charles  J.  Hatfield, 
M.D.,  Stevens  Heckscher,  George  Quintard  Horwitz,  Alba  B.  Johnson,  H.  R.  M.  Landis,  Theo- 
dore J.  Lewis,  Samuel  D.  Lit,  D.  J.  McCarty,  M.D.,  J.  Franklin  McFadden,  Charles  L. 
McKeehan,  Otto  T.  Mallery,  William  R.  Mercer,  Jr.,  William  R.  Nicholson,  George  Wharton 
Pepper,  Mrs.  Thomas  Potter,  Jr.,  Francis  B.  Reeves,  Jr.,  Charles  J.  Rhoads,  Walter  George 
Smith,  E.  T.  Stotesbury,  Mrs.  E.  T.  Stotesbury,  Alfred  Stengel,  M.D.,  Paul  Thompson,  John  B. 
Townsend,  Robert  G.  Wilson. 

OFFICERS  AND  BOARD  OF  DIBECTORS  1917-1918 

Officers 

E.  T.  Stotesbury,  Chairman;  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea,  Vice-Chairman;  John  Barnes  Townsend, 
Secretary;  Thomas  S.  Gates,  Treasurer. 

Board  of  Directors 

Mrs.  A.  J.  Cassatt,  Charles  W.  Churchman,  John  P.  Connelly,  Mrs.  Norton  Downs,  Mrs. 
George  W.  Childs  Drexel,  Samuel  S.  Fleisher,  Charles  J.  Hatfield,  M.D.,  S.  Pemberton  Hutchinson, 
Walter  H.  Johnson,  Randall  Morgan,  Mrs.  H.  S.  Prentiss  Nichols,  Mrs.  Thomas  Potter,  Jr., 
Mrs.  Thomas  Robins,  W.  Hinckle  Smith,  Mrs.  E.  T.  Stotesbury,  Ernest  T.  Trigg,  Mrs.  Barclay 
H.  Warburton,  Mrs.  Charlton  Yarnall,  J.  Franklin  McFadden;  John  Barnes  Townsend,  Executive 
Director. 

552 


OFFICERS  AND  BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS  1918-1919 
Officers 

Charles  J.  Hatfield,  M.D.,  Chairman;  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea,  Vice-Chairman ;  Livingston 
E.  Jones,  Secretary,  Thomas  S.  Gates,  Treasurer:  Howard  Wayne  Smith,  Executive  Secretary. 

Executive  Committee 

Charles  J.  Hatfield,  M.D.,  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea,  Livingston  E.  Jones,  Thomas  S.  Gates 
Mrs.  Henry  C.  Boyer,  Mrs.  Thomas  Potter,  Jr.,  Paul  Thompson. 

Board  of  Directors 

Mrs.  Henry  C.  Boyer,  George  T.  Butler,  James  A.  G.  Campbell,  Mrs.  J.  Gardner  Cassatt, 
Charles  W.  Churchman,  Mrs.  George  W.  Chiids  Drexel,  Samuel  S.  Fleisher,  Joseph  R.  Grundy, 
Richard  H.  Harte,  M.D.,  Mrs.  A.  D.  Holler,  S.  Pemberton  Hutchinson,  Walter  H.  Johnson, 
Mrs.  A.  A.  Lamb,  E.  J.  Moore,  Randall  Morgan,  Mrs.  H.  S.  Prentiss  Nichols,  Mrs.  Thomas 
Potter,  Jr.,  W.  Hinckle  Smith,  Mrs.  E.  T.  Stotesbury,  Paul  Thompson,  Ernest  T.  Trigg,  James 
M.  Willcox, 


Courtesy  of  Frank   W.    Buhler,    Stanley   Co.    of   America. 

Crowds  at  Unveiling  of  the  Liberty  Statue. 


553 


THE  EMERGENCY  AID  OF  PENNSYLVANIA 

October,  1914— April,  1919. 


^53  N  a  modern  world  war,  proclamations  of  neutrality  are 
almost  meaningless.  The  complications  of  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury life  necessarily  impose  war  upon  all,  innocent  and 
guilty,  neutral  and  belligerent,  rich  and  poor — there  is  no 
escape. 

A  realization  of  this  condition  was  immediate  when, 
in  the  autumn  of  1914,  Americans  found  that,  in  spite  of 
proclamations,  they  were  involved  in  the  World  War, 
although  not  fighting.  Paralysis  of  credit  closed  every 
stock  exchange.  Our  largest  staple  crop  lost  half  its  value 
over  night.  Continued  freedom  of  interchange  threatened  ruin  to  the  community, 
financial  leaders  promptly  applied  a  tourniquet  to  the  arteries  of  trade  to  avert 
death  from  hemorrhage.  This  action  carried  distress  through  all  ramifications  of 
business  down  to  the  wage-earner.     We  were' in  the  war  without  firing  a  shot. 

Moreover,  the  war  came  when  business  depression  already  existed,  following 
tariff  legislation  in  1913.  Savings  were  already  spent.  Some  mills  were  closed, 
others  were  working  with  reduced  forces.  Credit  contraction  closed  many  more. 
Unemployment  became  so  widespread  as  to  force  itself  upon  the  attention  of 
the  whole  community.  Nor  was  the  problem  local.  Appeals  poured  in  from 
every  country  directly  or  indirectly  involved  in  the  war — notably,  from  Belgium, 
France  and  Serbia. 

Such  was  the  situation  which  confronted  the  American  public  in  the  early 
autumn  of  1914.  To  meet  want  at  home  and  abroad,  united  effort  was  necessary. 
The  peril  at  our  door  and  the  agony  across  the  sea  combined  to  bring  about  the 
formation  of  the  Emergency  Aid. 

On  October  19,  1914,  Mrs.  Barclay  H.  Warburton,  Mrs.  Norman  MacLeod, 
Mrs.  George  Q.  Horwitz,  Mrs.  John  C.  Groome,  Mrs.  William  J.  Clothier,  Mrs.  J. 
Willis  Martin,  Mrs.  Edward  K.  Bowland,  and  Mrs.  Edward  Browning  met  at 
Mrs.  Warburton's  house  and  resolved  "That  a  Philadelphia  Women's  Committee 
be  formed  to  meet  the  emergencies  resulting  from  the  war  in  Europe,  and  to  devise 
such  relief  as  may  be  deemed  wise  and  effective. "  At  a  larger  meeting,  held  a  few 
days  later  at  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Eli  K.  Price,  the  organization  was  perfected 
and  the  name  "Emergency  Aid  Committee"  was  adopted. 

George  H.  McFadden  generously  placed  his  large  house,  No.  1428  Walnut 
Street,  at  the  disposal  of  the  Committee,  and  the  headquarters  were  opened  on 
Friday,  October  30th. 

Even  before  the  formal  opening,  contributions  began  to  pour  in.  The  devas- 
tation of  Belgium  made  a  strong  appeal  to  those  who  were  still  enjoying  liberty 
and  peace. 

The  desire  of  the  Committee  that  independent  movements  in  aid  of  suffering 
should  affiliate  with  the  Emergency  Aid,  was  quickly  realized.     The  formation 

554 


of  the  Working  Committee  for  Belgian  Relief,  the  French  and  British  Committees, 
the  Home  Relief  Division,  Supply  Committee,  Committee  for  Immediate  Relief 
and  American  Red  Cross,  Allied  Arts  Fund,  American  Woman's  War  Relief  Fund 
in  England  and  the  American  Ambulance  were  organized,  followed  by  the  affilia- 
tion of  all  committees  formed  for  European  War  Relief . 

A  German  Committee,  for  the  relief  of  Germans  and  Austrians,  was  also 
organized  and  continued  until  relations  between  Germany  and  the  United  States 
became  strained. 

An  Advisory  Board  of  Men,  of  which  Samuel  S.  Fleisher,  George  H.  McFadden, 
Effingham  B.  Morris,  George  Wharton  Pepper,  Samuel  Rea,  Edward  T.  Stotesbury 
and  Rodman  Wanamaker  were  members,  has  given  much  valuable  advice  to  the 
Executive  Committee  in  matters  of  importance. 

Mrs.  Horwitz  assumed  responsibility  for  the  Department  of  Publicity.  The 
public  gave  liberally  and  expected  a  detailed  report  of  what  was  being  done.  This 
was  made  daily,  with  the  hearty  cooperation  of  all  newspapers. 

Executive  Committee 

Mrs.  Alexander  J.  Cassatt,  Chairman 

Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin,  Vice-Chairman 

Mrs.  Cornelius  Stevenson,  Vice-Chairman 

Mrs.  Charles  C.  Harrison,  Vice-Chairman 

Mrs.  Edward  T.  Stotesbury,  Vice-Chairman 

Mrs.  J.  Norman  Jackson,  Treasurer 

Mrs.  Eh  K.  Price,  Recording  Secretary 

Mrs.  Edward  K.  Rowland,  Corresponding  Secretary 

Administration  of    Funds 

All  overhead  expenses  were  borne  by  contributions  made  for  that  special 
purpose,  which  finally  developed  into  a  long  list  of  members  paying  annual  dues. 

Receipts  for  Relief  Work 

Money  raised  in  the  beginning  was  by  designated  contributions  and  by  means 
of  generous  publicity  in  the  newspapers.  The  first  "Made  in  America"  Bazaar, 
in  1914,  realized  $58,235.65;  the  second,  in  1916,  netted  $93,169.59.  On  February 
12th,  1915,  "Self-Sacrifice  Day"  was  observed  in  Philadelphia,  when  the  public 
was  asked  to  sacrifice  fo;  a  day  their  personal  pleasures.  There  was  $101,639 
collected  for  the  relief  of  the  city  poor  and  disbursed  by  the  Home  Relief  Division. 

In  1917,  th3  War  Relief  Rummage  Sale  raised  $18,000.  After  this,  money 
was  also  obtained  through  concerts,  entertainments,  fairs  and  rummage  sales 
held  under  the  auspices  of  the  separate  committees. 

Buildings  lent  to  the  Emergency  Aid  were  as  follows: 

Buildings  Occupied  by  Lent  by 

Lincoln  Building  (Basement)  .Home  Belief  Division John  Wanamaker 

1519  Walnut  Street . Supply  Committee  (Sewing  Booms).. Mrs.  B.  F.  Clyde 

1524  Walnut  Street Belgian  and  British  Committees Bichard  Cadwalader 

1522  Walnut  Street Fatherless  Children  of  France Clement  Wainwright 

709  Arch  Street French  War  Belief  Committee Charles  M.  Lea 

555 


556 


1122  Walnut  Street French  War  Relief  Committee Mr.  Packard  (Pennsylvania 

Company) 

1901  Walnut  Street Frtench  War  Relief  Committee Roberts'  Estate 

1336-38  Walnut  Street American  Overseas  Committee Joseph  E.  Widener 

1317  Walnut  Street American  Overseas  Committee Dr.  Charles  Hart 

(Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Club) 

1332  Walnut  Street Victory  Service  Star  Committee Miss  Helen  Fleisher 

1724  Chestnut  Street National    Surgical    Dressings    Com- 
mittee (Committee  of  Supplies) .  . .  .Mrs.  B.  Frank  Clapp 

1501  Walnut  Street Emergency  Aid  Shop Samuel  F.  Houston 

224  S.  8th  Street Italian  Committee  (Workrooms) Frank  Rosatto 

9th  and  Walnut  Streets Trade  School  for  Girls J.  E.  Caldwell  Company 

221  S.  18th  Street Officers'  Club Mrs.   Edward  T.   Stotesbury 

1519  Arch  Street Home  Relief  (Employment  Bureau). ..Board  of  Education 

Form  of  Committee  Organization 

Each  Committee  took  charge  of  all  relief  work  in  connection  with  the  Country 
for  which  it  assumed  responsibility,  and  activities  in  connection  with  these  Countries 
concentrated  under  the  auspices  of  the  Emergency  Aid  as  sub-committees.  The 
chairman  of  each  Committee  was  appointed  by  the  Chairman  of  the  Emergency 
Aid,  but  once  formed,  these  committees  acted  independently,  being  responsible 
for  the  collection  and  distribution  of  all  funds,  and  for  the  policies  which  were 
carried  out  in  so  far  as  the  general  control  was  necessary  to  insure  harmonious 
cooperation. 

Branches 

The  Branches  of  the  Emergency  Aid  were  formed  one  after  another  in  Phila- 
delphia and  Pittsburgh,  as  well  as  in  various  other  counties  of  the  State.  Mrs.  H.  S. 
Prentiss  Nichols,  in  December,  1915,  in  her  letter  as  Chairman  of  the  Eastern 
District,  State  Federation  of  Pennsylvania  Women,  to  the  clubs  of  the  twenty 
counties  in  eastern  Pennsylvania,  suggested  and  urged  that  each  club  form  an 
Emergency  Aid  branch. 

These  branches  worked  in  cooperation  with  all  committees  for  Foreign  and 
Home  Belief,  giving  active  assistance  whenever  called  upon.  They  responded  to 
appeals  for  medical  supplies,  clothing  and  money.  They  were  active  in  taking 
part  in  Liberty  Loan  Drives,  and  could  be  counted  on  to  man  booths,  help  with 
bazaars,  or  to  respond  to  sudden  calls  during  periods  of  epidemic. 

The  Emergency  Aid  Council,  composed  of  chairmen  of  Branches,  met  on 
the  second  Friday  of  each  month  with  the  Executive  Committee,  when  reports 
of  Committees  and  Branches  were  presented. 

Branch  Chairman 

Agnes  Irwin  Alumnae. Mrs.  Charles  Piatt 

Ardmore-Wynnewood  Class Mrs.  Hutton  Kennedy 

Altoona  Sunshine  Society  (Emergency  Aid  Branch) Mrs.  W.  K.  Baird 

Andrew-Hamilton  Unit Miss  Janvier 

Bedford  County  Emergency  Aid  and  Branches Miss  Jessie  B.  Barclay 

Buffalo  Mills  Unit Mrs.  George  Hillegas 

Cumberland  Valley  Branch Mrs.  Ida  Doyle 

Defiance  Unit Mrs.  Harry  C.  Mellott 

Everett  Unit .  .Mrs.  D.  F.  Ashcom 

Hopewell  Unit Mrs.  Charles  Cunningham 

557 


^ 


t 


1 


558 


Imler  Unit Mrs.  Roudabusb 

King  Unit Mrs.  G.  R.  Shoemaker 

Loysburg  Unit Mrs.  G.  W.  Dittmar 

Manns  Choice  Unit Mrs.  Wesley  Pleacher 

New  Enterprise  Unit Mrs.  0.  S.  Kegaris 

New  Paris  Unit Mrs.  H.  G.  Shoenthal 

Osterburg  Unit Mrs.  J.  P.  Imler 

New  Buena  Vista  Unit Mrs.  E.  C.  Kimmel 

Friends'  Cove  Brick  Church  Unit Mrs.  Clayton  Smith 

Riddlesburg  Unit Mrs.  A.  H.  Deyo 

Rainsburg  Unit Miss  Stella  Sparks 

Schellsburg  Unit Mrs.  F.  A.  Bellas 

Six  Mile  Run  Unit. Mrs.  W.  B.  Mclntyre 

Waterside  Unit Mrs.  P.  K.  Brown 

Woodbury  Unit Mrs.  Fannie  S.  Stayer 

Wolfsburg  Unit Miss  Edith  Stuckey 

Bedford  Volunteers  (colored) ....  Mrs.  Isabelle  Shawley 

British- American  Class  of  Germantown Mrs.  W.  H.  Wignall 

Calvary  Church  Branch,  Pittsburgh,  Pa Mrs.  James  A.  Robinson 

Camp  Hill  Branch Mrs.  Carl  Deen 

Clarion  County  Branch Mrs.  J.  W.  P.  Wilkinson 

Clarion  Unit Mrs.  Edward  S.  Wilhelm 

Rimersburg  Unit Mrs.  J.  W.  Kerr 

Chester  New  Century  Club Mrs.  George  West 

Mrs.  Dando's  Class Mrs.  T.  S.  Dando 

Downingtown  Branch Mrs.  William  Potts 

Emerson  Club  Branch Miss  Eliza  Bacon 

Emilie  Branch Miss  Lidie  Wilson 

Farm  Women's  Association  (Affiliated  with  Emergency  Aid) Mrs.  Frank  Black 

Fox  Chase  Branch Mrs.  F.  H.  Argo 

Frankford  Branch Mrs.  John  W.  Moyer 

Glassboro  Branch Mrs.  Eleanor  Townsend 

Glen  Riddle  Branch Mrs.  Horace  S.  Griffith 

Germantown  Branch Mrs.  W.  B.  Gurley 

Hathaway-Shakespeare  Club  Branch Mrs.  W.  C   Chambers 

Houtzdale  Branch Mrs.  J.  Connel 

Brisbin  Unit Mrs.  E.  W.  Moyer 

Huntingdon  County  Branch Mrs.  H.  C.  Chisolm 

Alexandria  Unit Mrs.  J.  Cloyd  Corbin 

Franklinville  Unit Mrs.  Mary  W.  Newlin 

Graysville  Unit Mrs.  John  Archy 

Juniata  College  Unit ? Mrs.  Harvey  Brumbaugh 

Mill  Creek  Unit Mrs.  W.  H.  Stonebraker 

Petersburg  Unit Mrs.  Charles  Campbell 

Saltillo  Unit Mrs.  Harry  Fleming 

Spruce  Creek  Valley  Unit Mrs.  Richey 

Hunting  Park  Rranch Mrs.  Fred  Mayer 

Holmesburg  Branch Miss  Alma  Brown 

International  Committee,  New  Century  Club Mrs.  Charles  Nevin 

Jenkintown  Branch Mrs.  Henry  M.  Fisher 

Johnstown  Branch Miss  Florence  Dibert 

Lancaster  Branch Mrs.  John  A.  Nauman 

Logan  Branch Mrs.  Morris  Gibb 

Main  Line  Branch Mrs.  Charlton  Yarnall 

Manheim  Committee Mrs.  E.  E.  Denniston 

Mercersburg  Branch Mrs.  C.  F.  Fendrick 

Fort  Louden  Unit Mrs.  William  Senseny 

559 


Lemaster  Unit Mrs.  Guy  Zimmerman 

Welsh  Run  Unit Miss  Virginia  Bowles 

Mount  Airy  Bandage  Class Mrs.  George  Henrich 

Milton  Branch Miss  Sarah  Chapin 

Morton-Rutledge  Branch Mrs.  S.  S.  Haring 

Middletown  Branch Mrs.  Ira  Springer 

Media  Branch Mrs.  Wm.  Irwin  Cheyney 

New  Hope  Group Mrs.  George  W.  Hanshalter 

North  Philadelphia  Branch Mrs.  Walter  Nash 

Palethorpe  Memorial  Branch Mrs.  L.  M.  Gross 

Patriotic  Citizens  of  Falls  of  Schuylkill.  ^^. Mrs.  B.  Dobson  Altemus 

Pennsylvania  Railroad  Women's  War  Relief  Division 

(Affiliated  with  Emergency  Aid) Mrs.  George  Dallas  Dixon 

Pittsburgh  Emergency  Aid  (Overseas  Branch) Mrs.  H.  Norton  Van  Voorhis 

Ridley  Park  Circle Mrs.  E.  K.  Nelson 

Somerton  Branch Mrs.  A.  E.  Houseman 

Stetson  Relief  Committee :  .  Countess  Santa  Eulalia 

Swarthmore  Branch Mrs.  Frederick  Calvert 

Stroudsburg  Branch Mrs.  H.  McNeill 

Upland  Branch Mrs.  Arthur  M.  Comey 

Wallingford  Branch Mrs.  Walter  Neal 

West  Chester-Brandy  wine  Class Miss  Christine  Biddle 

Women's  Permanent  Emergency  Association  of  Germantown 

(Affiliated  with  Emergency  Aid) Mrs.  James  Starr,  Jr. 

West  Moschannon  Branch Mrs.  Andrew  Jack 

Uniforms 

As  members  of  the  Emergency  Aid  in  carrying  out  the  requirements  of  its 
activities  were  obliged  to  visit  quarters,  and  open  relations  where  it  was  necessary 
to  recognize  their  official  connection  with  the  organization,  it  was  found  necessary 
to  adopt  a  uniform  which  would  be  at  once  a  protection  for  the  wearer  and  an 
introduction  when  her  work  carried  her  among  strangers. 

For  this  reason,  a  blue  uniform  (coat  and  skirt),  with  a  light  blue  collar  and 
tricorn  hat,  was  adopted. 

Later,  when  it  was  necessary  to  form  the  younger  members  into  a  group  called 
the  Emergency  Aid  Aides,  a  slightly  different  uniform  was  assigned  to  them. 

A  blue  cap  and  apron  of  suitable  material  were  worn  by  workers.  The  Key- 
stone, the  emblem  of  the  State,  appeared  on  the  collar  of  the  uniform  and  on  the 
caps  of  the  workroom  dress. 

Special  Activities 

At  the  time  of  the  Halifax  disaster,  ninety-five  (95)  carloads  of  clothing 
and  food  supplies,  as  well  as  $20,000  in  cash,  were  collected  and  delivered  within 
two  weeks  of  the  time  of  the  disaster. 

The  Executive  Committee  raised  $10,000,  which  was  given  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
for  a  hut  in  France,  which  was  to  bear  the  Emergency  Aid's  name. 

A  dental  ambulance  was  equipped  for  the  use  of  the  28th  Division,  during  the 
six  months  it  was  encamped  at  Camp  Hancock. 

Two  rooms  were  furnished  and  equipped  at  the  United  Service  Club,  Phila- 
delphia, and  kept  supplied  with  the  necessary  stationery,  etc. 

A  Bureau  of  Information  was  established,  with  the  object  of  informing  the 

560 


families  of  returning  soldiers  as  to  the  time  of  arrival  and  place  of  destination  of 
returning  troops. 

Agreement  with  American  Red  Cross 

In  1917  an  agreement  was  arrived  at  between  the  Emergency  Aid  and  the  War 
Council  of  the  American  Red  Cross,  by  which  the  Emergency  Aid  was  enabled, 
during  the  entire  duration  of  the  war,  to  ship  tobacco,  candy,  preserves,  and  com- 
fort kits  for  the  use  of  American  men  overseas  to  the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Club- 
house in  Paris.  This  was  of  great  assistance  because  of  the  general  policy  of  the 
Red  Cross,  which  made  it  necessary  that  goods  could  not  be  designated. 

Soldiers'  and  Sailors'   Club 

Ry  proclamation  of  Governor  Rrumbaugh,  August  10,  1917,  the  Emergency 
Aid  was  made  the  official  agency  in  Pennsylvania  for  forwarding  comforts  and 
supplies  to  the  Pennsylvania  men  overseas..  Foreign  headquarters  were  therefore 
established  at  the  American  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Club,  11  Rue  Royale,  Paris,  with 
Dean  Frederick  W.  Reekman  in  charge.  Packages  for  Pennsylvania  men  were 
consigned  to  the  Club  and  were  forwarded  to  the  individual  men  by  Dean  Reekman. 

A  letter  of  appreciation  of  the  work  of  the  Club  and  of  the  Emergency  Aid's 
part  in  its  success  was  received  from  General  Pershing  by  Dean  Reekman  in  May, 
1919. 

Motor  Messengers 

The  Motor  Messenger  Service  of  Philadelphia,  which  was  organized  in  April, 
1917,  by  Miss  Letitia  McKim  and  Mrs.  Thomas  L.  Elwyn,  had  its  office  in  the 
Emergency  Aid  headquarters  until  July,  1918. 

The  Motor  Service  was  closely  affiliated  with  the  Emergency  Aid,  and  the 
captain  of  the  service  was  a  member  of  the  Executive  Roard. 

Emergency  Aid  Aide  Service 

One  of  the  most  efficient  and  effective  departments  of  the  Emergency  Aid 
was  the  Emergency  Aid  Aide  Service,  organized  and  directed  by  Mrs.  Norman 
MacLeod.  It  is  difficult  to  estimate  to  what  extent  the  services  of  this  group  of 
young  women  made  for  the  success  of  the  organization,  as  the  members  were  on 
call  for  work  of  all  kinds,  and  responded  willingly  and  efficiently  to  all  demands 
made  upon  them. 

Woman's  Advisory  Council  of  the  Depot 
Quartermaster's  Corps 

This  committee  of  which  Mrs.  Rarclay  H.  Warburton  was  Chairman,  was 
appointed  in  June,  1918,  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  the  Quartermaster  at  the 
Schuylkill  Arsenal,  Reed  Street  Factory  and  Inland  Arsenal.  The  Committee  had 
charge  of  the  canteen,  reclamation  and  welfare  work. 

A  large  number  of  women,  under  the  chairmanship  of  Mrs.  Griswold,  served 
lunch  to  6,000  employees  every  day.  The  Emergency  Aid  Aides,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Mrs.  MacLeod,  worked  daily  in  the  different  arsenals  in  the  rest  rooms, 
assisting  the  doctors. 

561 


The  recruiting  office  opened  by  Mrs.  Thomas  Robins  assisted  in  providing 
these  arsenals  with  6,000  employees. 

On  July  22d,  Benedict  M.  Holden,  the  Depot  Quartermaster,  requested 
that  the  Woman's  Advisory  Council  take  entire  charge  of  the  reclamation  work 
for  this  depot.  Two  days  later  the  first  workroom  was  opened  by  the  Committee 
of  Supplies  of  the  Emergency  Aid,  under  Mrs.  Price,  which  received  200  overcoats 
to  be  mended.  This  was  followed  by  the  opening  of  fifty-four  more  workrooms 
of  our  own  and  of  other  organizations. 

The  total  number  of  articles  mended  in  the  workrooms  was  11,634  overcoats, 
2,287  uniforms,  5,878  underclothes,  making  a  grand  total  of  19,799  garments. 

The  reclamation  work  of  the  Red  Cross  through  the  State  was  also  under  the 
supervision  of  the  committee,  and  the  total  number  of  garments  finished  by  all 
organizations  amounted  to  71,381. 

Emergency  Aid's  Part  in  Celebration  of  Return 
of  28th  Division 

Mrs.  Barclay  Warburton,  then  Acting  President  of  the  Emergency  Aid,  was 
Chairman  of  the  Woman's  Welcome  Home  Committee,  with  which  all  women's 
war  relief  organizations  in  Philadelphia  cooperated. 

The  Emergency  Aid,  represented  by  Mrs.  Hutton  Kennedy,  was  in  charge  of 
the  seven  First  Aid  stations  located  along  the  fine  of  march  of  the  parade,  each 
station  being  manned  by  an  Emergency  Aid  woman  in  charge,  a  doctor,  city  nurse, 
Warden  attendant,  and  Emergency  Aid  Aide  nurse. 

The  Emergency  Aid  Aide  Motor  Corps  provided  from  forty  to  sixty  motors 
for  transporting  wounded  soldiers  in  the  parade,  most  of  these  cars  being  driven 
by  Emergency  Aid  Aides. 

The  headquarters  at  1428  Walnut  Street  were  open  as  rest  rooms  for  the  use 
of  the  many  out-of-town  visitors  on  the  day  of  the  celebration. 

General  Pershing  Thanks  Emergency  Aid 

At  the  time  of  General  Pershing's  visit  to  Philadelphia,  September  12,  1919, 
uniformed  members  of  the  Emergency  Aid  and  Emergency  Aid  Aide  Service 
marched  in  a  body  to  Independence  Square,  where  they  formed  a  Squad  of  Honor 
at  the  planting  of  a  tree  by  the  General. 

After  the  tree  planting  ceremony,  General  Pershing  turned  to  the  Emergency 
Aid  women  and  thanked  them  for  their  war  service.  At  the  General's  request  a 
group  of  Emergency  Aid  Aides  accompanied  him  as  a  guard  of  honor  to  the  station. 

Distinguished  Guests  of  Emergency  Aid 

During  the  stay  of  His  Grace,  the  Archbishop  of  York,  in  Philadelphia,  March, 
1918,  a  mass  meeting  was  held  at  the  Academy  of  Music  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Emergency  Aid,  when  the  Archbishop  spoke  to  a  large  number  of  women,  bringing 
them  a  war  message  from  the  women  of  England. 

In  September,  1919,  Cardinal  Mercier  was  tendered  a  reception  at  the  Emer- 
gency Aid  Headquarters  by  the  Belgian  Committee. 

On  October  27,  1919,  King  Albert,  and  Queen  Elizabeth,  of  Belgium,  accom- 

562 


panied  by  the  Duke  of  Brabant,  visited  the  Emergency  Aid  Headquarters  and 
were  guests  of  the  Belgian  Committee. 

Prince  and  Princess  Lubomirski,  newly  appointed  Ambassador  and  Ambas- 
sadress from  Poland,  were  the  guests  of  Mrs.  von  Moschzisker  at  the  Emergency 
Aid  Headquarters  on  the  afternoon  of  Monday,  April  12,  1920. 

Among  the  Committees  and  Associated  Committees  of  the  Emergency 
Aid  were: 

Allied  Arts  Committee 

One  of  the  first  committees  organized  was  the  Allied  Arts  Committee,  of  which 
Mrs.  Edward  K.  Rowland  was  Chairman.  The  object  of  the  committee  was  to 
send  money  and  needed  supplies  to  the  many  artists  in  Europe,  who  on  account 
of  the  war  were  suffering  and  in  dire  need.  A  total  of  $6,000  was  forwarded  for 
this  work  by  the  Allied  Arts  Committee. 

Americanization  Committee 

This  Committee  was  organized  in  the  spring  of  1918;  Mrs.  Edward  K.  Rowland, 
Chairman.  The  committee  began  with  a  campaign  of  educational  propaganda 
through  recreation  centers,  aiming  to  reach  those  classes  and  districts  of  the  com- 
munity that  were  most  easily  influenced  by  disloyal  rumor,  and  where  the  foreign 
population  predominated. 

A  patriotic  program  was  arranged  at  Starr  Garden  on  July  4,  1918,  when  a 
large  crowd  attended  a  successful  meeting.  On  July  19th  and  26th,  meetings  were 
held  at  playgrounds  in  Polish  districts;  on  August  2d  a  meeting  in  a  German  dis- 
trict was  held;  on  August  9th  the  attendance  was  of  Italians,  and  on  August  16th, 
30th,  and  September  6th,  the  attendance  was  of  various  nationalities. 

Feeling  that  the  Emergency  Aid  should  undertake  some  definite  patriotic 
appeal,  the  Americanization  Committee  issued  and  distributed  "Loyalty"  posters 
through  the  City  and  State,  which  were  endorsed  by  State  and  Federal  organizations. 

American  Ambulance  Hospital  Committee 
afterwards 
American  Red  Cross  Military  Hospital  No.  1 

Officers 

Mrs.  George  Wharton  Pepper Chairman 

Miss  Edith  Howe  /  St' 

Miss  Jeannetta  M.  Moore  ) 

Mrs.  T.  Cuyler  Patterson Treasurer 

Mrs.  William  J.  Willcox Chairman  of  Surgical  Dressings 

Mrs.  Robert  W.  Lesley Chairman  for  Nurses'  Rest  Fund 

The  American  Ambulance  was  started  early  in  October,  1914,  in  response  to 
a  cable  from  Dr.  Joseph  Blake,  asking  that  surgical  supplies,  rubber  and  woolen 
goods  be  sent  him. 

The  Chairman,  Mrs.  Pepper,  asked  Dr.  J.  William  White  to  help,  and  it  was 
decided  to  form  a  committee  of  men  and  women  in  addition  to  the  women's  com- 
mittee. By  a  special  arrangement  in  1917,  after  the  hospital  was  taken  over  by 
the  Red  Cross,  all  funds  were  sent  to  Colonel  James  P.  Hutchinson. 

563      • 


The  committee  sent  cases  of  supplies  consisting  of  gauze,  rubber  goods  of  all 
kinds,  and  woolen  articles;  they  also  established  the  six  Philadelphia  wards. 
One  entire  ward  of  ten  beds  was  given  by  the  Baldwin  School  at  Bryn  Mawr,  Pa., 
in  memory  of  "  Elizabeth  Nicholl  Hill."  Eighty-eight  beds  in  all  were  endowed. 
Large  numbers  of  Ford  ambulances  were  sent  over  for  the  Field  Service  and  for 
the  Paris  Service,  also  one  large  truck. 

When  coal  was  very  scarce,  the  entire  hospital  was  kept  heated  for  one  week 
by  coal  shipped  by  this  committee.  Only  the  difficulty  of  shipping  prevented  the 
continuance  of  this  plan. 

Money  was  sent  for  the  Nurses'  Rest  Fund,  for  operating  cars,  for  transporta- 
tion of  doctors,  and  for  artificial  legs. 

LIST  OF  WARDS  AND  BEDS  ENDOWED  FROM  PHILADELPHIA 

Name  of  Bed  Endowed  By 

Hill,     Elizabeth     Nicholl     (Ward,     10      beds), 

(In  Memory) The  Baldwin  School,  Bryn  Mawr,  Pa. 

University    of   Pennsylvania    (Ward,    12   beds) 

Biddle,  Dr.  Thomas     (In  Memory)     (2  beds)..  .Miss  Emily  Biddle 

Brock,  Mrs.  Robert  C.  H Mrs.  Robert  C.  H.  Brock 

Binney,  Josephine  Young Mrs.  George  Biddle 

Bromley,  Joseph  H Joseph  H.  Bromley 

Cassatt,  Mrs.  A.  J Mrs.  A.  J.  Cassatt 

Cassatt  Bed,  The Robert  K.  Cassatt 

Chandler,  Percy  M Percy  M.  Chandler 

Coxe,  Mrs.  Eckley  B Mrs.  Eckley  B.  Coxe 

Coxe,  Henry  B Henry  B.  Coxe 

Develin,  James  A James  A.  Develin 

Dolan,  Mrs.  Thomas  J Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  J.  Dolan 

Doylestown  Red  Cross Mrs.  William  Mercer 

Drifton  Bed,  The Mrs.  Charles  B.  Coxe 

"Esculapuis" Dr.  Thomas  Biddle 

Flagg,  Adelaide  Gordon Mrs.  Stanley  G.  Flagg,  Jr. 

E.  A.  G.,  In  Memory  of Hon.  John  M.  Gest 

Gest,  William  P Miss  Mary  K.  Gibson 

Emergency  Aid,  The  (4  beds) Emergency    Aid   of  Pennsylvania   (Ambulance 

Committee) 
Emergency  Aid  Aides,  The Emergency  Aid  Aides  of  the  Emergency  Aid  of 

Pennsylvania  , 

Hutchinson,  Major  James  P Emergency    Aid    of   Pennsylvania  (Ambulance 

Committee) 

Hathaway,  Nathaniel  (In  Memory) Mrs.  Nathaniel  Hathaway  and  Children 

Irwin,  Agnes,  Memorial  Bed  (2  beds) Mrs.  John  K.  Mitchell 

Junior  League  Bed Ambulance  Committee  of  the  Emergency  Aid 

of  Pennsylvania 

Lea,  Henry  C Miss  Nina  Lea 

Lea,  Mrs.  Henry  C Miss  Nina  Lea 

LeFevre  Bed,  The Mrs.  John  Scott 

Lewis,  Anna  Elizabeth Miss  Anna  S.  Lewis 

Littleton,  William  E Mrs.  Frank  T.  Griswold 

Lea,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  (2  beds) Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea 

L.  M.  B Hon.  John  M.  Gest 

McCrea,  James Mrs.  James  McCrea 

Merchant,    Lieutenant-Commander   Clarke    (In 

Memory) Mrs.  Powell  Evans 

564 


Miller,  Mrs.  Benjamin Mrs.  Benjamin  Miller 

Mitchell,  Dr.  S.  Weir Mrs.  John  K.  Mitchell 

Morgan,  Mary  N.  (In  Memory) Mrs  Graham  Dougherty,  Miss  Elizabeth  Frazer, 

and  Persifor  Frazer,  Jr. 

Mother's  Love,  A Mrs.  Joseph  S.  Clark 

Munn,  Mary  Paul Mrs.  Charles  Munn 

J.  S.  N.  and  T.  A.  N.  (In  Memory) Mrs.  E.  Walter  Clark 

Newbold,  Anna  B.        (In  Memory) Clement  B.  Newbold 

Newbold,  Mary  Scott  (In  Memory) Clement  B.  Newbold 

New  Century  Club New  Century  Club 

Overbrook,  Pennsylvania Anonymous 

Penn,  William Ambulance  Committee  of  the  Emergency  Aid 

of  Pennsylvania 

Perot,  Rebecca  C.  (In  Memory) Mr.  J.  M.  Perot 

Plastic  Club,  The .The  Plastic  Club  of  Philadelphia 

Prince  of  Peace Mrs.  J.  Ogden  Hoffman 

Radnor  Bed,  The Mrs.  Frank  T.  Griswold 

St.  Clements'  Red  Cross  Auxiliary St.  Clements'  Church  Auxiliary 

Santee,  Eugene  I.  (In  Memory) Miss  Mary  E.  Santee 

Scott,  Dr.  J.  Alison  (In  Memory) George  Wharton  Pepper 

Stauffer,  Celeste  Bonford William  Stauffer 

Scull,  David  E.  (In  Memory)  (2  beds) William  Ellis  Scull 

Thorn,  Isaac  B.  (In  Memory) Mrs.  Mary  Thorn 

and 

Thorn,  Augusta  C.  (In  Memory) Mrs.  Mary  Thorn 

M.  L.  T.,  Whitemarsb,  Pennsylvania Miss  Olive  Pardee 

Urquhart  Auxiliary  of  the  Southeastern  Chapter 

of  the  American  Red  Cross Red  Cross,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Wayne  Branch  of  the  Red  Cross Mrs.  C.  C.  Harrison 

White,  In  Memory  of  Dr.  J.  William Mrs.  J.  William  White 

White,  In  Memory  of  Dr.  J.  William Ambulance  Committee  of  the  Emergency  Aid 

of  Pennsylvania 

American  Overseas  Committee 

Officers 

Mrs.  Walter  S.  Thomson,  Chairman 1917-1918 

Mrs.  William  G.  Warden,  Chairman 1918-1920 

Mrs.  Edward  Browning Treasurer 

Sur-Committees 

Mrs.  William  G.  Warden Tobacco  Committee 

Mrs.  William  J.  Clothier Jam  and  Chocolate  Committee 

Mrs.  Trenchard  E.  Newbold Home  Service  Committee 

Mrs.  Dobson  Altemus Ways  and  Means 

Mrs.  John  C.  Norris Service  Wool  Shop 

Mrs.  Norris  S.  Barratt Service  Star  Committee 

The  committee  was  organized  July  26,  1917  by  Mrs.  Edward  K.  Rowland. 
Purpose — To  supply  our  men  overseas  with  tobacco,  jam,  chocolate  and  com- 
fort kits. 

565 


Governor  Brumraugh's  Proclamation 

Whereas,  The  Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsylvania  has  demonstrated  its  unselfish  and  patriotic 
service  to  our  citizenry  in  need;  and 

Whereas,  By  application  and  cooperation  with  the  State  Committee  of  Public  Safety  the 
Emergency  Aid  Association  has  established  its  effectiveness  throughout  the  Commonwealth  of 
Pennsylvania;  and 

Whereas,  This  association  now  volunteers  to  establish  in  France  and  elsewhere  suitable 
centers  for  the  distribution  of  information,  and  of  supplies  to  the  Pennsylvania  soldiers  in  the 
Great  War,  and  is  properly  equipped  to  do  a  great  service  in  a  most  direct  and  definite  way ; 

Therefore,  I,  Martin  G.  Brumbaugh,  Governor  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania,  do 
hereby  designate  the  Pennsylvania  Emergency  Aid  Association  as  the  official  agency  to  receive 
communications  and  supplies  of  all  kinds  for  our  soldiers  in  service  abroad,  and  I  call  upon  and 
request  the  people  of  Pennsylvania  to  deliver  to  this  association,  through  its  various  branches, 
all  supplies  that  the  soldiers  may  need;  and  I  further  request  that  the  people  of  the  Commonwealth 
make  liberal  response  to  this  appeal,  to  the  end  that  our  men  in  the  ranks  may  know  by  our 
contributions  how  loyally  we  support  them,  and  how  generous  this  great  Commonwealth  is  to 
those  of  its  own  who  willingly  wage  war  in  defense  of  national  honor  and  world-wide  democracy. 

Given  under  hand  and  the  Great  Seal  of  the 

State,  at  the  City  of  Harrisburg,  this  10th 

(Great  Seal)  day  of  August  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one 

thousand  nine  hundred  and  seventeen,  and  of 
the  Commonwealth  the  one  hundred   and 
•  forty-second. 

By  The  Governor,  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth, 

Martin  G.  Braumbaugh.  Cyrus  E.  Woods. 

Supplies  were  sent  by  the  aid  of  the  Red  Cross  and  United  States  Marine 
Corps  to  the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Club,  Emergency  Aid  Headquarters,  11  Rue 
Royale,  Paris,  and  distributed  free  to  the  men  in  the  trenches  and  hospitals  as  well 
as  at  the  Club. 

Toracco  Fund 

The  Tobacco  Fund  was  started  July  26,  1917,  and  from  that  date  to  July  1, 
1919,  when  the  active  work  of  the  committee  ended,  $109,184.73  was  raised  and 
expended  for  tobacco  and  cigarettes.  In  raising  this  sum  of  money,  the  committee 
is  indebted  to  every  conceivable  agency,  including  schools,  clubs,  entertainments 
of  all  kinds,  a  melting  pot,  collections  at  theaters  and  all  public  gatherings,  and  by 
the  support  of  all  the  Philadelphia  newspapers,  besides  the  support  of  the  branches 
of  the  Emergency  Aid  in  Philadelphia  and  Pittsburgh. 

Although  the  bulk  of  the  tobacco  was  shipped  overseas,  tobacco  was  supplied 
to  the  convalescent  hospitals  on  this  side,  and  the  transports  arriving  in  Philadel- 
phia with  troops  were  met  down  the  river  by  committees  on  tugboats  and  supplied 
with  tobacco,  cigarettes  and  chocolate. 

Chocolate  and  Jam  Committee 

This  committee  was  organized  in  July,  1917.  Jam  kitchens  were  started  and 
with  contributions  of  homemade  jams  and  jellies  from  these  kitchens,  from  Emer- 
gency Aid  branches,  and  through  church  appeals,  $25,000  worth  of  jams  and 
jellies  were  shipped  in  the  summer  of  1917  and  winter  of  1918.  The  Pittsburgh 
branch  gave  substantially  to  this  committee;  $18,624.96  were  raised  for  chocolate 
and  jam  and  sent  to  the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Club  in  Paris,  distributed  from  there 
to  the  front  and  to  the  hospitals. 

566 


All  appeals  for  chocolate  and  jam  from  the  convalescent  hospitals  in  this 
country  were  answered  promptly.  All  transports  docking  in  Philadelphia  were  met 
down  the  river,  and  the  troops  supplied  with  chocolate.  When  information  could 
be  procured  of  torpedo  boats  leaving  League  Island  for  service  in  the  North  Sea, 
they  were  given  jam  and  chocolate. 

Overseas  Club 

Through  the  support  of  Rodman  Wanamaker,  the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors' 
Club,  11  Rue  Royal,  Emergency  Aid  Headquarters,  Paris,  was  opened  in  December, 
1917,  with  Dean  and  Mrs.  Frederick  W.  Beekman  in  charge,  and  a  club  at  Tours 
was  opened  in  June,  1918,  with  Captain  and  Mrs.  Amos  Tuck  French  in  charge. 
A  secretary  was  sent  to  assist  Dean  Beekman,  and  was  financed  by  the  Overseas 
Committee.     Members  in  charge  wore  the  Emergency  Aid  uniform. 

The  clubs  had  cafeterias  and  reading  rooms,  and  all  American  service  men  were 
made  welcome,  and  urged  to  make  the  clubs  their  homes  while  overseas.  Registra- 
tion files  were  kept  and  each  man  who  visited  the  club  signed  his  name  and  address 
(both  home  and  army)  and  date  of  visit.  One  of  the  most  popular  features  of  the 
Paris  Club  were  the  smokers,  which  were  held  three  times  a  week,  when  free  ciga- 
rettes and  tobacco  were  distributed.  Special  entertainments  were  arranged  for  the 
men,  a  large  number  of  celebrated  artists  giving  their  services  without  charge. 

Holiday  dinners  were  served  free  at  the  Clubs  on  Christmas  and  Thanksgiving. 
On  Christmas,  1918,  2,500  men  were  given  a  turkey  dinner  at  the  Paris  Club  alone. 

A  fountain  where  soda  water  and  Philadelphia  ice  cream  were  dispensed, 
was  most  popular.  Ice  cream  was  also  made  at  the  club  and  supplied  to  men  in 
hospitals  in  and  near  Paris. 

Sight-seeing  busses,  especially  arranged  for  convalescents,  were  provided  to 
take  the  men  to  places  of  interest  in  and  near  Paris. 

Both  of  the  clubs  were  endorsed  by  General  Pershing  in  a  personal  letter  to 
Dean  Beekman. 

Philadelphia  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Club 

Through  the  generosity  of  Dr.  Charles  D.  Hart,  a  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Club 
was  opened  on  November  27,  1918,  at  1317  Walnut  Street,  Philadelphia,  and  con- 
tinued its  work  until  March,  1920.  Contributions  to  the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors' 
Club  amounted  to  $9,484.45. 

Service  Wool  Shop 

The  Service  Wool  Shop  opened  for  business  January  28,  1918,  at  1336  Walnut 
Street,  in  the  Ritz-Carlton  Hotel. 

The  business  was  conducted  for  seventeen  months.  The  sales  amounted  to 
$48,416.22.     Profit  (gross)  $10,998.50. 

This  money  was  used  for  overhead  expenses  of  the  Overseas  Committee,  and 
after  the  signing  of  the  armistice — the  upkeep  of  the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Club 
at  1317  Walnut  Street. 

Service  Committee 

Under  this  committee,  men  in  the  various  camps  on  this  side  were  supplied 
with  gloves,  knitted  articles,  and  all  supplies  for  their  comfort  during  the  hard 
winter  of  1918. 

567 


During  the  period  when  the  men  were  being  drafted,  the  Overseas  Committee, 
through  its  Service  Star  Committee,  worked  to  combat  malicious  propaganda  by 
showing  moving  pictures  of  the  men  from  the  time  they  left  their  homes  all  through 
their  training  in  the  camps,  and  their  daily  lives  while  in  the  service.  These  pic- 
tures were  shown  in  forty-seven  out  of  fifty-one  draft  districts,  and  they  reached 
35,000  families. 

A  large  quantity  of  kid  vests,  cootie  jackets,  knitted  articles,  magazines  and 
comfort  kits  were  supplied  by  the  American  Overseas  Committee  for  the  men 
overseas. 

Armenian  Relief  Committee 

In  1916,  a  group  of  women  in  Germantown,  working  under  Mrs.  Fred  Perry 
Powers  and  Mrs.  Robert  N.  Downs,  brought  $2,000  which  they  had  raised  for 
Armenia,  to  the  Emergency  Aid  Headquarters. 

Mrs.  George  H.  Lorimer  was  then  appointed  Chairman  of  the  Armenian 
Committee;  Mrs.  Fred  Perry  Powers,  Vice-Chairman,  and  Mrs.  Robert  N.  Downs, 
Treasurer. 

The  first  public  meeting  was  held  in  the  Garrick  Theater,  where  former 
Ambassador  Morganthau  addressed  a  large  audience  and  presented  the  needs  of 
Armenia. 

Clothing,  knitted  articles  and  money,  as  well  as  food,  were  sent  in  quantity. 

The  Committee  had  a  representative  in  Armenia,  Miss  Ina  Gittings,  who  was 
stationed  at  Tarsus.  She  sent  personal  and  direct  reports  on  work  being  done 
and  where  supplies  were  being  distributed.  Funds  were  contributed  for  support 
of  the  orphanage  and  to  aid  industries  in  Erivan. 

Belgian  Relief  Committee 

The  Belgian  Division  was  the  first  foreign  committee  of  the  Emergency  Aid — 
organized  October,  1914,  by  Mrs.  Charles  Custis  Harrison  and  Mrs.  Maurice 
Heckscher,  and  immediately  commenced  aiding  the  Belgian  refugees  in  Great 
Britain  and  the  Continent. 

During  the  winter  of  1914-1915,  the  Belgian  Division  followed  the  policy  of 
the  Emergency  Aid,  sending  only  supplies  abroad.  The  Belgian  Relief  Committee 
commenced  cooperating  with  the  Commission  for  Relief  in  Belgium  in  December, 
1914,  and  continued  until  the  C.  R.  B.  work  was  over. 

In  February,  1915,  Mrs.  Harrison  resigned  as  chairman,  Mrs.  Bayard  Henry 
was  appointed  Chairman,  Mrs.  Adolfo  Carlos  Munoz,  was  Treasurer. 

To  facilitate  the  development  of  the  Belgian  Relief  Committee,  Mrs.  Henry 
conferred  in  Washington  with  the  Belgian  Minister  to  the  United  States,  Mr. 
Havenith,  and  later  with  Mr.  de  Sadeleer,  Belgian  Minister  of  State. 

The  rapid  increase  of  the  relief  work  required  more  room  than  could  be  pro- 
vided at  1428  Walnut  Street.  In  November,  1915,  Mrs.  Henry  accepted  the 
generous  offer  of  Richard  Cadwalader  to  use  the  house  of  the  late  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
S.  Weir  Mitchell,  1524  Walnut  Street,  for  the  work  of  the  committee.  This  Belgian 
Relief  House  was  opened  December  5,  1915,  and  the  broadening  out  of  many 
committee  activities  immediately  followed. 

To  this  house  came  every  day,  without  break  or  cessation,  for  the  succeeding 
four  years  from  1915  to  1920,  clothing  and  money  for  Belgian  relief.     These  were 

568 


all  forwarded  promptly  to  the  refugees  in  England  and  France,  to  the  civilians  in 
uninvaded  Belgium,  and  through  the  Commission  for  Relief  in  Belgium  to  the 
people  of  invaded  Belgium,  the  prisoners  in  Germany.  All  the  hospital  supplies 
made  at  "  1524  "  were  sent  to  Dr.  Depage  for  the  La  Panne  Hospital,  special  gifts  of 
modern  equipment  were  sent  to  the  Belgian  hospitals  in  France  at  Bon  Secours, 
Rouen,  etc. 

In  1916,  in  response  to  a  request  from  the  Duchesse  de  Vendome  (King  Albert's 
Sister),  the  Committee  commenced  to  support,  entirely,  the  Hopital  de  Phila- 
delphie,  a  convalescent  home  for  Belgian  officers,  at  the  Villa  Anastasia,  Cannes, 
and  completed  the  work  for  convalescent  officers  and  men  at  Cannes  in  June, 
1920.  The  Committee  closely  cooperated  with  Mrs.  Carlyon  Bellairs,  London, 
helping  very  materially  in  the  support  of  the  Maternity  Home  for  Belgian  Gentle- 
women there  for  three  years. 

In  January,  1917,  Mr.  Hoover  personally  asked  for  the  active  help  of  the 
Committee  in  the  plan  then  being  organized  to  supply  the  Belgian  children  with 
the  supplemental  meal,  necessary  for  their  existence.  The  Pennsylvania  Com- 
mittee was  the  first  to  respond  to  Mr.  Hoover's  appeal,  by  contributing  the 
needed  money  to  feed  the  children  of  the  Communes  of  Houtvenne,  Bouvel  and 
Minderhout,  Antwerp  Province. 

In  April,  1917,  after  Baron  de  Cartier  was  appointed  Belgian  minister  to  the 
United  States,  he  became  the  Patron  of  the  Belgian  Relief  Committee,  and  took 
an  active  personal  interest  in  the  work  of  the  Committee,  giving  all  possible  diplo- 
matic assistance.  When  foreign  shipping  grew  difficult — almost  impossible — the 
Belgian  minister  arranged  to  have  the  clothing  and  supplies  from  "1524"  sent  in 
the  same  way  the  Belgian  munitions  went,  so  the  shipments  continued  without 
ceasing  until  the  need  for  them  was  over  in  September,  1919. 

Before  completing  their  work,  the  Belgian  Relief  Committee  decided  to  create 
in  Belgium  a  permanent  evidence  of  the  sympathy  and  generosity  of  the  people  of 
Pennsylvania,  so  they  established  in  1920  the  Pennsylvania  Foundation  in  Antwerp 
for  the  care  of  sick  children. 

In  recognition  of  the  work  of  the  committee,  Cardinal  Mercier  went  officially 
to  the  Belgian  Relief  Committee  Headquarters  on  Friday,  September  26,  1919, 
to  thank  the  members  of  the  committee  for  their  work  for  Belgium. 

On  Monday,  October  27,  1919,  their  Majesties,  the  King  and  Queen  of  the 
Belgians  held  a  small  audience  in  the  Belgian  Relief  Committee  rooms,  1524 
Walnut  Street,  to  express  their  appreciation  for  what  had  been  accomplished 
through  the  Belgian  Relief  Committee  of  the  Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsylvania. 

Packing  Committee  Report 

October,  1914— February,  1920 

Miss  Mabel  A.  Brice,  Chairman 
Mrs.  Edward  A.  White 
Mrs.  Monroe  Buckley 

From  October  1,  1914,  to  January  1,  1920,  1,273  cases  were  packed, 
totaling  forty-three  tons  in  bulk  and  containing  889,833  articles  valued  at 
$405,193.00. 

569 


These  cases  were  sent  for  Belgian  Relief  to  fifty-four  addresses  in  England, 
France,  occupied  and  uninvaded  Belgium  and  Holland.  All  cases  were  accounted 
for  as  arriving  safely  and  in  good  order  except  three  cases  lost  by  submarine 
torpedo  and  two  cases  lost  by  airplane  bomb  on  dock  at  Calais. 

British-American  War  Relief  Fund  of  Philadelphia 

In  the  autumn  of  1914,  Sir  Arthur  and  Lady  Herbert  established  the  British- 
American  War  Relief  Fund  in  New  York  City,  to  provide  comforts  and  hospital 
supplies  for  the  soldiers  and  sailors  of  Great  Britain  and  her  Allies.  From  this 
were  organized  eighteen  branches  in  various  cities  of  the  United  States. 

The  Philadelphia  Committee  of  the  British-American  War  Relief  Fund  was 

organized  in  the  autumn  of  1915,  and  became  affiliated  with  the  Emergency  Aid  of 

Pennsylvania,  having  its  office  and  workrooms  in  the  Emergency  Aid  Headquarters. 

Mrs.  Robert  E.  Strawbridge  was  chairman  of  the  Philadelphia  Committee, 

and  the  other  officers  were: 

Mrs.  Charles  Wheeler,  Jr.,  Acting  Chairman 
Mrs.  George  Stuart  Patterson,  Vice-Chairman 
Miss  Elizabeth  Tyson,  Vice-Chairman 
Mrs.  Edward  Browning,  Treasurer 
Miss  Katherine  Palmer,  Secretary 

During  the  years  1915,  '16,  '17  all  supplies  were  shipped  through  the  British- 
American  War  Relief  Fund  Headquarters  in  New  York  City  to  hospitals  in  England 
and  France. 

In  1915  two  motor  ambulances  were  donated  to  the  fund,  and  quantities  of 
hospital  supplies,  half-worn  clothing  and  new  garments  were  forwarded.  A  bed  in 
the  American  Women's  War  Relief  Hospital  at  Paignton,  England,  was  endowed 
with  funds  received  during  the  first  three  months  of  the  committee's  existence. 

In  1916  quantities  of  hospital  supplies  and  garments  were  forwarded  through 
the  New  York  headquarters  of  the  fund  and  directly  to  hospitals  in  England  and 
France.  The  sum  of  $500.00  was  donated  to  the  British-American  Booth  at  the 
Allied  Bazaar  in  New  York. 

At  the  second  "Made  in  America"  Bazaar,  held  by  the  Emergency  Aid  in 
December,  1916,  the  British-American  War  Relief  Committee  had  the  flower  booth, 
at  which  $4,750.75  was  raised,  this  money  being  used  to  endow  a  room  in  the 
Officers'  Hospital  at  Lancaster  Gate,  London. 

In  May  an  Allied  Ball  was  given  in  Philadelphia,  the  proceeds  amounting  to 
$13,000. 

In  1919  surgical  supplies,  garments  and  materials  in  the  piece  were  forwarded 
to  England,  France  and  Siberia.  A  bed  was  endowed  in  the  Dreadnought  Sea- 
man's Hospital  at  Greenwich,  England,  in  memory  of  the  gallant  seamen  of  the 
British  Navy,  lost  in  the  war. 

One  thousand  dollars  was  given  to  Mr.  Porter,  British  Consul  in  Philadelphia, 
for  the  British  Patriotic  Fund  to  relieve  British  soldiers  who  had  gone  from  Phila- 
delphia. 

British  Relief  Committee 

This  Committee  was  organized  October,  1914,  under  Mrs.  E.  Burd  Grubb, 
Chairman,  and  Miss  Kate  Forrester  Robertson,  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

570 


Shipments  were  consigned  to  the  London  depot  of  the  Committee,  in  care  of 
Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel  Theodore  Dyke  Acland,  their  representative,  who 
distributed  money  and  supplies  to: 

Northumberland  Fusileers  Convalescent  Home,  Seton  House,  Felton,  Northumberland 
The  War  Hospital,  Princess  Christian,  Englefield  Green,  Surrey,  England 
Red  Cross  Hospital,  Abereystwyth,  Cardiganshire,  Wales 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Frederick  Browning,  Munitions  Department,  War  Office,  London 
The  Shepton  Mallet  Hospital 
Royal  Naval  Hospital,  Shotely 

General  Hospital,  Base  M.  E.  Force,  Alexandria,  Egypt 
King's  Lancashire  Military  Convalescent  Hospital,  Blackpool 
The  British  Red  Cross  Society,  the  Star  and  Garter,  Richmond 
Belgravia  Workrooms  and  War  Hospital  Supply  Depot 
V.  A.  S.  Hospital,  37  Porchester  Terrace,  W. 
Lady  Osier,  Oxford 

The  Mission  to  Seamen,  Marine  Villa,  Falmouth 
Equipment  Dept.  for  Foreign  Service,  28  St.  Andrews  Sq.,  Edinburgh 
Colchester  Hospital,  Colchester 
Princess  Christian,  Englefield  Green,  Surrey 
King  George's  Hospital,  London 
Tooting  Military  Hospital 
St.  Dunstan's  Hospital  for  the  Blind 
Royal  Infirmary 
Aberdeen  Infirmary 
Fieve  Hospital,  Beaushire 
Scottish  Horse  Headquarters,  Dunkeld 

Mine  Sweepers  at  Cromarty  and  various  East  Coast  Stations 
Salonika  Army  Hospital 
Wimereaux  Hospital,  France 
Soissons  Hospital 

Arc-en-Barrois  Hospital,  Haute  Marne 
A  large  number  of  regiments  on  the  various  British  fronts 

Various  homes  and  institutions  for  those  who  have  been  injured  in  the  war,  both  officers 
and  men  of  all  forces  and  others. 

In  1917  the  work  of  the  Committee  aroused  so  much  interest  in  England  that 
Princess  Christian,  His  Grace,  the  Archbishop  of  York,  and  Lord  and  Lady  Reading 
became  Patrons  of  the  Committee. 

In  1918  Mrs.  Arthur  E.  Newbold  became  Chairman  of  the  Committee  and 
Mrs.  E.  Burd  Grubb  and  Miss  Kate  F.  Robertson  were  appointed  Vice-Chairman 
and  Acting  Chairman.  The  sub-committee  and  classes  of  the  Committee  were  led 
by  Mrs.  Woodville  Bohlen,  Mrs.  Henry  Middleton  Fisher,  Miss  Shand,  Mrs.  Lovatt, 
Mrs.  Lister,  Mrs.  Wignall  and  others.  The  packing  and  shipping  were  gifts  of 
Messrs.  J.  E.  Caldwell  &  Co.  and  Messrs.  Furness  Withy  &  Co. 

In  1919,  when  Miss  Robertson  went  to  England  to  establish  the  Orphan  Fund, 
Field  Marshal  Lord  Haig  was  so  deeply  interested  that  he  became  President  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  the  fund  and  made  it  a  sub-committee  of  his  own  great  com- 
mittee, embracing  all  relief  for  the  care  of  soldiers  and  their  families. 

Colored  Women's  Committee 

In  the  fall  of  1917  a  group  of  colored  women  of  Philadelphia,  on  learning  of  the 
needs  of  the  colored  troops  in  camps  in  this  country,  asked  permission  to  organize  a 
branch  of  the  Emergency  Aid,  through  which  they  might  forward  supplies  to  the 
men  of  their  race  in  the  United  States  service. 

571 


Mrs.  Edward  Browning  and  Mrs.  W.  Howard  Pancoast,  members  of  the 
Executive  Committee  of  the  Emergency  Aid,  acted  as  Honorary  Chairman  and 
Honorary  Vice-Chairman.  Under  their  direction,  on  November  9,  1917,  the  South- 
western Branch,  Chester  Branch,  and  the  Patriotic  Committee  of  the  Union 
Baptist  Church  came  into  existence.  Shortly  afterwards,  the  Shiloah  Church 
Branch,  Central  Branch  of  Harrisburg  and  the  Organized  Charity  Committee  were 
formed. 

Money  was  raised  to  supply  comfort  kits,  knitted  articles,  tobacco,  baseball 
outfits,  gloves,  musical  instruments,  sheet  music  for  one  of  the  colored  bands,  a  new 
player  piano,  and  many  other  necessities.  The  women  also  visited  families  of  the 
service  men  and  reported  to  the  Red  Cross  any  who  needed  assistance. 

The  Organized  Charity  Branch  conducted  a  rest  room  in  the  basement  of  St. 
Thomas'  Church,  at  12th  and  Walnut  streets,  which  they  maintained  for  a  year 
with  great  success,  giving  a  place  in  the  central  part  of  the  city  for  the  colored 
service  men  to  go  for  lunch  and  recreation. 

The  total  receipts  of  the  various  units  of  the  committee  are  as  follows: 

Southwestern  Branch  (Mrs.  Thomas  James,  Pres.) $2,618.23 

Chester  Branch  (Mrs.  Fannie  Nicholson,  Pres.) 530 .  51 

Patriotic    Committee    of  Union   Baptist    Church    (Mrs. 

Nancy  Douthit,  Pres.) 339.39 

Central  Branch  of  Harrisburg  (Miss  Bertha  Zedricks,  Pres.)       676 .  78 

Organized  Charity  Branch  (Mrs.  S.  A.  Keen,  Pres.) 655 .  99 

Shiloah  Baptist  Church  Branch  (Mrs.  F.  Pollard,  Pres.) . .       425.52 

$5,246 .  42 
Committee  of  Supplies 
Executive  Committee: 
Mrs.  Eli  K.  Price,  Chairman 
Mrs.  Robert  C.  Wright,  Vice-Chairman 
Miss  Catharine  H.  Dixon,  Secretary 
Mrs.  Charles  S.  Starr,  Treasurer 
Mrs.  Henry  P.  Baily,  Miss  G.  Madeleine  Guernsey,  Mrs.  J.  Howard  Rhoads, 
Mrs.  Henry  B.  Robb,  Mrs.  W.  0.  Rowland,  Mrs.  Percy  Simpson,  Mrs.  Hugh  I. 
Wilson. 

Established  in  October,  1914,  with  the  object  of  supplying  cut  garments  to 
women  who  needed  work  to  support  their  families,  the  Committee  distributed  from 
November  1,  1914,  to  April  23,  1915,  172,736  garments. 

Later  the  Committee  was  known  as  the  National  Surgical  Dressings 
Committee,  with  Mrs.  Rodman  E.  Griscom  as  Chairman.  During  the  years 
1915,  '16,  '17,  with  the  valuable  assistance  of  its  branches,  it  made  and  distributed 
to  foreign  countries  dressings  and  garments  amounting  to  1,342,594. 

In  May,  1918,  the  National  Surgical  Dressings  Committee  disbanded  and 
became  the  Committee  of  Supplies  of  the  Emergency  Aid.  Its  object  is  to  respond 
to  demands  made  upon  it  from  hospitals  and  tuberculosis  sanatoriums;  to  provide 
outfits  of  clothing  to  those  tubercular  patients  going  to  Mont  Alto  from  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  and  to  make  garments  of  all  kinds  for  the  tubercular  children  in  the 
open-air  schools  at  Mont  Alto. 

It  has,  since  the  above  date,  made  and  distributed  189,104  articles. 

572 


Emergency  Aid  Aide  Service 

The  Emergency  Aid  Aides,  a  semi-military  organization  consisting  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  girls,  was  organized  by  Mrs.  Norman  MacLeod,  on  November 
9,  1917,  for  the  purpose  of  serving  in  any  emergency. 

The  battalion  was  in  command  of  a  major  and  consisted  of  three  companies, 
each  under  a  captain  and  two  lieutenants.  Each  company  reported  two  days 
every  week  making  an  active  daily  working  force  of  over  eighty  girls. 

The  officers  were:  Director,  Mrs.  Norman  MacLeod;  Major,  Miss  Gretchen 
Clay;  Captains,  Miss  Margaret  Dunlap,  Miss  Margaret  Berwind,  Miss  Mary 
Brown  Warburton;  Lieutenants:  Mrs.  H.  F.  Hansell,  Jr.,  Adjutant;  Miss  Peggy 
Thayer,  Miss  Marys  B.  Clark,  Mrs.  C.  A.  Heckscher  Wetherill,  Mrs.  Wallace 
Roberts,  Miss  Sidney  Franklin,  Miss  Margaret  Hughes  and  Miss  Agnes  Brockie. 

During  the  Liberty  Loan  Campaigns  the  Aides  assumed  entire  charge  of  the 
central  city  booths;  collected  pledges  for  bonds,  and  attended  to  all  other  matters 
pertaining  to  the  canvass.  They  also  manned  the  Central  City  Booths  during  the 
War  Saving  Stamps  Drive.  Their  sales  were  as  follows:  Third  Liberty  Loan, 
$12,060,000;  Fourth  Liberty  Loan,  $7,169,000;  Victory  Loan,  $10,067,650;  Salva- 
tion Army  Drive,  $48,000. 

The  Aides  assisted  daily  in  the  Red  Cross  Warehouse,  Red  Cross  Factory, 
and  at  the  Navy  House  Cafeteria.  They  served  lunch  daily  in  the  Schuylkill 
Arsenal  and  during  the  summer  of  1918  at  the  Frankford  Arsenal. 

The  Aides  furnished  clerical  work  for  the  Home  Service  of  the  Red  Cross  and 
worked  daily  at  three  of  the  local  draft  boards,  also  at  the  college  settlement,  and 
assisted  in  the  child  labor  investigation. 

They  helped  at  many  sales,  and  took  up  collections  at  theaters  conducting 
benefits  for  various  war  reliefs. 

Several  entered  nurses'  aides  courses  in  the  different  hospitals,  and  worked 
through  the  influenza  epidemic;  others  worked  in  the  diet  kitchens  of  the  hospitals. 
During  the  influenza  epidemic  many  volunteered  their  services  as  nurses. 

Under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  MacLeod,  the  following  branches  were  organized, 
with  a  membership  of  550:  Falls  of  Schuylkill,  Swarthmore,  Media,  North  Phila- 
delphia, Northeast  Philadelphia,  Logan,  Wallingford,  Navy  League  Branch. 


Emergency  Aid  Aides. 
573 


The  Motor  Corps  was  organized  in  the  fall  of  1919,  being  commanded  by  a 
captain  and  three  lieutenants.  About  ten  cars  worked  daily  carrying  crippled 
children  to  dispensaries  and  taking  wounded  soldiers  from  trains  to  convalescent 
hospitals.  The  Motor  Corps  also  carried  doctors,  nurses  and  supplies  during  the 
influenza  epidemic. 

In  the  parade  of  the  28th  Division,  this  Corps  drove  over  forty  cars  carrying 
wounded  soldiers. 

The  officers  of  the  Corps  were:  Captain,  Miss  Kitty  Brinton;  Lieutenants, 
Miss  Genette  Faries,  Miss  Constance  Vauclain,  Miss  Ethel  Thompson  and  Mrs. 
William  Simpson,  3rd. 

Junior  Branches  of  the  Emergency  Aid 
Mrs.  John  G.  Clark,  Chairman, 


Andrew  Hamilton  Unit,  Miss  Janvier 
Ardmore-Wynnewood  Class,  Mrs.  Ed.  Flannery 
Bedford  Juniors,  Miss  Elizabeth  Thompson 
Chestnut  Hill  Branch,  Miss  Elizabeth  Morgan 
Downington  Juniors,  Mrs.  William  Potts 
Huntington  Juniors,  Mrs.  H.  C.  Chisolm 
Hunting  Park  Juniors,  Mrs.  Grandy 
Little  Aiders,  Mrs.  W.  W.  Bhoads 

The  Emergency  Aid  Juniors  consisted  of  girls  between  the  ages  of  nine  and 
fourteen  years,  and  the  purpose  of  their  organization  was  to  arouse  in  them  a 


Logan  Juniors,  Miss  Flora  Mager 
Media  Juniors,  Mrs.  Wm.  Irwin  Cheyney 
Mercersburg  Juniors,  Mrs.  C.  F.  Fendrick 
Mill  Creek  Juniors,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Stonebraker 
Morton-Butledge  Juniors,  Miss  Lemmo 
Philadelphia  Branch,  Miss  Loulie  Thomson 
Wolfsburg  Juniors,  Miss  Edith  Stuckey 


Photo  by  H.  E.   Geisslnger. 


One  of  the  most  Active  Branches. 
574 


serious  interest  in  the  great  undertakings  brought  about  by  the  war.  It  was 
organized  in  many  units,  each  under  a  definite  name,  and  was  self-supporting. 
The  membership  of  the  various  units  totaled  about  one  thousand  children.  During 
the  war  the  children  worked  on  surgical  dressings,  made  garments,  comfort  pillows, 
etc.,  and  knitted  warm  articles  for  the  men  in  hospitals  and  at  the  front. 

Emergency  Aid  Reserve  Corps 
Mrs.  Frank  T.  Griswold,  Chairman 

This  committee  was  composed  of  women  who  were  willing  to  respond  to  every 
kind  of  emergency  call  which  came  to  the  organization. 

Six  captains  were  appointed  by  the  Chairman,  under  whom  the  members  of 
the  corps  worked.  The  women  were  particularly  helpful  in  the  work  at  the  cafe- 
teria conducted  at  the  Schuylkill  Arsenal,  where  they  helped  daily  to  serve 
thousands  of  women  employed  by  the  depot  quartermaster  of  the  United  States 
Government.  Each  morning  a  government  truck  came  to  the  Emergency  Aid 
Headquarters,  and  took  a  group  of  twenty  or  more  women  to  the  arsenal  to  be  on 
duty  during  the  luncheon  hours.  Before  taking  up  this  work,  each  woman  took 
an  oath  of  loyalty  to  the  United  States  Government. 

During  the  Liberty  Loan,  Salvation  Army,  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  and  other  drives, 
members  of  the  Emergency  Aid  Reserve  Corps  manned  many  central  city  booths. 

Emergency  Aid  Shop 
Miss  Mary  R.  Conover,  Chairman 

Through  the  generosity  of  Samuel  F.  Houston,  an  Emergency  Aid  Shop  was 
conducted  at  1501  Walnut  Street  from  March  15,  1918,  to  April  4,  1919. 

Articles  from  the  various  Allied  countries  were  on  sale,  and  the  proceeds  were 
turned  over  to  the  Emergency  Aid  Committees  for  their  relief  work. 

The  total  receipts  from  sales  by  the  committees  amounted  to  $42,310.50. 

During  the  summer  of  1918,  a  small  shop  at  Cape  May  was  lent  by  the  Mayor 
of  the  town. 

Fatherless  Children  or  France 

The  Committee  of  the  Fatherless  Children  of  France  was  organized  December. 
10,  1915,  at  the  home  of  Mrs.  John  Markoe,  the  following  officers  being  elected: 

Chairman,  Mrs.  John  Markoe;  Secretary,  Mrs.  Arthur  Biddle;  Treasurer, 
Mrs.  Joseph  Leidy. 

Up  to  January  1,  1920,  five  thousand  four  hundred  and  ninety  children  were 
cared  for. 

Food  Economy  Committee 

The  Food  Economy  Committee  of  the  Emergency  Aid  was  organized  in  the 
spring  of  1917,  with  Mrs.  Charles  M.  Lea  as  chairman.  This  committee  was  the 
first  in  the  field  as  an  organization  to  take  up  the  work  of  food  conservation. 

In  January,  1918,  the  Food  Administrator  asked  that  the  Food  Economy 
Committee  become  an  integral  part  of  the  Federal  Administration.  Under  this 
plan,  all  of  the  sixty-seven  Counties  were  organized,  fifty-eight  of  which  were 
working  in  every  township,  borough  and  hamlet. 

575 


French  War  Relief  Committee 

1914. — The  French  War  Relief  Committee  of  the  Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsyl- 
vania was  organized  in  1914,  with  Mrs.  Harold  E.  Yarnall,  Chairman,  for  the  "Made 
in  America"  Bazaar.  The  French  Committee  cleared  $2,600,  which  formed  the 
nucleus  of  the  fund.  Mrs.  Yarnall  left  the  city  at  the  beginning  of  January,  1915, 
and  Mrs.  Cornelius  Stevenson  took  her  place. 

1915. — By  the  beginning  of  January,  1916,  the  receipts  had  risen  to  a  total 
of  $90,521.  During  the  year  the  Committee  worked  for  the  French  hospitals,  as- 
sisted by  an  Advisory  Committee  composed  of  Dr.  W.  W.  Keen,  the  late  Dr.  J. 
William  White,  and  Dr.  Joseph  Leidy.  Surgical  instruments,  supplies,  and 
apparatus  to  a  value  of  $16,000  were  collected  and  sent. 

In  July  an  urgent  request  came  from  Chatalaillon,  near  La  Rochelle,  for  a 
surgeon,  and  Dr.  Frank  C.  Abbott,  offered  his  services.  The  Committee  defrayed 
his  traveling  expenses  to  Chatalaillon  and  return.  Dr.  Abbott  was  later  transferred 
to  Vendome.  He  was  placed  in  charge  of  fifty  surgical  patients,  besides  super- 
vising 500  beds  in  smaller  hospitals  in  the  town.  Dr.  Abbott  was  provided  by 
the  Committee  with  $500  worth  of  serums  and  instruments  at  the  start.  He 
was  supplied  on  request  with  all  necessities. 

The  following  year  other  surgeons  were  sent  over  on  the  same  terms:  Dr. 
Reese,  Dr.  Moore,  Dr.  David  R.  Morgan,  Dr.  F.  Y.  Gowen,  Dr.  Parke  and  others. 

1916. — By  January,  1917,  the  Committee  had  collected  $408,413  and  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  bandages  and  dressings,  surgical  instruments  and  much  clothing 
had  been  forwarded  to  250  hospitals.  It  also  forwarded  to  the  Ministry  of  War 
large  quantities  of  anaesthetics,  portable  baths,  water  beds,  rubber  goods,  and 
other  supplies  for  the  army. 

1917. — In  July  it  opened  a  Bureau  of  Distribution  in  Paris.  Mrs.  Rodgers, 
Miss  Hayden,  and  Miss  Richards — the  two  latter  as  car  drivers — went  over  to 
represent  the  Philadelphia  Committee.  Mrs.  Hayden  presented  a  Ford,  and  the 
president  and  vice-president  of  the  Auto  Car  Company  a  truck.  The  French 
Government  placed  at  their  disposal  Bastion  No.  55,  Boulevard  Lannes,  and 
assigned  to  Philadelphia  the  care  of  five  communes,  later  increased  to  eight,  as 
follows:  Villequier-Aumont,  Ugny-le-Gay,  Frieres,  Fallouel,  La  Neuville,  Beau- 
mont, Rouez,  and  Guyencourt.  For  a  period,  nine  more  communes  were 
added. 

The  four  first-mentioned  localities  have  named  their  main  street  "Rue  de 
Philadelphie." 

From  that  time  the  main  work  of  the  Committee  was  the  caring  for  the  un- 
fortunate inhabitants  of  the  invaded  regions. 

Two  portable  houses,  respectively  of  six  and  four  rooms,  were  provided  by 
two  of  the  officers  of  the  Committee,  Villequier-Aumont  becoming  the  headquarters 
on  the  Aisne  of  the  Philadelphia  workers. 

19^8. — About  February  1st,  the  French  Army  at  that  section  of  the  front, 
was  replaced  by  the  British  Army,  and  on  March  21st  occurred  the  great  German 
offensive,  which  for  the  second  time  drove  everything  before  it.  At  that  time 
the  Committee  in  charge  of  Villequier  and  the  other  communes  had  been  rein- 
forced under  Mrs.  Rodgers,  by  Miss  Ellen  Church,  trained  nurse,  and  Miss 
Juliana  Wood;  Miss  Hayden  driving  alternately  the  truck  and  the   Ford;   while 

576 


Miss  Wharton,  Mrs.  Donnell  Swan,  and  Mrs.  Work  took  charge  of  the  Bureau 
of  Distribution  in  Paris. 

It  fell  to  Miss  Hayden's  lot  to  evacuate  the  inhabitants,  including  the  mayor 
and  his  family  and  archives,  to  Noyon.  After  the  evacuation,  Mrs.  Rodgers, 
Miss  Church,  and  Miss  Hayden  repaired  to  Compiegne,  which  was  the  position 
of  greatest  need  on  the  line  of  defense,  and  there  for  days  and  nights  worked 
incessantly.  Miss  Hayden's  services  and  those  of  Miss  Church  and  Mrs.  Rodgers 
were  acknowledged  officially  by  Gen.  R.  Butler,  111th  British  Corps,  before  Com- 
piegne. 

1918-1919. — On  the  return  of  Philadelphia's  scattered  charges  to  their  ruined 
homes,  they  were  at  once  given  a  tractor,  seeds,  farm  and  household  implements, 
cows  and  other  animals,  and  barnyard  fowls;  and  during  the  summer  of  1919  they 
not  only  were  able  to  feed  themselves,  but  raised  enough  food  stuffs  to  sell  to  their 
neighbors.  This  was  mentioned  with  highest  approval  and  received  with  ap- 
plause in  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  by  the  representative  from  the  Aisne. 

A  Committee  for  the  Relief  of  Tuberculosis  in  France  was  formed  under  the 
chairmanship  of  Mrs.  Maurice  Heckscher,  with  Dr.  Charles  J.  Hatfield  as  Vice- 
Chairman,  and  Dr.  Thomas  McCrae,  Dr.  H.  R.  M.  Landis  and  others  as  advisors. 
They  undertook  the  support  of  four  trained  nurses  in  the  District  of  Tours. 

The  New  Century  Club  of  Wilmington,  Del.,  under  the  chairmanship  of  Mrs. 
Arthur  Patterson,  sent  $1,150  for  the  equipment  of  schools  at  Villequier  and  La 
Neuville. 

Mrs.  Frederick  W.  Abbott,  President  of  the  Matinee  Musical  Club,  under- 
took the  care  of  Ugny-le-Gay,  for  which  purpose  $10,000  was  raised.  During 
the  period  of  exile  from  their  homes,  the  Committee,  as  far  as  possible,  followed 
up  its  scattered  villagers,  adding  fifty  per  cent  to  the  government  allowance  per 
capita. 

The  American  Committee  for  Devastated  France,  with  Mrs.  Herbert  L. 
Clark  as  Chairman,  was  formed  to  assist  with  Miss  Anne  Morgan,  and  to 
represent  Pennsylvania  on  her  committee.  Still  active  remains  the  Committee 
on  "Women  Victims  of  the  Hun,"  formed  to  assist  Madame  de  Sainte-Croix 
with  her  tragic  work  in  France,  and  of  which  Mrs.  Louis  Bregy  is  Chairman. 

A  balance  of  funds  in  the  hands  of  the  French  committee  on  April  1st  will 
be  applied  to  another  permanent  improvement  for  Villequier-Aumont,  where 
the  headquarters  of  the  Committee  have  been  situated  since  August,  1917. 

On  January  1,  1920,  the  total  reported  by  the  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Joseph  Leidy, 
and  sent  over  by  the  French  War  Relief  of  the  Emergency  Aid,  including  its  sub- 
committees and  Paris  Bureau  was  $1,514,872.87;  $885,005.17  in  cash;  and  $629, 
867.70  in  gifts. 

To  Charles  M.  Lea,  to  the  William  H.  Kemble  Estate,  and  to  the  heirs  of 
the  Roberts  Estate,  thanks  are  due  for  the  loan  of  valuable  properties  during 
the  course  of  the  war. 

Officers  of  the  Committee  were:  Mrs.  Cornelius  Stevenson,  Chairman; 
Mrs.  Edwin  S.  Balch,  Secretary;  Mrs.  Francis  T.  Patterson,  Corresponding  Sec- 
retary; Mrs.  Joseph  Leidy,  Treasurer. 

The  Sub-Committees  were — American  Committee  for  Devasted  France: 
Mrs.  Herbert  L.  Clark,  Chairman;  American  Field  Ambulance:  Miss  Caroline  S. 
Sinkler,  Chairman;    Anaesthetics:  Mrs.  Norman  MacLeod,  Chairman;    Artificial 

577 


Limbs:  Mrs.  George  Wharton  Pepper,  Chairman;  Comfort  Packets:  Miss  Edith 
M.  Peters,  Chairman;  Food  for  French  Wounded:  Miss  Ellen  Mary  Cassatt, 
Chairman;  Fatherless  Children  of  France:  Mrs.  John  Markoe,  Chairman;  Enter- 
tainment: Mrs.  Harold  E.  Yarnall,  Chairman;  Society  of  Little  Gardens:  Mrs. 
Charles  Davis  Clark,  Chairman;  Ice  Flotilla  and  Condensed  Milk:  Mrs.  John  B. 
Thayer,  Chairman;  Lafayette  Kits:  Mrs.  W.  S.  Ellis,  Chairman;  Live  Stock 
Agricultural  Implements:  Miss  Gertrude  S.  Heckscher,  Chairman;  Packing: 
Mrs.  Richard  S.  Edwards,  Chairman;  Pied  a  Terre  du  Marin:  Mrs.  George  Biddle, 
Chairman;  Reconstruction  Work:  Mrs.  L.  Willard  Rodgers,  Chairman;  Training 
in  Suitable  Trades  the  Maimed  Soldiers  of  France:  Mrs.  Edward  T.  Stotesbury, 
Chairman;  Tuberculous  Soldiers  and  Children  of  France:  Mrs.  Maurice  Heckscher, 
Chairman;  "Ouvroir"  Supplies  for  French  Refugees:  Mrs.  R.  H.  Bayard  Bowie, 
Chairman;  Ugny-le-Gay,  Reconstruction  Work:  Mrs.  Henry  Gordon  Thunder, 
Chairman;   Women  Victims  of  the  Hun:   Mrs.  Louis  Bregy,  Chairman. 

Home  Relief  Division 

The  Home  Relief  Division,  with  Mrs.  John  C.  Groome,  Chairman,  Mrs.  J. 
Willis  Martin,  Vice-Chairman,  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Robins,  manager  of  the  office, 
was  one  of  the  first  committees  to  become  active.  Owing  to  the  labor  depression 
beginning  in  the  fall  of  1914,  and  continuing  until  the  spring  of  1915,  many  Phila- 
delphia families  who  had  formerly  been  self-supporting  and  independent  suffered 
from  extreme  poverty.  It  was  for  the  relief  of  these  people  that  the  Home  Relief 
Division  of  the  Emergency  Aid  was  formed,  and  the  following  statistics  show  just 
what  was  accomplished  for  their  relief  by  the  division  during  the  winter  of  1914 
to  1915. 

A  total  number  of  14,117  cases  were  relieved.  The  total  number  of  families 
aided  was  56,476,  of  which  775  were  widows  and  deserted  women.  Temporary 
work  was  given  to  2,046  men  and  5,373  women.  Positions  were  found  for  3,131 
men  and  1,792  women. 

The  labor  question  had  so  materially  improved  by  the  spring  of  1915,  that  it 
was  decided  that  the  relief  work  should  be  discontinued,  as  the  number  of  applicants 
had  decreased  to  such  an  extent  that  they  could  be  cared  for  by  the  permanent 
charitable  organizations. 

The  employment  bureaus  for  men  and  women  were  continued,  however,  and 
proved  so  successful  that  they  have  since  been  taken  over  by  the  State,  with  head- 
quarters at  1519  Arch  Street,  and  have  merged  into  the  State  Bureau  of  Employ- 
ment under  the  Department  of  Labor  and  industry. 

Under  the  chairmanship  of  Mrs.  G.  G.  Meade  Large,  and  later  Mrs.  Eli  K. 
Price,  the  Supply  Committee  was  formed,  which  fulfilled  the  double  purpose  of 
employing  women  and  girls  in  need  and  making  garments  which  could  be  used 
for  distribution  to  the  destitute  in  Belgium. 

Workrooms  for  the  employment  of  young  women  and  girls  were  established 
all  over  the  city,  where  the  supplies  sent  from  headquarters  were  made  up.  These 
workrooms  were  under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  Rodman  E.  Griscom. 

A  Committee  on  Organizing  Branches,  under  Mrs.  Edward  T.  Stotesbury 
and  supported  entirely  by  her,  established  branch  work  in  fifteen  districts,  including 
every  ward  of  the  city.  These  branches  investigated  cases,  dispensed  clothing, 
gave  medical  assistance,  coal  and  food,  when  needed.     Sewing  rooms,  under  Mrs. 

578 


Members  of  the  Stetson  Relief  Committee. 

Griscom,  were  added  to  six  of  these  branches;  and  from  the  knowledge  acquired 
in  these  sewing  rooms  as  to  the  need  of  trade  training,  the  Philadelphia  Trade  School 
for  Girls  developed. 

On  the  23d  of  June,  1916,  the  Mayor  of  Philadelphia  appointed  the  Home 
Relief  Division  of  the  Emergency  Aid  to  take  charge  of  distributing  the  fund  raised 
by  the  Citizens'  Soldiers'  Aid  Committee  for  the  relief  of  soldiers'  dependents  when 
the  guardsmen  were  called  to  the  Mexican  border.  The  report  of  the  Committee 
showed  that  975  soldiers'  dependents  had  applied  for  aid.  This  Committee  was 
the  first  Home  Service  Committee  in  the  United  States. 

Under  the  chairmanship  of  Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin,  the  After-Care  of  Infantile 
Paralysis  Cases  was  started  in  August,  1916,  soon  after  the  dread  epidemic  became 
so  prevalent  in  Philadelphia.  The  work  of  this  Special  Committee  still  continues. 
Nine  hundred  and  fifty  cases  were  registered  with  the  Committee,  and  of  this 
number  approximately  half  are  closed,  including  300  cured,  and  the  remainder 
either  moved  to  another  city,  died,  or  placed  in  homes. 

The  Committee  provides  braces,  when  the  families  of  the  children  are  unable 
to  bear  that  expense,  and  is  responsible  for  the  transportation  to  several  of  the 
hospitals  of  children  who  have  been  ordered  regular  treatment  and  who  otherwise 
could  not  get  there. 

The  Philadelphia  Trade  School  for  Girls,  Miss  Helen  Fleisher,  Chairman, 
had  so  definitely  demonstrated  its  practical  value  to  the  community  in  its  second 

579 


year  that  various  groups  interested  in  the  efficiency  training  for  girls  joined  with 
it  in  a  united  movement  to  have  the  Board  of  Education  make  it  a  part  of  the 
Public  School  System.  This  was  done  in  December,  1917,  and  the  work  was  con- 
tinued at  214  S.  9th  Street  until  the  Ramsey  School  was  assigned  definitely  as 
headquarters  for  the  Trade  School. 

In  January,  1918,  when  a  great  shortage  of  coal  existed  all  over  the  United 
States,  the  Fuel  Admistration  found  itself  facing  a  difficult  situation  in  regard  to 
the  distribution  of  coal  in  small  quantities.  So  great  was  the  suffering  caused  by 
the  lack  of  machinery  for  handling  this  situation,  that  the  Emergency  Aid  offered 
to  undertake  to  investigate  urgent  cases  and  distribute  wherever  the  need  was 
immediate.  Desks  were  manned  in  the  Mayor's  office;  the  Motor  Messenger 
Service  was  requisitioned  to  carry  investigators,  and,  with  the  cooperation  of  the 
Fuel  Administration,  all  cases  of  suffering  were  instantly  relieved. 

In  September,  1918,  the  Chairman  of  the  Home  Relief  Division  was  called 
to  a  conference  of  leading  physicians  to  discuss  the  approaching  epidemic  of  influ- 
enza. The  Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsylvania  undertook  the  recruiting  of  nurses 
and  nurses'  aides,  and  this  work  was  conducted  with  the  cooperation  of  the  Red 
Cross  and  the  Council  of  National  Defense. 

Italian  Relief  Committee 

This  Committee  (Comitato  pro  Italia)  was  organized  in  September,  1915,  with 
Mrs.  Benjamin  Miller,  Chairman,  Mrs.  George  Harrison  Fisher  and  Mrs.  Robert 
B.  Haines  as  Vice-Chairmen,  and  Miss  Mary  C.  Beath  as  Secretary.  The  Com- 
mittee was  inaugurated  under  the  advice  of  Ambassador  and  Mrs.  Page  in  Rome, 
and  the  Royal  Ambassador  Count  Macchi  de  Cellere  and  Countess  Dolores  de 
Cellere  in  Washington,  and,  during  the  first  two  years  of  the  war,  was  the  only  one 
in  the  United  States  working  solely  for  Italy. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  the  Italian  Government  and  the  Italian  steamship 
lines,  the  Committee  enjoyed  unlimited  and  continuous  free  shipping  privileges. 
Hospital  dressings  and  supplies,  clothing,  shoes,  surgical  and  dental  instruments, 
artificial  limbs,  glass  eyes,  blankets,  rubber  goods,  Carrel-Dakin  machines,  anes- 
thetics, yarn  and  material  in  bulk  were  forwarded  by  the  Committee.  Special 
contributions  of  materials  were  sent  for  the  workrooms  of  Mrs.  Thomas  Nelson 
Page  in  Rome  and  Mrs.  Whipple  at  Bagni  de  Lucca.  Supplies  of  money  were 
forwarded  to  the  American  Hospital  for  Italian  wounded  at  Florence. 

Christmas,  1915,  a  gift  of  $1,544  (10,000  lire)  was  sent  to  Queen  Elena  for  her 
hospitals. 

Christmas,  1916,  the  sum  of  $2,500  was  forwarded  through  the  Countess  de 
Cellere  for  the  National  Fund  for  Blinded  and  Disabled  Soldiers. 

June,  1917,  a  purse  of  gold  ($1,000)  was  presented  to  the  Italian  envoys  for  the 
Italian  orphans  by  the  Chairman  of  the  Committee. 

In  the  fall  of  1917,  at  the  time  of  the  fall  of  Caporetto,  large  sums  of  money 
were  cabled  and  quantities  of  supplies  were  forwarded  for  the  refugees. 

Six  ambulances,  at  a  cost  of  $2,500  each,  were  provided  through  the  American 
Poets'  Ambulance  Fund. 

In  1918,  during  the  spring  drive,  $3,000  was  cabled  for  the  sufferers  in  the 
Piave.  In  November,  1918,  a  Victory  Fund  of  $8,000  was  raised  and  cabled  to 
Italy  to  Count  Grimani,  Mayor  of  Venice. 

580 


In  the  month  of  February,  1918,  the  National  Fund  for  War  Orphans  of  Italy 
was  organized  with  Mrs.  Benjamin  Miller,  President,  and  Drexel  &  Company, 
Treasurer.  To  this  fund  $148,660.49  has  been  contributed  to  date  through  the 
Comitato  pro  Italia  of  the  Emergency  Aid. 

In  April,  191*9,  Mrs.  Miller  visited  Italy  and  was  received  in  private  audience 
by  her  Majesty,  the  Queen. 

The  diploma  of  merit  with  silver  medal  was  conferred  on  Mrs.  Clara 
Huston  Miller  "for  distinguished  services  in  war  relief  work  in  Italy." 

In  the  winter  of  1920,  by  subscription,  a  perpetual  scholarship  in  the  Woman's 
Medical  College  of  Philadelphia,  for  the  education  of  an  Italian  woman  doctor,  was 
established  as  a  testimonial  of  the  gratitude  of  the  Italian  residents  of  Pennsyl- 
vania for  Mrs.  Miller's  work  for  war  relief  for  Italy.  It  is  called  the  "  Clara  Huston 
Miller"  scholarship. 

The  Comitato  pro  Italia  of  the  Emergency  Aid  reorganized  April  14,  1920,  to 
continue  as  a  supporting  committee  of  the  National  Fund  for  War  Orphans  of 
Italy,  which  was  started  by  Mrs.  Benjamin  Miller,  November,  1918,  under  the 
patronage  of  the  Royal  Italian  Ambassador  at  Washington,  and  the  American 
Ambassador  at  Rome.  This  fund  was  launched  by  Mrs.  Miller  with  a  personal 
gift  of  $100,000.00. 

Montenegrin  Committee 

The  Montenegrin  Committee  was  organized  in  January,  1916,  to  represent  the 
Emergency  Aid  on  the  Committee  formed  by  Dr.  Charles  B.  Penrose  to  raise  funds 
for  the  suffering  Montenegrins  at  the  time  when  the  little  kingdom  was  overrun  by 
invading  troops,  and  the  populace  was  pitiful  through  lack  of  food,  clothing  and 
medical  supplies.     Mrs.  John  C.  Groome  was  Chairman  of  the  Committee. 

In  recognition  of  the  efforts  of  the  Committee,  Queen  Milena  conferred  upon 
the  Chairman  the  decoration  of  the  Montenegrin  Red  Cross. 

Navy  Committee 

The  Navy  Committee  of  the  Emergency  Aid  was  organized  on  July  5,  1918, 
with  Mrs.  Edward  T.  Stotesbury,  Chairman,  and  Mrs.  Dobson  Altemus,  Acting 
Chairman.  The  Committee  supplied  phonographs  and  records,  pianos,  pianolas  and 
other  musical  instruments  to  a  large  number  of  training  camps,  clubs  for  enlisted 
men  and  government  ships.  Over  $2,000  was  expended  for  the  purchase  of 
phonographs  alone.     Warm  woolen  articles  were  also  supplied  by  the  Committee. 

Under  the  auspices  of  the  Navy  Committee,  a  club  for  Army,  Navy  and  Marine 
Corps  officers  was  opened  in  Philadelphia  on  December  7,  19 18. 

Mrs.  Stotesbury  offered  the  use  of  the  large  mansion  at  221  S.  18th  Street 
for  an  officers'  club.  The  building  was  renovated  and  remodeled,  and  was  furnished 
and  decorated  throughout,  Mrs.  Stotesbury  personally  bearing  all  the  expense 
of  equipment  and  furnishings. 

The  Army  and  Navy  Officers'  Club  has  been  termed  the  finest  of  its  kind  in  the 
United  States.  The  upper  floors  of  the  building  were  devoted  to  private  bedrooms 
and  dormitories,  offering  accommodations  for  sixty  men,  made  pleasant  by  attrac- 
tive furniture  and  bright  chintz  hangings.  Shower  baths  and  a  well  equipped 
barber  shop  were  conveniently  located  on  the  dormitory  floor,  and  a  private  locker 
was  provided  for  each  man.     A  fully  equipped  tailor  shop  with  a  competent  tailor 

581 


Billiard  Room — Army  and  Navy  Officers'  Club. 


was  installed  in  the  basement.     A  library  on  the  second  floor  had  many  com- 
fortable chairs  and  a  quantity  of  books  and  magazines  of  all  kinds. 

The  ballroom,  card  room,  billiard  room,  writing  rooms,  typewriter  rooms,  and 
general  office  were  on  the  first  floor.  This  office  was  as  complete  as  any  hotel 
office.  The  office  of  Mrs.  Altemus,  who  personally  supervised  the  club,  was  also  on 
this  floor.  In  the  large  ballroom  weekly  dances  were  given  on  Wednesday  evenings, 
and  the  dansants  on  Saturday  afternoons,  to  which  officers  invited  their  friends. 
Mrs.  Altemus  was  in  charge  of  these  dances,  and  was  assisted  by  members  of  the 
Emergency  Aid  Aide  Service.  Motion-picture  shows  and  concerts  were  held 
Sunday  evenings. 

A  popular  feature  of  the  Club  was  the  cafeteria,  where  excellent  luncheons  and 
dinners  were  served  at  moderate  prices.  Mrs.  Frank  T.  Griswold  was  in  charge  of 
the  cafeteria,  assisted  by  members  of  the  Emergency  Aid  Reserve  Corps,  who 
served  the  men  in  the  evenings,  and  by  the  Emergency  Aid  Aides,  who  were  on  duty 
during  the  luncheon  hours.  The  cafeteria  was  open  to  the  public  for  luncheon, 
while  only  officers  and  their  friends  were  served  at  night. 

Many  officers  of  the  Allies  enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  the  Club,  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  guests  being  Captain  A.  F.  B.  Carpenter,  V.  C,  of  H.  M.  S.  Vindictive. 

When  celebrations  in  honor  of  the  Keystone  Division  were  held  in  Philadelphia 
in  May,  1919,  the  hospitality  of  the  club  was  extended  to  the  officers  of  the  division. 
By  installing  cots  in  the  ballrooms  and  other  rooms,  sleeping  accommodations  were 
provided  for  250  officers. 

382 


Lounge  Room,  Army  and  Naval  Officers'  Club.     Conducted  by  the  Navy  Committee. 


Polish  Relief  Committee 

This  Committee  was  organized  in  February,  1915,  by  Mrs.  Robert  von  Mosch- 
zisker, Chairman;  Mrs.  Campbell  Madeira,  Vice-Chairman ;  Mrs.  George  Q.Horwitz, 
Mrs.  Norman  MacLeod,  Secretaries;  and  Mrs.  W.  Howard  Pancoast,  Treasurer. 

In  May,  1915,  a  local  drive  for  Polish  relief  raised  several  thousand  dollars. 
During  the  winter  of  1916  a  Polish  opera  at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House  was 
attended  by  Ignace  J.  Paderewski  and  Mme.  Paderewski.  The  Committee  has 
cooperated  in  bazaars,  rummage  sales,  and  other  efforts  to  raise  funds;  the  last 
effort  was  aided  by  a  visit  to  Philadelphia  of  Prince  Casimir  Lubomirski  and 
Princess  Lubomirska,  who  came  to  the  city  at  the  invitation  of  the  Executive 
Committee  of  the  Emergency  Aid.    The  total  amount  was  $212,154.99. 

In  the  beginning  the  money  was  sent  to  Henry  Sienkiewicz,  head  of  the  Polish 
Victims'  Relief  Fund  in  Switzerland.  Afterward,  money  was  sent  to  the  head- 
quarters of  the  same  fund  in  New  York,  and  contributions  were  made  to  several 
other  Polish  bodies,  including  Mr.  Hoover's  American  Commission  to  Feed  Starving 
Children  of  Poland. 

Contributions  have  been  made  directly  to  the  Polish  Army,  raised  in  this 
country  during  the  war,  when  these  forces  were  encamped  at  Fort  Niagara,  and 
numerous  shipments  of  clothing,  tobacco  and  other  comforts  were  sent  to  the 
encampment.  Many  boxes  containing  clothing,  hospital  supplies,  etc.,  have  been 
shipped  to  the  Polish  refugees  in  France  and  to  the  children's  homes  under  the 
care  of  Miss  Alma-Tadema  in  England. 

583 


The  several  Philadelphia  committees  of  American  citizens  of  Polish  extraction, 
with  whom  the  Polish  Committee  has  cooperated,  have  sent  a  large  part  of  their 
contributions  to  the  Polish  National  Department  at  Chicago.  The  Polish  Com- 
mittee of  the  Emergency  Aid  has  at  all  times  cooperated  with  the  Central  Citizens' 
Polish  Committee  of  Philadelphia,  and  various  other  Polish  organizations,  and  has 
been  the  recognized  guiding  body  in  control  of  Polish  relief  work  in  this  city  since 
its  organization.  The  officers  are:  Mrs.  Robert  von  Moschzisker,  Chairman; 
Mrs.  Norman  MacLeod,  Vice-Chairman ;  Mrs.  W.  Howard  Pancoast,  Treasurer; 
and  Mrs.  Edgar  M.  Church,  Secretary. 

Red  Cross  Division  of  the  Emergency  Aid 

The  Red  Cross  Division  of  the  Emergency  Aid  held  its  first  meeting  on  Novem- 
ber 5,  1914,  at  1428  Walnut  Street,  at  which  time  Miss  Henrietta  Ely  was  elected 
Chairman  and  Miss  Emily  Fox,  Secretary.  In  January,  1915,  Miss  Ely  resigned 
and  Mrs.  Reed  A.  Morgan  was  elected  Chairman  in  her  place. 

A  quantity  of  surgical  shirts  and  pillowcases  were  made  by  school  children 
from  cut-out  material  supplied  by  the  Committee. 

Surgical  dressings  were  made  in  the  Red  Cross  workroom,  and  surgical  supplies 
of  all  kinds,  hospital  garments  and  maternity  kits  were  provided  by  auxiliaries  of 
the  committee  and  church  societies  to  be  forwarded  to  the  various  warring  countries. 

A  workroom,  where  graduate  nurses  came  when  they  were  off  duty  and  made 
hospital  dressings,  was  conducted  by  the  Red  Cross  for  some  time. 

In  January,  1917,  a  Red  Cross  Chapter  having  been  formed  in  Philadelphia, 
this  division  became  the  Foreign  Relief  Division  of.the  Southeastern  Pennsylvania 
Chapter. 

From  November  5,  1914,  to  January  1,  1917,  the  number  of  cases  of  supplies 
shipped  abroad  was  481.  Three  nurses  were  sent  abroad  and  their  traveling  ex- 
penses and  salaries  paid;  four  ambulances  were  donated  and  four  French  orphans 
adopted. 

Roumanian  Committee 

Under  the  auspices  of  the  American  Overseas  Committee,  Mrs.  Walter  S. 
Thomson,  Mrs.  George  McFadden,  and  Mrs.  Edward  Rrowning  sent  an  appeal 
to  members  of  the  Emergency  Aid  and  the  various  branches  of  the  Federation  of 
Women's  Clubs  for  clothing  for  Roumanian  children. 

During  the  early  winter  of  1917-1918,  this  Committee  of  Three  sent 
to  the  Queen  of  Roumania,  through  Doctor  Harte,  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
one  hundred  and  twenty  boxes  containing  new  and  second-hand  clothing,  and 
expended   $2,984.14  for  new  clothing. 

As  a  result  of  the  conditions  in  Roumania  during  the  war,  no  acknowledgment 
was  received  from  the  Queen  until  March,  1920,  when  the  following  letter  was 
received  by  Mrs.  Edward  Rrowning,  from  the  Queen's  secretary: 

Palatul  Cotroceni. 

March  25,  1920. 
Dear  Madam: 

Her  Majesty,  the  Queen  of  Roumania,  has  asked  me  to  write  and  thank  you  for  your  generous 
aid  in  getting  together  supplies  through  the  Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsylvania. 

Her  Majesty  was  much  interested  to  hear  that  your  interest  was  enlisted  in  the  country's 

584 


behalf  through  Dr.  Harte — since  he  was  the  first  to  render  assistance,  it  deeply  touched  her 
Majesty  that  he  still  works  for  the  need  of  the  Roumanian  people. 

Again  thanking  you  for  your  great  trouble  and  for  your  wonderful  assistance,  I  am, 

Yours  sincerely, 

(Signed)         Ida  Mark, 
Secretary  to  H.  M.,  the  Queen  of  Roumania. 

Russian  Committee 

The  Russian  Committee  was  formed  in  the  fall  of  1914.  Officers :  Mrs.  William 
Ellis  Scull,  Chairman;  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea,  Treasurer;  Miss  Constance  Beale, 
Secretary. 

Up  to  the  time  of  the  Russian-German  peace,  the  Committee  collected  and 
forwarded  money  and  supplies  as  follows : 

Boxes  of  clothing  through  Mrs.  Horace  Brock's  Lebanon  Committee,  Mrs. 
John  Penn  Brock,  Chairman;  surgical  supplies  and  money  sent  to  the  former 
Ambassadress,  Mme.  Bakmeteff  to  the  Russian  Red  Cross;  surgical  supplies  and 
money  sent  to  the  American  Hospital  in  Petrograd;  money  and  maternity  kits  to 
the  American  Creche  in  Petrograd  through  Baroness  Huene;  surgical  supplies 
and  clothes  sent  to  the  wounded  Russian  soldiers  in  Dinard,  France,  through  Miss 
Margaret  Robins;  maternity  kits  given  to  Mrs.  Slade-Baker  for  the  English 
Maternity  Hospital  in  Petrograd;  boxes  of  surgical  supplies  made  at  two  of  the 
Russian  churches  were  taken  to  Russia  by  the  Imperial  Consul  General,  M.  Ousti- 
noff ;  boxes  of  surgical  supplies  sent  by  the  Chairman  from  Dark  Harbor,  Me., 
money  raised  for  Colonel  Kalpachnikoff-Camac  for  thirteen  chassis  to  take  to 
Russia  in  1918,  and  $1,800  given  to  Thomas  Whittemore  for  refugees  and  children 
in  1919,  making  a  total  of  $10,800. 

Serbian  Relief  Committee 

The  Serbian  Committee  was  organized  in  February,  1915,  through  the  efforts 
of  Mme.  Grouitch.  Funds  were  subscribed  for  farming  implements,  seeds,  etc.,  as 
Serbia  had  driven  the  Austrians  from  her  soil  and  looked  for  the  Allied  armies' 
support. 

The  Committee  was  reorganized  under  the  Emergency  Aid  in  February,  1915, 
when  the  retreat  before  the  Austrians,  reinforced  by  Germany  and  Bulgaria,  left 
Serbia  cut  off  from  outside  assistance.  Money  was  cabled  to  Mr.  Grouitch, 
Minister  at  Berne,  to  help  feed  Serbian  prisoners  starving  in  Austria  and  students 
in  Berne.  A  motor  ambulance,  fully  equipped,  was  sent  to  Serbian  Headquarters 
at  Salonica.  Money  was  sent  for  tubercular  students  at  Grenoble,  France,  under 
care  of  Mme.  Fresnaye,  and  $1,600  was  sent  her  to  help  clothe  Serbians  being 
repatriated  in  1918.  Funds  were  sent  to  Mme.  Darinka  Grouitch  for  the  orphanage 
at  Mentone.  In  1917,  through  Miss  Kathleen  Burke's  appeal,  the  Committee  gave 
four  beds  to  the  Scottish  Women's  Hospital  at  Ostrovo.  The  Serbian  Sisterhood  at 
Belgrade  has  distributed  for  the  Committee  quantities  of  clothing  and  food.  Two 
rooms,  in  the  orphanage  established  at  Belgrade  by  Miss  Helen  Losawitch,  were 
furnished  by  the  Committee. 

The  Committee  took  up  a  special  work  for  the  adoption  of  orphans,  and  forty- 
six  orphans  were  adopted  at  $72  per  year.    Since  the  organization  of  the  Committee 

585 


the  sum  of  $35,500  was  collected  and  131  cases  containing  about  45,600  articles, 
valued  at  $21,000,  were  shipped  to  Serbia. 

Miss  Margaret  Robins,  a  member  of  the  Committee,  was  decorated  by  the 
Royal  Serbian  Red  Cross  and  cited  for  the  Order  of  St.  Sara  (5th  Class)  for  her 
work  for  the  Medical  Mission  at  Montenegro. 

Victory  Service  Star  Committee 

Formed  May,  1918 

Mrs.  Louis  R.  Page,  Chairman;  Mrs.  Percy  M.  Chandler,  Vice-Chairman ; 
Mrs.  Stanley  MacD.  Smith,  Secretary;  Mrs.  W.  Rarklie  Henry,  Treasurer. 

The  purpose  of  the  Committee  was  to  provide  comfort  kits  and  a  cheerful 
send-off  for  the  selected  men  leaving  Philadelphia  for  training  camps. 

The  Committee  cooperated  with  the  fifty-one  local  draft  boards,  who  advised 
them  the  number  of  men  leaving  their  districts,  so  that  an  individual  kit  was  pro- 
vided for  each  man.  The  kits  were  made  of  bright  colored  cretonne  and  con- 
tained the  following  articles:  writing-pad,  envelopes,  tooth  paste,  shoestrings, 
soap,  pencil,  tooth  brush,  chewing  gum,  towel,  housewife,  and  tobacco  and  games 
whenever  possible.  When  rush  orders  were  received,  500  to  700  were  completed 
in  a  day. 

The  committee  also  provided  many  hundred  sweaters  and  socks;  and  besides 
supplying  the  drafted  men  with  kits,  provided  them  for  individuals  and  groups 
of  service  men  who  could  not  procure  them  otherwise.  When  the  barracks  at 
Cape  May  burned  on  July  4,  1918,  a  request  for  700  kits  for  the  men  who  had 
lost  everything  was  received.  In  less  than  twenty-four  hours  the  entire  number 
of  kits  had  been  delivered  to  the  men. 

Three  hundred  kits  were  sent  to  Camp  Dix  to  an  equal  number  of  Italian 
Irredenti  from  Northern  Italy,  who  had  been  taken  prisoners  by  Austrians,  escaped 
by  way  of  Russia,  and  were  making  their  way  back  to  Italy  by  way  of  the  United 
States. 

After  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  there  being  no  further  need  for  comfort 
kits,  the  Committee  took  up  the  work  for  the  returned  soldiers  in  hospital  and  con- 
centration camps,  providing  innumerable  comforts  of  all  kinds  for  the  men. 
Rest  pillows,  tray  covers,  property  bags,  hot  water  bottle  covers,  nightingales,  etc., 
were  sent  to  the  various  Red  Cross  hospitals  in  response  to  direct  orders  from 
field  directors  or  chief  nurses.  Jam,  chocolate  and  tobacco  were  also  provided 
for  the  men  in  the  hospitals. 

On  request  from  the  convalescent  center  at  Camp  Dix,  the  Committee  furnished 
several  recreation  rooms  with  comfortable  couches,  chairs,  pool  tables,  writing 
materials  and  desk  fixings,  curtains,  games,  books,  phonographs  and  records, 
pictures,  flags,  cushions,  etc.  The  boys  appreciated  these  comforts  so  much 
that  they  adopted  Mrs.  Page  as  "Mother"  of  one  of  the  companies,  and  themselves 
fitted  out  an  office  for  her  exclusive  use. 

On  Christmas  Day,  1919,  every  convalescent  man  was  given  a  present  and 
a  Christmas  tree  was  provided  for  every  ward. 

Since  that  time  the  Committee  supplied  a  moving  picture  each  week  and  sent 
chocolate,  tobacco,  jam,  etc. 

586 


TOTAL  RECEIPTS  OF  EMERGENCY  AID  COMMITTEES  TO  APRIL,  1919 

Total  Value                Total 

Money  of                   Money 

Committees  Receipts  Gifts              and  Gifts 

Allied  Arts $6,000.00  $6,000.00 

American  Military  Hospital  No.  1 126,313.17  $32,492.14          158,805.31 

American  Overseas 210,852.90  25,000.00          235,852.90 

Armenian 65,864.58  36,400.00          102,264.58 

Relgian 716,040.35  405,193.00       1,121,233.35 

Rritish 72,695.17  188,324.53          261,019.70 

British-American 43,270.92  43,270.92 

Colored  Women's 5,246.42  5,246.42 

(A) Committee  of  Supplies 22,989.02  107,242.52          130,231.54 

(B)French 944,975.97  570,096.90       1,514,872.87 

(C)General  (Overhead) 99,058.93  99,058.93 

(D)  German-Austrian 10,298.25  10,298.25 

Home  Relief 214,406.14  214,406.14 

Italian 269,281.90  58,448.55          327,730.45 

Montenegrin 2,000.00  2,000.00 

Navy 2,000.00  2,000.00 

Polish 212,154.99  212,154.99 

Red  Cross  (E.  A.  Division) 29,140.97  29,271.06            58,412.03 

Roumanian 2,984.14  2,984.14 

Russian 15,800.00  15,800.00 

Serbian.... 35,500.00  21,000.00            56,500.00 

Victory  Service  Star 35,380.25  35,380.25 

$3,142,254.07  $1,473,468.70     $4,615,522.77 


(A)  Includes  receipts  of  Pennsylvania  National  Surgical  Dressings  Committee,  November, 
1915,  to  May,   1920. 

(B)  Includes  Fatherless  Children  of  France  receipts. 

(C)  Includes  special  contributions  for  overhead,  dues  to  Ways  and  Means  Committee, 
money  raised  for  Halifax,  and  other  special  funds. 

(D)  Committee  disbanded  in  spring  of  1915. 


587 


AMERICAN  FRIENDS  SERVICE  COMMITTEE 

HE  American  Friends  Service  Committee  was  organized 
on  April  30,  1917,  for  the  purpose  of  developing 
those  kinds  of  service  which  the  Society  of  Friends  by 
heritage  and  faith  was  best  fitted  to  render.  Subsequent 
to  organization  it  engaged  in  relief  and  reconstruction 
work  in  France,  Servia,  Poland,  Russia,  Germany,  Austria 
and  Palestine.  About  700  workers  have  been  sent  into 
these  fields  and  $2,000,000  contributed  in  money  and  sup- 
plies. An  opportunity  for  service  presented  itself  among 
the  civilian  populations  of  the  war-devastated  regions. 
Ruined  villages,  untilled  fields,  millions  of  refugees,  made  the  undertaking  of  no 
small  extent. 

The  officers  of  the  Committee  were:  Rufus  M.  Jones,  Chairman;  Alfred  G. 
Scattergood,  Vice-Chairman;  Wilbur  K.  Thomas,  Executive  Secretary;  Charles  F. 
Jenkins,  Treasurer;  Howard  H.  Brinton,  Director  of  Publicity;  Elizabeth  T. 
Rhoads,  Women's  Work;  William  B.  Harvey,  Associate  Secretary;  J.  Barnard 
Walton,  Associate  Secretary;     Walter  C.  Woodward,  Associate  Secretary. 

In  the  spring  of  1917,  J.  Henry  Scattergood  and  Morris  E.  Leeds,  both  of 
Philadelphia,  were  sent  as  commissioners  to  study  conditions  overseas.  These 
Friends  were  also  members  of  the  American  Red  Cross  Commission  to  France  and 
while  there  they  effected  a  merger  with  the  English  Friends  Expedition  and 
organized  the  Friends  Bureau  of  the  Red  Cross.  This  latter  work  resulted  in  the 
training  at  Haverford  College  of  a  unit  of  one  hundred  men  representing  twenty 
states,  and  including  carpenters,  farmers,  civil  engineers,  mechanics,  architects, 
doctors  and  social  workers.  Of  this  work  Dr.  James  A.  Babbitt,  a  member  of 
the  faculty  at  Haverford  College,  was  in  charge  and  assembled  his  men  on 
July  17th. 

The  cooperation  of  English  Friends,  American  Friends  and  the  American  Red 
Cross  proved  to  be  ideal.  The  English  Friends  brought  two  and  a  half  years' 
experience  and  high  standing  with  the  French  Government,  while  the  Red  Cross 
gave  opportunity  for  the  securing  of  permits,  passes,  transportation  and  governmen- 
tal aid.  After  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  many  officers  of  the  United  States 
Army  put  the  Friends  Mission  in  the  way  of  securing  great  supplies  of  materials 
at  a  minimum  cost. 

The  work  of  the  Reconstruction  Unit,  known  in  France  as  the  "Mission  des 
Amis,"  can  be  summarized  briefly  under  the  headings  of  construction,  agriculture, 
medical  work,  emergency  relief  and  transportation. 

I.  The  construction  work  consisted  principally  in  the  erection  of  portable 
wooden  houses  of  one,  two  or  three  rooms.  The  interchangeable  sections  for  these 
were  manufactured  at  two  factories  operated  by  Friends  at  Dole,  and  Ornans  in 
the  Jura  Mountains.  At  first,  the  largest  building  work  centered  in  the  Marne 
Valley  near  Chalons,  Bar-le-Duc  and  Vitry-le-Francois.  Work  was  also  done  in 
nine  villages  along  the  Somme  and  Aisne. 


588 


One  of  the  most  important  developments  was  the  policy  of  erecting  temporary 
villages  and  hospitals  outside  the  war  zone  for  refugees  who  were  prevented  from 
returning  to  their  homes.  Thus  the  crowded  and  unhealthy  conditions  of  the  city 
were  relieved.  An  example  of  this  work  was  done  near  Dole  and  Ornans  for  refugees 
who  settled  in  Besancon. 

II.  Agriculture:  The  rapid  deterioration  of  enormous  tracts  of  land  through 
the  spread  of  weeds  was  one  of  the  most  serious  problems  facing  France.  To  help 
meet  it  a  number  of  experienced  American  farmers  answered  the  call  of  the  service 
committee  and  assisted  in  furnishing  the  essentials  of  initiative,  labor,  machinery 
and  seeds.  Centers  were  maintained  from  which  several  hundred  machines  were 
operated,  and  shops  were  established  for  the  repairing  of  broken  implements. 
Threshing  was  done  in  the  winter  and  1,000  tons  of  grain  were  threshed  by  Friends 
in  the  Marne  alone. 

To  render  aid  to  the  people  in  the  Verdun  region,  it  was  necessary  to  develop 
practically  every  department  of  work,  although  the  agricultural  side  was  particularly 
emphasized.  Large  supplies  of  houses,  clothing,  food,  furniture  and  utensils  as 
well  as  quantities  of  agricultural  tools,  machinery  and  seeds  together  with  live- 
stock were  transported.  One  by  one  the  difficulties  which  confronted  the  workers 
were  overcome.  One  and  one-half  million  francs  were  invested  in  supplies  and 
agricultural  implements  and  this  capital  was  turned  over  rapidly  as  soon  as  distri- 
bution plans  matured. 

In  some  cases  of  extreme  need  gifts  were  made,  but  in  general  everything  was 
sold  at  under-cost  prices,  with  no  charge  for  transportation,  overhead  expenses, 
or  labor.  When  the  stores  were  turned  over  to  the  people,  the  Friends  gave  to 
each  family  which  had  purchased  five  francs'  worth  of  goods  a  paid-up  share, 
valued  at  twenty-five  francs,  in  the  Cooperative  Bank,  which  supplied  them  with 


Tubercular  Children  at  Samoen,  France. 
589 


Workingmen' s  Houses  at  Sermaize,  France. 

the  capital  necessary  to  carry  on  the  undertaking.  In  this  way  about  4,000 
families  were  assisted. 

Some  1,200  houses  were  erected  in  this  district  and  thousands  of  acres  have 
been  plowed  by  tractors.  Abput  20,000  chickens,  6,000  rabbits,  1,000  bee  colonies 
and  various  sheep,  goats,  pigs,  cattle  and  horses  have  been  distributed.  Twenty- 
two  thousand  fruit  trees  have  been  given  away  in  300  communities. 

III.     Medical  Aid:  Dr.  James  A.  Babbitt,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  original 


Hospital  Staff,  Sermaize  Chateau,  France. 
590 


unit  formed  at  Haverford  College,  became  head  of  the  Medical  Department  of 
the  mission.  Eight  institutions  for  civilian  medical  relief  were  maintained  as 
follows:  Two  general  hospitals  at  Sermaize,  homes  for  convalescents  at  Entre- 
mont  and  Samoens  in  the  healthy  mountain  region  near  the  Swiss  border,  children's 
homes  at  Bettancourt  and  St.  Remp  en  Bouzemont,  and  a  home  for  old  ladies  at 
Charmont. 

In  addition  to  maintaining  the  hospital  at  Brizeaux,  which  was  once  an 
army  hospital,  district  nurses  were  stationed  in  a  number  of  villages,  and  at  these 
places  and  elsewhere  dental  clinics  were  held  and  also  clinics  for  the  examination 
and  treatment  of  the  eyes. 

At  the  Sermaize  Hospital,  Dr.  Babbitt  successfully  performed  1,135  operations 
during  the  first  year.  Owing  to  the  mobilization  of  all  French  physicians,  this  work 
met  a  particular  need  of  the  civilian  population. 

Medical  aid  was  rendered  by  the  erection  of  200  houses  in  a  tubercular  settle- 
ment maintained  by  the  American  Red  Cross  at  Malabry.  Plans  have  been  made 
to  build  and  endow  a  Maternity  hospital  at  Chalons-sur-Marne  at  a  cost  of 
1,300,000  francs  as  a  permanent  memorial. 

IV.  Emergency  Relief:  The  distribution  of  clothing,  furniture  and  bedding 
to  families  who  had  lost  all  belongings  in  their  hurried  flight  formed  the  largest 
part  of  emergency  relief  work.  These  supplies  were  usually  sold  at  about  two- 
thirds  of  the  cost,  a  plan  which  proved  more  satisfactory  to  the  independent 
French  peasant,  and  which  resulted  in  a  large  number  being  helped.  Employment, 
chiefly  sewing  and  embroidery,  was  found  for  the  women,  and  attention  was  given 
to  educational  work  among  the  children,  the  largest  undertaking  of  the  latter 
kind  being  at  LeGlandier,  where  600  Belgian  children  were  cared  for. 

In  those  villages  to  which  the  peasants  were  able  to  return  after  the  war,  the 
relief  department  of  the  mission  visited  all  families  and  ministered  to  their  needs. 
Hostels  were  erected  in  some  of  the  villages  where  the  refugees  were  taken  care  of 
until  permanent  homes  could  be  built.  A  great  quantity  of  supplies  was  dis- 
tributed, and  during  the  winter  workshops  were  established  to  furnish  remunerative 
occupation  for  those  who  could  no  longer  work  out  of  doors.  Classes  were  con- 
ducted in  carpentry  for  boys  and  the  teaching  of  cooking  for  girls. 

V.  Transportation:  In  the  first  year  this  department  was  called  upon 
to  establish  a  record  for  efficient  work  during  the  Picardy  and  Champagne  offen- 
sives. At  these  times  the  entire  transportation  department  of  the  mission  parti- 
cipated. The  work  consisted  chiefly  in  assisting  persons  out  of  the  danger  zones, 
providing  for  their  needs  in  canteen  service  at  large  centers,  loading  them  on 
trains  for  points  farther  south  and  east,  and  furnishing  food  for  them  at  various 
stations  en  route. 

To  render  effective  aid  in  the  Verdun  region  as  outlined  above  necessitated 
the  cooperation  of  the  transportation  department,  as  the  railroads  were  lacking 
in  personnel  and  equipment  to  handle  freight  besides  being  still  burdened  with  the 
transport  of  troops,  prisoners  and  supplies.  To  meet  the  requirements  of  all  of 
these  activities  the  department  operated  about  eighty  machines,  many  of  which 
were  Liberty  trucks  on  loan  from  the  United  States  Army. 

From  July,  1917,  to  June,  1918,  the  American  Mission  had  grown  in  member- 
ship to  314  men  and  98  women.  Valuable  cooperation  was  given  by  the  Men- 
nonites  both  in  personnel  and  money. 

591 


Charles  Evans  of  Philadelphia  succeeded  J.  Henry  Scattergood  as  head,  and 
was  in  turn  succeeded  by  Charles  J.  Rhoads  who  resigned  his  position  as  President 
of  the  Federal  Reserve  Bank  of  Philadelphia  to  direct  the  affairs  of  the  Friends  Unit 
during  the  second  year  of  its  work. 

Early  in  1918  the  Friends  were  asked  to  take  entire  charge  of  all  relief  and 
reconstruction  work  in  the  cantons  adjoining  Verdun  on  the  west.  The  only 
available  place  for  headquarters  in  this  new  territory  was  the  large  farm  known  as 
Grange-le-Comte,  situated  about  one  and  one-half  miles  east  of  Clermont-en- 
Argonne.  This  farm  had  been  used  by  the  French,  Italian  and  American  forces 
as  Army  headquarters  and  the  barracks  that  had  been  wrecked  were  made  available 
to  house  the  workers. 

Some  of  the  old  centers  were  discontinued  in  other  sections,  but  relief  work 
was  continued  in  fifty  villages  in  the  Marne;  the  equipes  had  moved  northward 
from  the  river  valley  toward  Rheims.  One  equipe  ran  a  hostel  and  canteen  for 
returning  refugees  in  Rheims,  where  a  night's  lodging  was  given  to  2,980  people 
in  one  month. 

The  middle  of  1918-1919  marked  a  distinct  change  in  the  work  of  the  mission. 
Up  until  then  the  work  had  been  carried  on  under  war-time  restrictions  and 
actual  reconstruction  work  was  limited  to  areas  devasted  in  the  earlier  days  of  the 
war  which  had  been  later  recovered  and  restored  to  France. 

Up  to  December,  1919,  a  total  of  657  workers  had  been  sent  from  this  country. 
About  500  were  maintained  in  the  field  during  the  summer  of  1919,  and  250  re- 
mained until  the  spring  of  1920  for  work  with  the  families  of  the  refugees. 

In  closing,  a  brief  word  should  be  said  about  the  work  done  in  countries  other 
than  France  and  Belgium,  after  war-time  restrictions  had  been  removed. 

The  Serbian  Unit  of  the  American  Friends  Service  Committee  consisted  of 
thirteen  workers  engaged  in  three  enterprises — the  reconstruction  of  destroyed 
villages,  the  operation  of  an  orphanage,  and  a  medical  dispensary.  The  villages 
in  the  Toplica  Valley  district  were  devastated  by  the  Bulgarians  during  a  revolt 
of  the  Serbs  under  the  Bulgarian  occupation.  The  Friends  workers,  aided  by 
the  200  Bulgarian  prisoners  at  their  disposal,  by  December,  1919,  had  built  about 
one  hundred  houses.  The  orphanage  was  operated  near  Lescovatz  as  an  agri- 
cultural school  farm.  The  two  doctors  with  the  mission  conducted  a  medical 
dispensary  and  later  established  a  hospital  at  Pec. 

The  first  German  Unit,  consisting  of  sixteen  members  and  headed  by  Alfred 
Scattergood,  of  Philadelphia,  sailed  for  Germany  on  the  10th  of  December,  1919. 
The  group  contained  a  number  of  men  of  wide  business  experience.  This  unit 
has  been  sent  in  response  to  a  request  of  Herbert  Hoover,  that  the  American 
Friends  Service  Committee  organize  service  in  Germany,  on  behalf  of  the  children 
suffering  from  subnormality,  due  to  the  continued  undernourishment  there,  and 
become  the  repository  of  any  funds  which  might  be  raised  for  this  purpose. 

Mr.  Hoover's  organization  furnishes  transportation  for  relief  supplies  and 
also  acts  as  purchasing  agent.  The  relief  work  deals  entirely  with  children  and 
nursing  mothers. 

The  Austrian  Mission  regularly  supplies  condensed  milk  and  cocoa  to  children 
in  the  hospitals  of  Vienna  and  infant  welfare  centers.  Clothing  contributed  through 
English  and  American  Friends  has  been  distributed  to  the  needy,  a  dairy  of  three- 

592 


hundred  cows  is  maintained  and  the  milk  distributed  to  children,  and  relief  is 
extended  to  the  middle  class  and  to  the  aged. 

The  Service  Committee  sent  early  in  December,  1919,  a  commission  of  six 
to  investigate  conditions  in  the  Baltic  provinces.  The  Friends  Russian  Unit  of 
about  thirty,  after  two  years'  vigorous  work  with  refugees  in  the  Samara  govern- 
ment, was  forced  to  suspend  operations  in  the  fall  of  1918.  Some  of  the  workers 
went  to  Omsk  and  took  part  in  relieving  conditions  in  the  crowded  refugee  barracks 
there.  Five  Philadelphians :  Esther  White,  Lydia  Lewis,  Nancy  J.  Babb,  Emily 
C.  Bradbury  and  Anna  J.  Haines  won  high  praise  from  the  Red  Cross  for  their 
work  in  Russia  and  Siberia. 

The  last  named,  Anna  J.  Haines,  has  returned  to  Russia  where,  in  cooperation 
with  English  Friends,  she  is  distributing  milk,  soap  and  fats  to  the  most  needy 
children  in  Moscow. 

The  Polish  Mission  has  engaged  in  various  types  of  relief  work,  including 
feeding  children,  improving  the  milk  supply,  agricultural  reconstruction,  and 
a  de-lousing  campaign  to  fight  the  spread  of  typhus. 

Besides  the  work  done  in  the  countries  outlined  above,  several  Friends  are 
doing  relief  work  in  Palestine,  where  a  Friends  Mission  has  been  in  operation  for 
a  number  of  years.  After  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  plans  were  made  for  sending 
workers  into  Mexico. 

At  home,  the  American  Friends  Committee  has  been  active  in  stimulating 
interest,  and  600  sewing  clubs  were  organized  among  the  women  members  of  the 
various  meetings  to  make  clothing  for  distribution  by  the  workers  abroad. 

THE  PENNSYLVANIA  STATE  COMMITTEE  NATIONAL  LEAGUE 
FOR  WOMAN'S  SERVICE 

By  Mrs.  Edgar  W.  Baird  and  Mrs.  James  Starr,  Jr. 

The  National  League  for  Woman's  Service  was  a  volunteer  organization. 
It  was  non-sectarian  and  non-political,  national  in  scope,  with  state  and  city 
branches  operating  in  nearly  every  state  of  the  Union. 

The  plan  of  organization  was  based  on  the  thought  "That  each  and  every 
woman  joining  this  League  must  be  ready  to  learn  and  to  perform;  that  she  must 
be  ready  to  sacrifice  self  to  the  finer  idealism  of  service ;  that  this  League  for  Woman's 
Service  shall  be  kept  free  from  self-seeking  and  from  politics."  It  took  for  its 
slogan— "FOR  GOD— FOR  COUNTRY— FOR  HOME." 

At  the  Congress  of  Constructive  Patriotism,  held  in  Washington,  D.  C,  on  Jan- 
uary 26,  1917,  the  National  League  for  Woman's  Service  was  organized  with  the 
following  officers:  Chairman,  Miss  Maude  Wetmore;  Vice-Chairman,  Mrs.  Coffin 
Van  Rensselaer;  Treasurer,  Miss  Anne  Morgan;  Commandant,  Miss  Grace  Parker. 

After  the  program  of  work  of  the  League  was  formulated,  it  was  offered  to 
the  Council  of  National  Defense,  at  Washington,  D.  C,  by  Miss  Wetmore.  It 
was  accepted  and  Miss  Wetmore  served  as  a  member  of  the  Woman's  Committee 
of  the  Council. 

Among  the  Philadelphians  who  attended  this  Congress  and  who  were  after- 
wards associated  with  the  National  League  for  Woman's  Service  were:  Mrs.  J. 
Willis  Martin,  Mrs.  John  C.  Groome  and  Mrs.  James  Starr,  Jr.  Mrs.  Martin  served 
on  the  National  Board,  while  Mrs.  Groome  and  Mrs.  Starr  served  on  the  State  Board. 

593 


Photo  by  Joseph  N.   Pearce. 


Members  of  the  Junior  Service  Corp  at  Work. 


The  object  of  the  League  was  "to  coordinate  and  standardize  the  work  of  the 
women  of  America  along  lines  of  constructive  patriotism ;  to  develop  the  resources 
and  to  promote  the  efficiency  of  women  in  meeting  their  every-day  responsibili- 
ties to  home,  to  state,  to  nation  and  to  humanity;  to  provide  organized  trained 
groups  in  every  community  to  cooperate  with  the  Red  Cross  and  other  agencies 
in  meeting  any  calamity — fire,  flood,  famine,  economic  disorder,  etc. — and  in  time 
of  war  to  supplement  the  work  of  the  Red  Cross  and  the  Army  and  Navy;  and  to 
deal  with  questions  of  women's  work  and  women's  welfare." 

Wherever  a  large  enough  group  of  women  was  found  who  desired  to  take  up 
a  number  of  the  activities  in  the  national  program  of  work,  a  branch  was  organized. 
The  chairman  of  each  branch  at  once  became  a  member  of  the  State  Committee, 
making  a  monthly  report  to  the  State  as  well  as  to  the  national  headquarters  in 
New  York,  thus  coordinating  the  work.  The  National  Committee  prepared  regis- 
tration blanks  and  other  literature  for  widespread  distribution  and  use. 

The  Pennsylvania  State  Committee  was  organized  on  April  23,  1917,  with  the 
following  temporary  officers:  Chairman,  Mrs.  John  C.  Groome;  Treasurer,  Mrs. 
Charles  M.  Lea;  Secretary,  Raroness  Meyer  de  Schauensee. 

On  July  2d  it  was  reorganized  with  the  following  permanent  officers:  Chair- 
man, Mrs.  Edgar  W.  Raird;  Vice-Chairman,  Mrs.  James  Starr,  Jr;  Treasurer,  Mrs. 
Henry  S.  Jeanes;  Secretary,  Mrs.  William  Gray  Warden. 

To  these  were  added  later  in  the  year  Mrs.  Alexander  J.  Cassatt,  who  served 
as  Honorary  Chairman;  Mrs.  Rodman  E.  Griscom,  Second  Vice-Chairman;  Mrs. 

594 


J.  Bailey  Browder,  Becording  Secretary  and  Mrs.  William  Hayes,  Corresponding 
Secretary,  succeeded  by  Mrs.  William  G.  Bhoads. 

The  following  ladies  consented  to  act  as  an  Advisory  Committee:  Mrs.  John 
C.  Groome,  Mrs.  Charles  W.  Henry,  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea  and  Mrs.  Edward  T. 
Stotesbury.  The  Committee  itself  was  increased  to  include  Mrs.  Horace  Brock, 
Mrs.  Edward  W.  Clark,  Mrs.  John  White  Geary,  Miss  Mary  K.  Gibson,  Mrs. 
N.  D.  Hitchcock,  Mrs.  Joseph  B.  Hutchinson,  Mrs.  A.  M.  Lewis,  Mrs.  H.  Gordon 
McCouch,  Miss  Clara  Middleton,  Mrs.  John  B.  Oakley,  Mrs.  A.  H.  Beeve,  Mrs. 
William  Gray  Warden,  Mrs.  Howard  W.  Lewis  and  Mrs.  William  Jay  Turner. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  March,  1919,  the  following  officers  and  directors  were 
elected : 

Honorary  Chairman,  Mrs.  Alexander  J.  Cassatt;  Chairman,  Mrs.  Edgar  W.  Baird;  Vice- 
Chairmen,  Mrs.  James  Starr,  Jr.,  Mrs.  Rodman  E.  Griscom,  Mrs.  Horace  Brock,  Mrs.  Charles  W. 
Henry;  Treasurer,  Mrs,  Henry  S.  Jeanes;  Recording  Secretary,  Mrs.  J.  Bailey  Browder;  Corres- 
ponding Secretary,  Mrs.  Morris  Dallett;  Advisory  Committee,  Mrs.  John  C.  Groome,  Mrs. 
Arthur  H.  Lea,  Mrs.  Edward  T.  Stotesbury;  Executive  Secretary,  Mrs.  Edward  T.  Parker. 

Directors,  Mrs.  Harry  A.  Bannon,  Mrs.  Edward  Walter  Clark,  Mrs.  George  W.  Elkins,  Jr., 
Mrs.  John  White  Geary,  Miss  Mary  K.  Gibson,  Miss  Catherine  Guilford,  Mrs.  Francis  Hager- 
man,  Mrs.  Arthur  M.  Lewis,  Mrs.  Howard  W.  Lewis,  Miss  Clara  Middleton,  Mrs.  Henry  D.  Pax- 
son,  Mrs.  H.  O.  Peebles,  Mrs.  Thomas  Reath,  Mrs.  A.  Henry  Reeve,  Miss  Sophie  Ross,  Mrs. 
Horace  E.  Smith,  Mrs.  C.  B.  Staples,  Mrs.  William  Jay  Turner,  Mrs.  William  Gray  Warden,  Mrs. 
Horatio  C.  Wood. 

In  the  autumn  of  1919  the  Chairman,  Mrs.  Baird,  was  obliged  to  resign  on 


Officers  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Committee. 
595 


account  of  the  press  of  other  urgent  duties.  Her  loss  was  deeply  regretted  by  the 
Committee  and  her  place  was  not  filled,  the  Vice-Chairmen  completing  the  work 
of  the  League.  The  Secretary  was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  H.  0.  Peebles,  and  the 
Treasurer  by  Mrs.  Horatio  C.  Wood. 

The  first  headquarters  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Committee  were  located  at 
331  Presser  Building,  secured  through  the  courtesy  of  the  Pennsylvania  Society 
of  Colonial  Dames  of  America.  Later,  on  account  of  the  growth  of  the  work, 
it  became  imperative  to  find  larger  quarters.  On  July  20,  1917,  the  headquarters 
were  moved  to  1713  Walnut  Street,  where  Mrs.  Johns  Hopkins,  the  owner  of  the 
property,  gave  the  offices  rent  free.  In  May,  1918,  it  was  again  necessary  to  se- 
cure larger  quarters,  when  offices  were  opened  at  1703  Walnut  Street.  Through 
the  generosity  of  the  owner — Herbert  D.  Allman — no  charge  was  made  for  the 
first  five  months,  and  only  a  nominal  rental  charged  after  October  1,  1918. 

The  original  program  of  the  National  League  was  adhered  to  in  Pennsylvania 
with  minor  changes  and  adjustments  to  meet  local  needs,  one  of  the  principal 
aims  being  "to  train  the  untrained  and  to  use  the  trained  as  volunteers." 

The  first  branch  of  the  National  League  for  Woman's  Service  in  Pennsylvania 
was  opened  in  Germantown  at  "Little  Wakefield, "  under  the  chairmanship  of  Mrs. 
James  Starr,  Jr.  As  the  work  developed  fourteen  other  branches  were  organized 
throughout  the  State  as  follows: 

Chestnut  Hill Mrs.  E.  W.  Clark 

Clearfield Mrs.  Grant  H.  Thompson 

Cynwyd Mrs.  H.  O.  Peebles 

Downingtown Miss  Helen  Dowlin 

Emporium Mrs.  L.  R.  Felt 

Falls  of  Schuylkill Mrs.  Horatio  C.  Wood 

Lancaster Miss  Catherine  Guilford 

Lemont Miss  Hilda  P.  Thompson 

and  Mrs.  Charles  Stahle 

Mt.  Airy Mrs.  William  H.  Hill 

North  East  Detachment Mrs.  Corrion  Wright 

Philadelphia  Central Mrs.  H.  Gordon  McCouch 

Stroudsburg Mrs.  C.  B.  Staples 

Towanda Mrs.  Francis  Hagerman 

West  Philadelphia Mrs.  Harry  A.  Bannon 

Following  is  the  Pennsylvania  program  with  its  fifteen  divisions  operating 
under  the  State  Committee,  together  with  the  names  of  their  chairmen : 

1.  Social  and  Welfare. — Mrs.  A.  Henry  Reeve. 

Comfort  Fund  Committee. — Chairman,  Mrs.  George  Ross;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Fred  Nixon- 

Nirdlinger. 
Records  and  Games  Committee. — Chairman,  Mrs.  Peregrine  Wilmer,  succeeded  by  Mrs. 

J.  Howe  Adams. 
War  Hospital   Library   Committee. — Chairman,    Miss  Mary  Dale  Owen,  succeeded  by 

Miss  Sydney  V.  Wilson. 

2.  Canteen. — Mrs.  Edgar  W.  Baird. 

Navy  Yard. — Chief,  Mrs.  Thomas  Beath. 

1703  Walnut  Street.— Chief,  Mrs.  Harry  L.  Cassard. 

Arch  Street. — Chief,    Mrs.    George    Elkins,    Jr.;    Assistants,    Mrs.    William    George, 

Miss  Sophie  Boss. 
Water  Street. — Chief,  Mrs.  Horace  Smith,  succeeded  by  Mrs.  Churchill  Williams. 
Frankford  Arsenal  Club  Rooms. — Chief,  Mrs.  Thomas  Dunn. 
Pier  18 — Officers'  Mess. — Chief,  Mrs.  Joseph  S.  Clark. 

596 


3.  Home  Economics. — Mrs.  Nevada  D.  Hitchcock. 

Dehydration  Exhibition. — Chairman,  Mrs.  Phillipus  Miller. 
Byberry  Fair. — Chairman,  Mrs.  Edward  N.  Wright. 

Dietary  Survey. — Under  the  supervision  of  the  Division  Chairman,  the  work  being  done 
by  appointed  members  of  the  Branches. 

4.  Agriculture. — Mrs.  Howard  W.  Lewis. 

5.  Industrial  Division,  United  States. 

Employment  Service. — Miss  Clara  Middleton. 

6.  Motor. — No  State  Chairman. 

7.  General  Service. — No  State  Chairman;  work  supervised  by  the  State  office. 

8.  Health. — 

Massage. — Chairman,  Mrs.  Clarence  C.  Zantzinger. 
Blind. — Chairman,  Mrs.  Austin  Purves. 

9.  Wireless. — No  State  Chairman. 

10.  Home    and    Overseas    Relief. — No   State   Chairman;    special  chairman  appointed   for 

various  work. 

11.  Publicity. — Mrs.  Arthur  M.  Lewis. 

12.  Americanization. — No  State  Chairman. 

13.  Reclamation. — Mrs.  Henry  D.  Paxson. 

14.  Volunteer  Aids. — Mrs.  H.  Gordon  McCouch. 

Organization  of  School  of  Occupational  Therapy. 
1.5.  Junior  Service  Corps. — State  Commander,  Mrs.  John  White  Geary;  Executive  Officer, 
Miss  Gainor  Owen  Baird. 

Philadelphia  Central,  Commanding  Officer Mrs.  N.  Meyers  Fitler 

West  Philadelphia,  Commanding  Officer Mrs.  Harry  Wolfington 

Kensington,  Commanding  Officer Mrs.  G.  B.  Messick 

German  town,  Commanding  Officer Mrs.  Edward  T.  Newkirk 

Falls  of  the  Schuylkill,  Commanding  Officer Mrs.  Horatio  C.  Wood 

Cynwyd,  Commanding  Officer Miss  Mary  Peebles,  succeeded 

by  Mrs.  Donald  Spanogle 

Huntingdon  Valley,  Commanding  Officer Mrs.  Harry  Skinner 

Norristown,  Commanding  Officer Miss  Maud  Miller 

Lancaster,  Commanding  Officer Mrs.  John  F.  Wickersham 

Over  9,000  Pennsylvania  women  were  enrolled  in  these  branches.  Each 
member  paid  a  registration  fee  of  one  dollar,  fifty  cents  of  which  was  paid  into 
the  local  branch,  the  other  half  dollar  being  equally  divided  between  the  State  and 
national  headquarters.  As  every  member  made  use  of  the  registration  blanks  it 
was  easy  to  group  the  entire  State  membership,  so  that  specialists  in  every  line  of 
service  were  tabulated. 

From  the  very  first  the  League  appreciated  the  value  of  discipline,  and  it  soon 
became  apparent  that  the  adoption  of  a  uniform  would  aid  materially  in  this  respect. 
This  uniform  consisted  of  a  dark  blue  serge  jacket  with  special  League  buttons  and 
leather  belt,  worn  with  a  plain  short  skirt,  white  cotton  shirt  waist  with  high  collar 
and  a  dark  blue  sailor  hat.  Low-heeled  black  shoes  were  prescribed,  gray  gloves, 
spats  and  tie.  On  the  collar  of  the  jacket  and  on  the  band  of  the  hat  was  embroi- 
dered the  League  insignia,  in  gold  on  blue  for  privates,  and  in  gold  on  gray  for  the 
officers.  The  national  President  had  three  small  gray  stars  piped  in  gold  on  the  left 
sleeve  of  the  jacket  —the  gold  piping  being  confined  to  the  national  officers.  Two 
gray  stars  denoted  the  Chairman  of  the  State  Committees,  while  chairmen  of  the 
branches  were  entitled  to  one  star. 

The  various  divisions  in  each  branch  were  in  charge  of  a  captain  with  sub- 
divisions commanded  by  lieutenants.     Blue  bars  piped  in  gray  on  the  left  sleeve 
designated  their  rank. 

597 


Presentation  of  the  Colors  to  the  Junior  Service  Corps. 


The  Junior  Service  Corps  uniform  was  the  same  as  that  of  the  League  members 
with  the  exception  of  gloves,  spats  and  shoes,  which  were  tan.  A  Sam  Brown  belt 
was  a  distinguishing  feature,  and  a  brown  leather  collar  was  on  the  jacket.  The 
League  insignia  was  embroidered  on  the  left  sleeve. 

To  the  Chestnut  Hill  Branch  belongs  the  distinction  of  first  having  named 
its  headquarters  the  "Service  House,"  a  title  adopted  by  all  the  branches  in  the 
vicinity.  Some  of  the  organizations  with  which  the  National  League  for  Woman's 
Service  cooperated  were  the  American  Bed  Cross,  Woman's  Committee  of  the 
Council  of  National  Defense,  Committee  of  Public  Safety,  School  Mobilization 
Committee  of  Philadelphia,  Committee  on  Civilian  Service  and  Labor,  Civic 
Club,  Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsylvania,  Women's  Permanent  Emergency  Asso- 
ciation of  Germantown,  Young  Women's  Christian  Association,  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  Council  of  Jewish  Women,  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hiber- 
nians, and  Philadelphia  Council  of  National  Defense. 

Under  the  Social  and  Welfare  Committee,  with  Mrs.  A.  Henry  Reeve  as 
Chairman,  was  carried  on  social  club  work  in  the  vicinity  of  military  camps.  Clubs 
were  formed  for  working  girls;  lists  of  interpreters  were  sent  to  the  Council  of 
National  Defense  and  scores  of  women  did  clerical  work  for  each  branch  of  the 
League,  for  the  Red  Cross,  Liberty  Loan  and  War  Savings  drives,  War  Chest,  hos- 
pitals and  day  nurseries,  Council  of  National  Defense  and  for  the  War  Camp 
Community  Service. 

A  Records  and  Games  Committee  was  organized  under  the  chairmanship  of 
Mrs.  Peregrine  Wilmer,  who  was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  J.  Howe  Adams.  Thousands 
of  records  were  collected  and  distributed  to  battleships,  cruisers,  camps  and  hos- 
pitals.    Games,  magazines,  victrolas  and  even  pianos  were  obtained  and  given 

598 


wherever,  needed;  flowers,  fruit,  baseball  outfits  and  puzzies  were  distributed  with- 
out number. 

In  response  to  a  request  that  the  League  furnish  comfort  kits  to  the  draft 
boards,  a  Comfort  Fund  Committee  was  formed,  with  Mrs.  George  Ross  as  Chair- 
man and  Mrs.  Fred  Nixon-Nirdlinger  as  Treasurer.  Collections  were  made  in  the 
theatres  and  by  individuals  with  which  to  purchase  the  material  for  making  the 
comfort  kits;  also  the  fifteen  articles  put  in  each  kit.  The  League  was  able  to 
supply  five  draft  boards,  the  central  branch  alone  distributing  to  three  draft 
boards  3,164  comfort  kits,  2,208  sweaters  and  650  pairs  of  socks.  The  West  Phila- 
delphia Branch  took  care  of  2,180  boys  in  the  46th  Ward  Draft  Board,  supplying 
them  with  sweaters,  socks,  comfort  kits  and  lunches. 

Through  the  untiring  efforts  of  the  officers  and  members  of  the  Comfort  Fund 
Committee,  a  large  benefit  matinee,  with  all  star  performers,  was  given  at  the 
Forrest  Theatre,  through  the  courtesy  and  generosity  of  Fred  Nixon-Nirdlinger, 
his  colleagues  and  the  staff  at  the  theatre.  The  admission  was  "one  or  more 
clean,  old  shirts,"  and  more  than  6,000  shirts  were  collected  in  this  way.  These 
were  turned  over  to  the  Home  and  Overseas  Relief  Committee  to  make  into  little 
dresses  for  needy  children  at  home  and  overseas.  One  member,  Mrs.  Mary  Smith, 
reached  the  high-water  mark  of  industry  by  making  1,000  of  these  dresses  herself. 
Members  of  the  Junior  Service  Corps  circulated  through  the  audience  and  obtained 
a  collection  of  $700.  From  this  fund  the  Committee  was  able  to  subscribe  $350 
for  a  Christmas  dinner  at  the  Arch  Street  Canteen  for  the  boys  in  the  service. 

The  Philadelphia  Central  Branch  was  the  originator  of  the  War  Hospital 
Library  Committee  in  Pennsylvania  in  January,  1918,  of  which  Miss  Mary  Dale 
Owen  was  the  Chairman,  succeeded  by  Miss  Sydney  V.  Wilson.  The  work  was 
carried  out  successfully  in  all  branches.  Eight  branches  of  these  libraries  supplied 
specially  compiled  books,  magazines  and  joke-cards  for  use  in  the  hospitals  at 
home  and  overseas.  In  one  week  250  books  and  joke-cards  were  sent  to  Hos- 
pital No.  10  in  France.  The  Cynwyd  Branch  made  scrap  books  by  the  hundred 
for  children  in  the  skin  disease  wards  of  the  Philadelphia  hospitals.  The  Chestnut 
Hill  Branch  turned  out  fifty  or  more  books  each  month  to  soldiers  and  sailors, 
and  sent  many  "cheer-ups"  to  miserable  little  children  at  Blockley. 

Canteen  work,  which  was  originally  listed  under  the  Social  and  Welfare  Com- 
mittee, soon  became  a  separate  division,  and  under  this  head,  perhaps,  contributed 
more  than  any  other  department  of  the  League  to  the  safety  and  welfare  of  the 
men  in  the  service.  There  were  eight  canteens  opened  in  Philadelphia  under  the 
able  management  of  Mrs.  Edgar  W.  Baird,  who  acted  as  Chief  of  Canteens  as 
well  as  State  Chairman.  The  canteens  were  served  devotedly  by  alternating  shifts 
of  workers  enrolled  by  the  various  service  houses,  who  were  unfailing  in  attendance 
and  obedience  to  their  superior  officers. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  Captain  Leiper  and  the  Executive  Officer  of  the  Navy 
Yard,  a  building  was  provided  for  a  canteen  for  sailors  in  the  training  camp  at 
League  Island.  Mrs.  Thomas  Reath  was  in  charge.  Sailors  were  detailed  to  look 
after  the  fires,  provisions,  etc.,  and  to  help  with  the  galley.  The  food  consisted 
of  fresh  milk,  fruit,  cake,  sandwiches,  coffee,  salted  peanuts,  and,  in  the  summer, 
ice  cream.     The  price  of  each  article  was  five  cents. 

The  canteen  was  open  every  day  from  1:30  to  4:30  and  from  5:30  to  8:30,  and 

599 


did  not  interfere  with  the  regular  hours  for  mess.  No  man  asked  for  credit  and  their 
appreciation  was  shown  by  their  gentlemanly  behavior. 

The  financial  report  shows  receipts  from  January,  1918,  to  April,  1919,  of 
over  $82,000,  and  the  number  of  men  served  1,500,000.  From  the  profits  the 
League  gave  about  $4,000  for  the  pleasure  and  comfort  of  the  enlisted  men,  through 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  and  other  recognized  organizations. 

The  patriotic  and  generous  spirit  of  American  women  was  expressed  nowhere 
better  than  through  the  creation  of  Canteen  Reath  for  the  men  of  the  Marine 
Signal  Corps  Battalion,  U.  S.  A.,  at  Camp  Edward  C.  Fuller,  Paoli,  under  Mrs. 
Theodore  W.  Reath  as  Chief  of  the  Canteen,  and  Mrs.  J.  Howe  Adams,  Captain 
of  the  workers.  At  Cedar  Hollow  Station,  not  a  half  mile  from  Camp  Fuller, 
Mrs.  Adams  was  able  to  secure  for  immediate  service  the  large  living  room,  halls 
and  porches  in  the  splendid  old  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Hughes.  The 
interest,  suggestions  and  cooperation  of  Colonel  Hatch  and  Major  Meade,  made 
the  establishment  of  the  many  necessary  comforts  for  rest  and  pleasure,  free  from 
difficulties  and  saved  much  valuable  time.  At  the  suggestion  of  J.  P.  Cope  Morton, 
a  billiard  table  was  donated  by  the  Union  League. 

Canteen  Reath  was  named  in  honor  of  Sergeant  Thomas  Roberts  Reath, 
son  of  its  Chairman,  the  brave  young  officer  who  sacrificed  his  life  for  his  country 
the  day  before  the  canteen  was  opened. 

While  Mrs.  Harry  L.  Cassard  was  organizing  the  Headquarters  Canteen  at 
1703  Walnut  Street,  there  came  a  call  "to  arms"  to  help  fight  the  "flu"  epidemic. 
Hurried  plans  were  made  and  carried  out  to  open  the  kitchen  for  this  emergency. 
This  canteen  filled  a  long  felt  want  in  serving  well  cooked  and  quickly  prepared 
meals  at  a  moderate  price  to  women  war  workers,  and  was  known  as  the  War 
Workers'  Canteen.  The  work  was  greatly  facilitated  by  the  services  of  the  Junior 
Service  Corps,  who  acted  as  waitresses. 

The  Water  Street  Canteen,  under  the  successful  management  of  Mrs.  Horace 
E.  Smith,  succeeded  by  Mrs.  Churchill  Williams,  served  hot  meals  daily  from 
11  a.m.  to  2  p.m.  This  canteen  was  aided  financially  by  the  War  Camp  Commu- 
nity Service.  In  this  canteen,  particularly,  the  Junior  Service  Corps  did  most 
efficient  work. 

The  Arch  Street  Canteen  was  the  second  canteen  in  the  United  States  to  be 
opened  for  twenty-four  hours'  service  daily.  It  was  run  on  the  cafeteria  plan  in 
cooperation  with  the  War  Camp  Community  Service.  Mrs.  George  Elkins,  Jr., 
was  Chief  of  the  Canteen. 

The  canteen  at  the  "Kosey  Korner  Klub"  was  a  Sunday  canteen,  serving 
hot  dinners  from  4  until  7  p.m.  No  man  in  the  service  was  refused  a  meal,  but- 
if  "in  funds"  was  expected  to  pay  twenty-five  cents  for  each  meal.  Credit  for 
its  success  was  largely  due  to  its  Chief,  Mrs.  John  DeCoursey  and  to  Mrs.  J.  Whit- 
taker  Thompson. 

Mrs.  William  L.  McLean  contributed  $1,000.00  for  the  rental  of  "Little 
Wakefield,"  the  first  headquarters  of  the  Germantown  Branch.  This  branch 
was  equipped  by  Mrs.  T.  I.  Crane,  Mrs.  E.  E.  Denniston  and  Mrs.  Francis  B. 
Reeves,  to  house  twenty  girls.  A  cook  was  secured  and  Mrs.  Belle  B.  Frame  gave 
her  services  as  house  mother.  Here  an  intensive  training  course  in  home  econom- 
ics was  arranged,  where  teachers  and  lecturers  generously  gave  of  their  time  in 
teaching  the  girls  "how  to  cook,  to  can,  to  preserve  and  how  to  grow  fruits  and 

600 


vegetables."  Mrs.  Jackson  Fleming  of  New  York  was  one  of  the  first  to  speak 
on  this  subject.  Many  hundreds  of  jars  of  "home-grown"  produce  were  put  up, 
and  in  the  autumn  sold,  the  proceeds  of  which  largely  financed  the  undertaking. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  the  Press-Telegraph  Demonstration  Bureau,  demon- 
strations in  cooking  were  given  by  Mrs.  King  at  1024  Chestnut  Street.  Vegetables 
were  donated  and  motors  loaned  to  carry  supplies  and  equipment  to  the  place  of 
demonstration.  Throughout  the  winter  of  1917  and  1918,  demonstrations  in  cooking 
were  given  at  1702  Walnut  Street — the  rooms  of  the  Philadelphia  Central  Branch — 
and  at  the  Chestnut  Hill  Service  House  by  Miss  Margaret  C.  Limerick;  cooking 
classes  were  also  conducted  at  the  Cynwyd  and  the  Germantown  branches,  all  of 
these  in  conformity  with  the  regulations  of  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture  and  the  Food  Administration. 

The  League  provided  a  colored  woman  graduate  of  Temple  College  to  teach 
the  use  of  food  substitutes,  etc.,  among  her  own  race. 

In  July,  1918,  the  United  States  Food  Administration  encouraged  the  opening 
of  a  dehydration  plant,  and  the  league  undertook  to  carry  out  this  work.  Mrs. 
Phillipus  W.  Miller  was  appointed  Chairman,  who,  with  an  able  and  indefatigable 
committee,  presided  daily  at  the  demonstrations  given  by  a  State  College  graduate 
at  708  Market  Street,  which  quarters  were  loaned  by  Joseph  M.  Steele,  of  William 
Steele  &  Sons.  An  average  attendance  of  200  persons  daily,  more  than  justified 
the  experiment  of  merely  inviting  passersby  to  come  and  see  how  "Uncle  Sam" 
wished   us   to  conserve  food  by   dehydrating   the   surplus   of  our   gardens.     So 


Arch  Street  Canteen. 
601 


successful  was  the  work,  that  it  led  to  Jay  Cooke — Food  Administrator  for  Phila- 
delphia— asking  the  League  to  take  charge  of  the  Food  Administration's  exhibit 
at  By  berry  during  the  week  of  the  Philadelphia  County  Fair.  Mrs.  Edward  N. 
Wright  was  appointed  Chairman,  and  the  Ambler  School  of  Horticulture,  State 
College,  and  the  public  schools  cooperated  with  the  League  in  this  exhibit. 

The  various  service  houses  bent  their  entire  energies  during  the  summer 
season  toward  the  conservation  of  the  products  of  their  war  gardens.  Many 
owners  of  private  gardens  donated  produce,  which  was  canned,  jellied,  preserved 
or  dehydrated  for  use  in  camps  and  hospitals;  some  they  had  put  up  for  their  own 
consumption  for  which  a  nominal  charge  was  made  for  the  actual  cost  of  the  work. 
Thousands  of  jars  of  vegetables  and  fruit  and  hundreds  of  jars  of  jelly  were  canned. 
Homemade  candy  and  small  cakes  were  made  for  Christmas  gifts  for  "our  boys" 
in  the  convalescent  hospitals  and  aviation  camps,  and  war  cakes  furnished  to  the 
league  members  at  small  profit.  Luncheons  were  cooked,  served  and  cleaned  away 
by  volunteer  workers,  thus  making  possible  the  conservation  of  time  and  energy 
of  the  members  for  their  other  activities.  At  Chestnut  Hill  cooking  for  invalids 
was  taught  to  the  class  for  nurses  at  the  Chestnut  Hill  Hospital,  American  cook- 
ing to  a  class  of  Italian  girls,  and  American  girls  were  instructed  in  practical  cooking. 

The  State  Chairman  of  Home  Economics,  Mrs.  Nevada  D.  Hitchcock,  compiled 
a  most  helpful  book  of  recipes,  which  was  printed  by  the  League,  sold  at  cost  price, 
and  had  a  wide  circulation. 

During  the  spring  of  1918,  there  was  great  need  of  concerted  action  to  put 
women  on  the  land.  The  League  held  the  first  classes  for  instruction  to  volunteers 
in  this  work,  under  their  Committee  on  Agriculture,  with  Mrs.  Howard  W.  Lewis 
as  Chairman.  These  classes  were  conducted  in  February  at  1703  Walnut  Street, 
by  Mrs.  Honora  Whalen,  whose  salary  was  donated  by  Mrs.  Norton  Downs. 
Following  these  classes,  units  of  the  Woman's  Land  Army  began  to  develop,  and 
it  was  through  the  efforts  of  the  League  that  many  women  had  gardens  of  their 
own. 

At  Chester  Springs,  girls  from  the  Pennsylvania  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts  took 
up  farming  and  carried  on  a  very  successful  work  with  funds  supplied  by  the 
League,  all  of  which  were  refunded  in  the  autumn  by  this  unit. 

At  Chestnut  Hill  a  very  active  unit  of  ninety-five  workers  was  of  invaluable 
service  to  the  neighboring  farmers.  War  gardens  multiplied  and  flourished  through 
Mrs.  Landstreet's  capable  management  and  her  assistants.  On  Saturdays  one 
group  of  neighbors  sold  their  surplus  vegetables  to  other  groups  of  neighbors  and 
the  proceeds  went  overseas. 

In  Germantown,  200  volunteer  workers,  under  Mrs.  Franklin  Baker,  culti- 
vated five  acres  of  ground  located  in  different  sections,  loaned  for  this  purpose, 
thus  adding  largely  to  the  output  in  Germantown. 

At  Wynnewood,  Miss  Mary  K.  Gibson  generously  gave  and  equipped  her 
garage  for  sleeping  quarters,  dining  room  and  kitchen,  for  a  unit  of  twenty-five 
girls,  which  was  a  training  school  for  those  who  gave  most  valuable  service  during 
the  summer  on  the  neighboring  farms  and  smaller  gardens. 

The  Industrial  Committee,  with  Miss  Clara  Middleton  as  Chairman,  cooper- 
ated with  the  United  States  Employment  Service  to  aid  the  employer  as  well  as  the 
employe.  Signs  stated  this  fact  of  cooperation,  and  cards  of  indentification  were 
given  to  persons  inquiring  for  information,  which  were  presented  at  the  Employ- 

602 


ment  Office,  so  that  a  record  of  calls  and  usefulness  might  be  readily  ascertained. 
The  League  gave  valuable  service  in  developing  other  modes  of  helpfulness. 

Not  having  a  State  Chairman  of  the  Motor  Driving  Committee,  most  efficient 
work  was  done  by  small  but  active  corps  at  the  various  service  houses,  and  by 
individuals  expressing  a  willingness  to  be  called  on  for  certain  types  of  work. 
Miss  Virginia  Roberts  acted  as  City  Chairman.  Members  took  courses  at  the 
Spring  Garden  Institute  and  at  the  Guarantee  Auto  Co. ;  several  girls  went  over- 
seas under  Red  Cross  Motor  Divisions.  The  Autocar  Service  Company  gave 
a  three  weeks'  course  in  motor  truck  driving  for  members  of  the  League,  and  guar- 
anteed positions  to  all  passing  the  required  tests.  The  Junior  Service  Corps  played 
a  most  active  and  efficient  part  in  this  division. 

The  work  of  the  General  Service  Committee  was  supervised  by  the  State 
office.  Valuable  assistance  was  rendered  by  workers  under  this  division  in  supply- 
ing clerical  forces  to  the  State  Headquarters,  in  the  Liberty  Loan,  War  Saving 
Stamps  and  War  Chest  drives,  also  to  the  campaign  for  the  War  Work  Council. 
They  did  clerical  work  for  the  draft  boards  and  Food  Administration;  assisted  at 
the  Red  Cross  Divisional  Headquarters  and  packing  rooms;  mended  United 
States  Government  uniforms;  did  clerical  work  for  many  official  and  unofficial 
committees  and  assisted  in  various  drives  for  funds  for  the  hospitals  and  the  Girls' 
Campaign  for  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.;  in  the  State  and  City  Councils  of  National  Defense 
and  in  the  Welcome  Home  Committee  offices. 

A  practical  course  in  electrical  repairs  was  given  at  the  Germantown  High 
School.  Baron  deGeer  gave  a  good  course  in  French  at  the  Germantown  and 
Chestnut  Hill  service  houses,  one  being  in  the  evening,  which  was  attended  by 
both  men  and  women.  Evening  courses  in  typewriting  and  stenography  were 
also  given  which  were  very  popular. 

The  Germantown  Woman's  Club  with  quarters  in  the  old  Johnson  house, 
gave  the  use  of  their  club  house  for  the  League  activities. 

Special  mention  should  be  made  of  the  House-to-House  Canvass  Committee, 
organized  by  Mrs.  Ernest  T.  Toogood.  Practically  the  entire  territory  of  the  ward 
was  divided  into  sections  under  block  leaders,  who,  with  their  workers,  were  able  to 
cover  every  house  for  the  many  emergency  calls.  The  registration  of  the  woman 
power  undertaken  by  the  Council  of  National  Defense,  was  done  by  this  committee 
in  Germantown,  which  handed  in  16,000  out  of  the  20,000  names  for  the  whole 
city.  It  also  reported  Liberty  bond  subscriptions  to  the  amount  of  $500,000  for 
the  3d  Liberty  Loan  Campaign,  and  made  collections  for  the  Needle  Work  Guild, 
making  an  enormous  increase  in  the  number  of  garments  secured. 

Having  outgrown  the  quarters  at  the  Germantown  Woman's  Club,  with  the 
immense  amount  of  work  occasioned  by  the  3d  Liberty  Loan,  the  Germantown 
branch  rented  the  property  at  109  West  Chelten  Avenue — originally  Miss  Head's 
School — where  the  entire  first  floor,  with  its  large  assembly  room,  was  turned  over 
to  the  Woman's  Liberty  Loan  Committee  of  Germantown.  During  this  drive, 
the  Home  Economics  Committee,  under  the  chairmanship  of  Mrs.  John  O.  Mus- 
tard, besides  providing  the  daily  lunch  at  a  cost  of  twenty-five  cents  to  the  workers, 
furnished  afternoon  tea  to  the  hundreds  of  women  as  they  turned  in  the  results 
of  their  day's  labor.  The  house  was  open  practically  a  year  and  a  half  for  daily 
meetings  during  all  the  Liberty  Loan  drives. 

The  State  Committee  of  the  National  League  for  Woman's  Service  was  asked 

603 


to  take  entire  charge  of  the  follow-up  collections  for  the  War  Chest  drive  in  the 
city,  and  appointed  Mrs.  William  C.  Marshall  and  Mrs.  Sylvester  J.  Parrott  of 
the  Germantown  branch  as  Chairmen  of  this  work. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  individual  members  of  the  various  branches 
subscribed  for  a  large  block  of  "Tribute  Trees,"  about  sixty  in  number,  through 
the  Civic  Club,  which  were  planted  along  the  Parkway  between  20th  and  21st 
streets,  in  "honor  of  the  men  who  served. " 

Under  the  Health  Committee,  of  which  Mrs.  Clarence  C.  Zantzinger  was 
Chairman,  courses  in  elementary  massage  were  started  at  the  University,  and  at 
the  Pennsylvania  and  Chestnut  Hill  hospitals.  Those  who  received  certificates 
gave  their  services  to  the  Infantile  Paralysis  Committee  of  the  Emergency  Aid 
and  to  the  Visiting  Nurse  Society.  The  State  office  was  one  of  the  many  recruiting 
stations  for  the  enrolment  of  the  Student  Nurse  Reserve.  The  physic  therapy 
class  at  Chestnut  Hill  graduated  sixty-three  women,  entitling  them  to  give  massage 
to  the  wounded. 

Work  for  physically  handicapped  men  was  directed  by  Mrs.  Austin  M.  Purves 
and  Mrs.  A.  H.  Reeve.  The  care  and  training  of  the  blind,  military  and  civilian, 
involving  the  mastery  of  Braille,  was  studied  at  the  Pennsylvania  Institution  for 
the  Instruction  of  the  Blind  at  Overbrook,  and  large  classes  became  proficient. 
A  short  course  was  also  given  at  the  Blind  Exchange. 

During  the  influenza  epidemic  in  October  and  November  of  1918,  an  Emergency 
Food  Service  Center  was  organized  by  the  State  Chairman  at  the  State  Office  head- 
quarters on  a  day's  notice.  Some  of  the  workers  went  to  the  various  hospitals 
and  assisted  in  the  wards,  others  went  to  the  homes  with  the  visiting  nurses  and 
helped  in  many  ways.  One  of  the  members  assisted  for  ten  days  at  the  Oliver  Bair 
Undertaking  Establishment.  The  Home  and  Overseas  Relief  Committee  worked 
all  day,  Sundays  included,  to  keep  the  visiting  nurses  and  the  hospitals  supplied 
with  influenza  masks.  On  Sundays  men  ran  the  sewing  machines  to  relieve  the 
tired  women  workers.  This  was  a  time  to  try  the  loyalty  of  our  women,  but  in 
no  way  did  they  fail  to  meet  the  emergency. 

Several  classes  in  wireless  were  held  at  the  Chambers  Institute,  and  some  of 
the  members  took  a  course  organized  by  the  Navy  League.  Positions  were  found 
in  most  cases  for  those  receiving  certificates,  but  as  there  seemed  to  be  no  demand 
for  women  operators,  energies  were  devoted  to  more  important  work  at 
hand. 

The  Home  and  Overseas  Relief  Committee  became  a  very  important  branch 
of  the  League's  work,  answering  calls  for  finished  garments  for  needy  children  and 
men  in  the  service,  at  home  and  abroad.  Quantities  of  sheets,  pillow  cases,  gar- 
ments, etc.,  were  sent  to  the  convalescent  hospitals.  Oilcloth  jackets  were  an 
outcome  of  the  demand  for  warm  and  waterproof  protection  for  the  boys  at  sea, 
and  were  made  and  sent  to  the  Navy  men.  Thanks  are  due  to  Lewando  in  the  city 
and  Herzog  in  Germantown  for  cleaning  kid  gloves,  free  of  charge,  which  were 
made  into  aviation  vests  for  the  men  overseas.  At  the  Germantown  Service 
House,  this  committee,  under  Mrs.  G.  B.  Robinson,  made  and  furnished  all  can- 
teen caps  and  aprons  used  by  the  League,  amounting  to  at  least  1,000  each.  After 
the  armistice  was  signed  energies  were  turned  toward  making  dresses,  capes  and 
coats  for  the  French  war  orphans.  The  Chestnut  Hill,  Germantown  and  Cynwyd 
branches  adopted  a  number  of  these  orphans,  entirely  outfitting  them  with  cloth- 

604 


ing.    Mrs.  William  B.  Kurtz,  of  the  Germantown  branch,  took  overseas  the  gar- 
ments and  attended  to  having  them  distributed  where  most  needed. 

With  Mrs.  Arthur  M.  Lewis  as  Chairman,  the  Publicity  Committee  of  the 
League  gave  publicity  to  its  activities  wherever  possible.  Editors  of  all  the  lead- 
ing newspapers  were  interviewed  and  typewritten  articles,  concerning  the  activi- 
ties of  the  various  branches  and  committees  were  sent  weekly  or  whenever  there 
was  news  of  special  interest.  Signs  and  posters  were  made  and  distributed.  The 
Germantown  papers,  through  Mrs.  Fred  Perry  Powers  as  Chairman  of  Publicity 
for  the  Germantown  branch,  published  without  charge  reports  of  activities  of  the 
League. 

This  committee  cooperated  with  the  Committee  of  Public  Safety  in  supply- 
ing speakers,  trained  in  publicity  work,  to  assist  with  the  work  of  the  Liberty 
Loans,  War  Chest,  Red  Cross,  War  Saving  Stamps,  Food  Conservation,  Fuel 
Administration  and  loyalty  to  the  United  States. 

The  monthly  bulletin,  issued  by  the  National  office,  was  sent  to  all  chairmen 
of  branches  and  to  the  board  of  directors.  Members  were  able  to  keep  in  touch 
with  the  development  of  the  work  throughout  the  country  by  subscribing  to  the 
bulletin. 

Although  there  was  no  State  chairman  of  the  Americanization  Committee, 
the  individual  branches  carried  on  a  splendid  work  among  the  foreigners  in  their 
districts,  the  State  Committee  standing  ready  to  cooperate  in  whatever  way  the 
opportunity  presented  itself.  Day  and  night  classes  were  formed  for  teaching 
English,  cooking,  gardening  and  sewing  to  the  foreign  born.  The  meaning  of 
patriotism  was  particularly  emphasized. 

The  Reclamation  Committee,  under  the  chairmanship  of  Mrs.  Henry  D. 
Paxson,  did  valuable  work  in  mending,  sewing  on  buttons,  etc.,  for  the  men  in  the 
service.  In  this  work,  the  Cynwyd  branch  took  the  lead  by  repairing  about  one 
hundred  dozen  garments  for  Red  Cross  Government  Aid.  The  West  Philadelphia 
branch  reported  repairing  200  overcoats  and  500  shirts  for  the  Army,  and  in  the 
Chestnut  Hill  branch  a  truck  load  of  coats,  shirts,  etc.,  were  reclaimed.  A  great 
many  trousers  were  also  mended  and  returned  to  the  Quartermaster  Department. 

The  Volunteer  Aids  Committee,  with  Mrs.  H.  Gordon  McCouch  as  Chairman, 
carried  out  the  work  of  establishing  the  School  of  Occupational  Therapy.  It 
was  financed  by  an  appropriation  of  $5,000  from  the  War  Chest,  and  its  first  term 
opened  October  3,  1918,  the  first  class  graduating  February  26,  1919.  The  second 
class  graduated  at  the  end  of  June,  making  a  total  of  about  fifty  women  carefully 
trained,  at  an  expenditure  on  the  part  of  the  school  of  about  $100  each,  to  carry 
on  this  much  needed  work  in  the  military  hospitals.  The  course  included  weaving, 
stenciling,  block  printing,  modeling,  bookbinding,  wood  carving,  toy  making  and 
basketry.  The  cooperation  of  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital  insured  good  hospital 
training  under  skilled  supervision,  and  the  students  were  further  prepared  by 
lectures  from  eminent  physicians,  surgeons  and  psychologists. 

The  development  of  the  school  was  made  possible  by  the  cooperation  of  the 
doctors  who  composed  the  Medical  Staff,  and  by  the  help  given  by  the  Pennsylvania 
Museum,  the  School  of  Industrial  Art,  the  Arts  and  Crafts  Guild,  the  School  of 
Design,  the  Graphic  Sketch  Club  and  the  Plastic  Club. 

The  inspiration  of  this  school  was  war  service,  and  it  was  suggested  by  Mrs. 
F.  W.  Rockwell  and  the  Arts  and  Crafts  Guild.     The  demand  for  this  service 

605 


has  been  steadily  increasing  among  doctors  and  surgeons  in  private  sanitoria  and 
general  hospitals.  The  school  seems  to  be  established  on  a  permanent  basis,  and 
bids  fair  to  continue  its  good  work  as  a  lasting  monument  to  the  National  League 
for  Woman's  Service. 

The  Junior  Service  Corps  was  a  division  of  the  National  League  for  Woman's 
Service  peculiar  to  Pennsylvania.  They  were  organized  by  the  Philadelphia 
Central  Branch,  November  11,  1917,  with  twenty  members,  under  their  State 
Commander,  Mrs.  John  White  Geary,  and  the  Executive  Officer,  Miss  Gainor  Owen 
Baird.  In  June,  1919,  the  corps  numbered  over  800.  They  performed  faithfully 
and  well,  with  almost  military  precision,  the  tasks  assigned  them,  and  much  of  the 
work  could  not  have  been  done  without  the  aid  of  this  splendid  division  of  the 
League. 

The  Central  Branch  Corps  were  sworn  into  service,  taking  the  Oath  of 
Allegiance  on  the  lawn  of  Mrs.  Geary,  who  presented  the  National  Standard  as  well 
as  the  Junior  Service  Corps  colors.  This  was  an  impressive  sight  and  similar 
exercises  were  held  on  like  occasions  when  the  various  corps  were  sworn  into 
service. 

Through  the  Liberty  Loan  drives,  collections  were  made  by  this  Corps  at  the 
theatres  and  moving-picture  houses  all  over  the  city,  their  efforts  being  rewarded 
during  the  Third  Liberty  Loan  by  subscriptions  to  the  amount  of  $3,447,950. 

They  furnished  transportation  for  visiting  nurses  and  loaned  their  automo- 
biles for  all  kinds  of  emergency  calls ;  furnished  daily  workers  at  the  Liberty  Loan 
booths;  at  the  Red  Cross  factory  and  warehouse:  at  the  various  canteens  and  at 
the  Wilbur  Chocolate  factory  when  necessary  during  the  "flu"  epidemic.  Mem- 
bers, who  had  received  first  aid  instruction,  were  sent  to  the  hospitals  and  rendered 
other  services  too  numerous  to  mention. 

In  the  spring  of  1920  the  Pennsylvania  State  Committee  terminated  its  work. 
All  records,  membership  lists,  etc.,  were  carefully  filed,  and  are  available  should  an- 
other emergency  arise  in  which  women  could  serve  in  similar  ways. 

THE  NAVY  LEAGUE  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 
Philadelphia  Section 

The  Navy  League  incorporated  and  opened  headquarters  in  Washington, 
D.  C,  in  1902.  The  Philadelphia  Section  was  organized  in  June,  1917,  and  a  Com- 
forts Committee  was  appointed  to  carry  on  war  work.  The  present  membership 
of  the  Philadelphia  Section  is  about  2,500,  which  does  not  include  members  in 
the  suburbs  and  outlying  districts.  These  are  included  in  the  Pennsylvania  State 
Membership.  The  officers  of  the  Philadelphia  Section  were:  Mrs.  Alexander 
Van  Rensselaer,  Honorary  Chairman;  Mrs.  Ernest  Law,  Chairman;  Mrs.  Thomas 
Learning,  Vice-Chairman;  Mrs.  Horatio  G.  Lloyd,  Treasurer;  Mrs.  Horace  Brock, 
Secretary  (succeeded  by  Mrs.  Theodore  W.  Cramp). 

During  the  war  classes  were  held  at  the  Navy  League  Headquarters  in  wireless 
and  line  telegraphy.  Shops  for  the  sale  of  wool  and  knitted  garments  were  opened 
on  Chestnut  Street,  in  West  Philadelphia,  on  the  Garden  Pier  at  Atlantic  City  and 
at  Chelsea,  N.  J.     A  booth  was  also  opened  in  Broad  Street  Station. 

Members  of  the  executive  committee  and  board  personally  superintended  a 
knitting  unit  of  300  shop  girls  in  one  of  the  largest  department  stores  in  Philadelphia, 

606 


every  Thursday  night  during  the  war.  Other  units  were  formed  in  numerous  insti- 
tutions and  schools.  A  total  of  about  fifty-five  thousand  knitted  garments 
were  received  by  the  Philadelphia  Section  alone,  and  about  fifty-three  thousand 
were  distributed.  In  addition  to  these  knitted  garments  we  have  distributed 
nearly  twenty-four  hundred  comfort  kits,  rubber  boots,  Christmas  bags,  rubber 
hats,  rubber  coats,  arctics,  goggles,  underwear,  dungarees,  blankets,  boxing  gloves, 
victrolas,  victrola  records,  games,  books  and  magazines. 

Knitted  garments  were  sent  to  Halifax  for  sailors  in  the  harbor  who  gave  their 
own  clothing  to  the  sufferers  there  at  the  time  of  the  Halifax  disaster;  to  Norfolk, 
Va.,  for  sailors  who  lost  their  clothing  while  fighting  the  fire  which  threatened  to 
destroy  the  entire  city;  to  the  French  Relief  Division  of  the  Emergency  Aid  of 
Pennsylvania  for  French  sailors  in  our  midst,  and  to  the  Polish  Relief  Committee 
for  Polish  recruits  in  training  at  Niagara-on-the-Lake  for  the  Polish  Army  in  France; 
to  the  Rritish  Relief  Committee  and  to  the  Woman's  Section  of  the  Navy  League 
at  Norfolk,  Va.,  for  men  going  out  on  the  submarine  chasers  and  destroyers,  and  to 
those  on  the  rifle  range  at  Virginia  Reach  and  stationed  at  St.  Helena;  to  Tokio, 
Japan,  to  be  forwarded  to  Siberia  and  to  sufferers  in  Poland.  Many  requests 
for  large  consignments  of  knitted  garments  for  the  various  camps  and  cantonments 
of  the  National  Army  as  well  as  for  a  great  many  battleships,  destroyers  and  sub- 
marine chasers,  etc.  were  answered.     This  was  done  through  individuals. 

When  the  French  warships  were  in  our  harbor,  the  Philadelphia  Section  of  the 
Navy  League  made  contributions  to  them  of  knitted  garments.  They  also  filled 
a  large  request  for  garments  for  the  English  Navy  League  which  they  sent  to  them 
to  be  distributed  to  the  mine  sweepers  in  the  North  Sea.  They  supplied  men  of 
our  own  merchant  marine;  French,  Rritish  and  Italian  sailors  putting  in  at  our 
ports  and  engaged  in  convoying  our  troops;  the  mine  sweepers  on  the  Irish  Coast 
who  kept  the  seas  free  from  mines  and  torpedoes  that  our  ships  might  pass  in  safety ; 
and  American  shipwrecked  sailors  in  foreign  ports,  through  the  courtesy  of  the 
French  and  English  Navy  Leagues. 

Roxes  of  clothing  were  also  sent  to  France,  and  the  Philadelphia  Section 
adopted  six  French  orphans. 

The  local  committee  distributed  "free  wool"  to  the  value  of  $18,306.81, 
which  was  knitted  into  garments  and  returned  for  distribution. 

Relief  and  welfare  work  were  given  careful  consideration,  and  a  ward  in  the 
Jefferson  Hospital  was  taken  over  in  which  members  of  the  Navy  League  person- 
ally supervised  sick  and  wounded  sailors  for  three  and  one-half  months.  During  the 
influenza  epidemic  in  the  fall  of  1918,  at  the  request  of  the  Women's  Committee  of 
the  Philadelphia  Council  of  National  Defense,  an  appeal  was  sent  out  to  all  members 
calling  for  volunteers  to  assist  in  fighting  the  disease  and  to  help  care  for  those 
already  stricken.  The  response  was  most  gratifying,  both  in  the  number  who 
offered  their  personal  service  and  the  liberal  contributions  of  money  which  were 
received. 

The  first  meeting  of  representative  women  of  various  war  organizations  in 
this  city  was  called  together  by  the  Philadelphia  Section  of  the  Navy  League  to 
consider  establishing  a  Seaman's  Church  Institute  along  the  same  lines  as  the  one 
in  New  York  under  the  superintendence  of  the  Rev.  Archibald  W.  Mansfield.  A 
meeting  was  addressed  by  Dr.  Mansfield,  and  as  the  result  of  this  gathering  a  Sea- 
man's Social  Service  Committee  was  formed  under  the  supervision  of  the  Phila- 

607 


delphia  Section,  which  gave  suppers  and  entertainments  for  the  men  of  the  merchant 
marine  and  all  other  seamen  who  attended  the  Seaman's  Church  Institute  at  Front 
and  Queen  streets.  Sunday  night  suppers  were  served  each  week  and  entertain- 
ments were  given  on  Tuesday  nights.  Special  concerts  were  frequently  arranged 
and  plans  for  regular  Thursday  evening  entertainments  are  being  made. 

Game  rooms  with  reading  and  writing  facilities  were  opened  and  placed  at  the 
disposal  of  the  men  at  all  times,  and  on  July  1,  191 9,  a  lunch  room  was  opened  and 
managed  by  the  women  of  the  Philadelphia  Section. 

During  the  last  four  Liberty  Loan  campaigns  in  which  the  Philadelphia  Sec- 
tion of  the  Navy  League  took  an  active  part  by  soliciting  subscriptions  in  the 
theatres  of  the  city,  and  by  the  establishment  of  booths  on  the  streets,  a  total 
of  over  fifteen  million  dollars'  worth  of  bonds  was  sold,  and  the  local  Section  is  the 
proud  possessor  of  the  honor  flags  for  each  campaign  as  well  as  the  Victory 
Liberty  Loan  Industrial  Honor  Emblem  awarded  by  the  U.  S.  Treasury  Depart- 
ment. 

The  Navy  League,  experienced  in  work  for  seamen  for  many  years  before 
the  outbreak  of  the  World  War,  served  quietly  and  effectively  during  that 
conflict,  and  is  continuing  to  meet  the  needs  of  seamen  who  come  to  the  port  of 
Philadelphia. 

The  State  officers  were:  Mrs.  Alexander  Van  Rensselaer,  Honorary  Chairman; 
Mrs.  Moncure  Robinson,  Chairman;  Mrs.  Horatio  G.  Lloyd,  Treasurer. 

The  members  of  the  Executive  Committee  and  Board  of  the  Philadelphia 
Section  were: 


Mrs.  D.  M.  Barringer 
Mrs.  Henry  W.  BiddJe 
Mrs.  Alexander  Biddle 
Miss  Christine  Biddle 
Mrs.  Horace  Brock 
Mrs.  John  A..  Brown,  Jr. 
Mrs.  B.  H.  Bayard  Bowie 
Mrs.  John  Cadwalader 
Mrs.  James  Newman  Car- 
ter 
Miss  Fannie  B.  Coleman 
Mrs.  Benjamin  F.  Clyde 


Mrs.  T.  DeWitt  Cuyler 
Mrs.  Bobert  C.  Drayton 
Mrs.  George  Dallas  Dixon 
Mrs.      Bichard      McCall 

Elliot 
Mrs.  Stanley  G.  Flagg,  Jr. 
Mrs.  N.  Myers  Fitler 
Mrs.  Francis  I.  Gowen 
Mrs.  William  H.  Greene 
Mrs.  Horace  Hare 
Mrs.  Francis  M.  Hutchin- 


Mrs.  Daniel  L.  Hutchin- 
son, Jr. 
Mrs.  Ellis  Jackson 
Mrs.  Alba  B.  Johnson 
Mrs.  Sidney  W.  Keith 
Mrs.  William  P.  Morton 
Mrs.  Charles  Henry  Scott 
Mrs.  Bobert    E.     Straw- 
bridge 
Mrs.  A.  H.  Wintersteen 
Mrs.  Harold  E.  Yarnall 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA  RAILROAD  WOMEN'S  DIVISION 
FOR  WAR  RELIEF 

Early  in  January,  1916,  a  small  group  of  women,  wives  of  the  officers  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad,  met  at  the  house  of  Mrs.  George  Dallas  Dixon,  2004 
Spruce  Street,  Philadelphia,  and  formed  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Chapter  of 
the  Pennsylvania  Women's  Division  for  National  Preparedness,  a  State  organiza- 
tion under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  George  W.  Childs  Drexel,  who  was  among  the  first  to 
recognize  the  necessity  for  preparedness  in  case  this  country  should  be  drawn  into 
the  war  then  raging  in  Europe. 

It  was  designed  that  the  Chapter  should  be  composed  of  the  wives  and  daughters 
of  railroad  men,  and  accordingly  the  Main  Line  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  and 
its  allied  branches  were  canvassed,  with  the  result  that  the  Chapter  soon  numbered 
2,500  members. 


608 


Workroom  of  the  Surgical  Dressings  Department,  P.  R.  R.  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Building. 


In  April,  1917,  after  the  United  States  entered  the  World  War,  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  Chapter  became  an  independent  organization  under  the  name 
of  The  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Women's  Division  for  War  Relief,  with  the 
following  officers:  Mrs.  George  Dallas  Dixon,  Chairman;  Mrs.  William  Wallace 
Atterbury,  Vice-Chairman ;  Mrs.  Lewis  Neilson,  Secretary;  Mrs.  O.  J.  de  Rousse, 
Treasurer. 

Departments 

No.  1,  Care  of  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Families:  Mrs.  James  F.  Fahnestock, 
Director.  No.  2,  Care  of  Families  of  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Employes:  Mrs. 
William  Wallace  Atterbury,  Director;  Mrs.  Elisha  Lee,  Associate  Director.  No.  3, 
Surgical  Dressings:  Mrs.  Robert  Clinton  Wright.  No.  4,  Hospital  Supplies:  Mrs. 
J.  R.  Hutchinson,  Director.  No.  5,  Motor  Messenger  Service:  Mrs.  Gardner 
Cassatt,  Director.  No.  6,  First  Aid,  Diet  Cooking:  Mrs.  W.  Heyward  Myers, 
Director.  No.  7,  Comfort  Kits  and  Equipment:  Mrs.  George  W.  Royd.  No. 
8,  Cutting  and  Making  of  Garments:  Mrs.  A.  J.  County. 

While  these  departments  extended  all  over  the  system,  there  were  maintained 
in  Philadelphia  alone  seven  separate  sewing  classes  where  many  thousands  of 
garments,  surgical  dressings,  comfort  bags,  and  equipments  were  made  and  dis- 
tributed to  the  Army  and  Navy,  but  especially  to  the  men  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  of  whom  there  were  28,000  in  the  service;   and  not  only  was  the  work 

609 


done,  but  all  the  necessary  funds  to  buy  materials  were  raised  by  women,  mostly 
of  small  means,  to  whom  doing  so  meant  a  real  sacrifice. 

Department  No.  2  visited  and  cared  for  all  the  families  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  employes,  thereby  relieving  the  Red  Cross  of  these  cases,  and  it  was  a 
comfort  to  those  men  who,  under  General  Atterbury,  were  building  docks,  bridges, 
and  railroads,  in  France — assembling  engines  in  an  indescribably  short  space  of 
time,  and  transporting  food,  supplies,  and  munitions  to  the  Army — to  know  that 
their  wives  and  children  at  home  were  being  cared  for  by  members  of  the  Railroad 
Family. 

In  1918  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Women's  Division  for  War  Relief  be- 
came affiliated  with  the  Emergency  Aid,  and  contributed  many  large  cases  of 
supplies  to  French,  English,  Italian,  Relgian,  Serbian  and  Russian  committees. 

At  the  time  of  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  the  organization  numbered  50,353 
enrolled  members.  These  women  had  borne  their  part  in  every  patriotic  and  civic 
movement.  They  had  worked  in  all  five  of  the  Liberty  Loans.  In  Philadelphia 
they  had  charge  of  the  booth  in  the  Rroad  Street  Station,  and  sold  there  $3,353,800 
worth  of  the  Liberty  bonds  in  the  last  issue  alone. 

When  the  Red  Cross  Canteen  was  opened  in  Rroad  Street  Station  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  women  took  complete  charge  of  it  on  Monday  and  Friday 
afternoons,  from  12  until  5  o'clock,  and  continued  this  work  until  November, 
1919.  They  also  took  charge  of  a  booth  in  Rroad  Street  Station  and  two  booths 
at  the  Rourse  Ruilding,  for  the  sale  of  Red  Cross  Christmas  seals. 


Committee  at  Broad  Street  Station. 
610 


Permanent  memorials  were  made  by  the  following  departments: 

Department  No.  1,  Mrs.  James  F.  Fahnestock,  Director,  presented  a  drinking 
fountain  to  the  P.  R.  R.  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building  at  41st  Street  and  Westminster 
Avenue,  West  Philadelphia. 

Department  No.  3,  Mrs.  Robert  Clinton  Wright,  Director,  established  a 
scholarship  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  in  memory  of  three  young  men  of 
the  Traffic  Department  of  the  Railroad — Arthur  H.  Dutton,  Robert  Howard 
Gamble  and  Ernest  Eugene  Stine — who  gave  their  lives  for  their  country  in  the 
World  War. 

This  scholarship  is  open  to  the  children  of  members  of  the  Traffic  Department. 

Department  No.  7,  Mrs.  Theodore  Pomeroy,  Director,  endowed  a  bed  in  the 
University  Hospital. 

Department  No.  8,  Mrs.  A.  J.  County,  Director,  presented  a  phonograph  with 
records  to  the  P.  R.  R.  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building. 

The  war  relief  continued  its  work  in  several  departments  until  June  24,  1920, 
when  the  organization  was  formally  demobilized  at  a  meeting  held  in  the  P.  R.  R. 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  building  in  West  Philadelphia,  which  was  handsomely  decorated  for 
the  occasion.    The  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Band  played  the  national  airs. 

A  luncheon  was  served  to  860  delegates,  after  which  addresses  were  made  by 
Mrs.  George  W.  Childs  Drexel,  Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin,  Brigadier  General  Smedley 
Darlington  Butler  and  Thomas  Lynch  Montgomery.  Mrs.  George  Dallas 
Dixon,  the  Chairman,  gave  a  resume  of  the  work  of  the  organization  from  the 
beginning,  and  unveiled  a  bronze  tablet  inscribed  "Erected  in  Memory  of  463 
P.  R.  R.  Boys  who  Died  for  their  Country  in  the  World  War,  and  also  to  Com- 
memorate the  Patriotic  Work  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Women's  Division  for 
War  Relief." 

THE  PENNSYLVANIA  SOCIETY  OF  THE  COLONIAL 
DAMES  OF  AMERICA 

The  record  of  the  Pennsylvania  Society  of  the  Colonial  Dames  of  America 
during  the  war  years  shows  devoted  patriotic  service  individually  and  collectively. 
The  society  voted  its  stand  for  preparedness,  furthered  all  loyalty  movements — 
"Made  in  America,"  conservation,  non-hyphenism,  etc. 

Committees  arranged  their  programs  for  the  needs  of  the  time.  Talks  on 
Washington,  Lincoln  and  loyalty  to  our  flag  were  given  by  experienced  speakers, 
with  translators,  for  groups  of  foreign  men  and  women  in  the  southern 
sections  of  the  city. 

Honor  to  our  flag  was  impressed  wherever  opportunity  could  be  made,  and 
members  were  zealous  in  watchfulness  as  to  any  violation  of  the  act  entitled 
"Desecration  of  the  Flag."  The  Board  of  Education  was  asked  to  have  the  school 
children  taught  to  rise  at  the  singing  of  the  "Star  Spangled  Banner." 

At  Stenton,  members  met  weekly  to  sew  for  the  Belgian  orphans;  also,  at 
Stenton,  Saturday  entertainments  were  offered  to  men  from  League  Island,  when 
groups  of  fifty  were  guests  at  picnic  suppers. 

A  subscription  fund  of  $1,165  was  raised  and  given  with  billiard  tables, 
etc.,  to  Chaplain  Dickens  for  the  equipment  of  a  recreation  room  at  League 
Island. 

Committees  for  Liberty  Loan  and  War  Savings  Stamps  were  appointed  and 

611 


booths  maintained  in  the  various  loan  drives  at  Independence  Hall  and  Fourth 
and  Market  streets  with  most  successful  results. 

A  resolution,  addressed  to  the  President  of  the  United  States,  in  January,  1917, 
protesting  against  the  enforced  deportation  of  the  citizens  of  Belgium  to  an  alien 
land  was  presented  in  person  to  the  President  by  Mrs.  Starr,  President  of  the 
Society. 

The  Pennsylvania  Society  by  subscription  contributed  $6,000  of  the  $60,000 
given  from  the  National  Relief  Fund  of  the  National  Society  of  Colonial  Dames 
of  America  for  the  equipment  of  the  operating  room  on  the  hospital  ships  Comfort 
and  Mercy. 

The  War  Service  Committee  kept  in  close  touch  with  the  service  men,  and 
through  its  comfort  branch  was  able  to  give  promptly  material  aid  in  many 
directions.  The  generous  hospitality  shown  to  the  young  service  men,  strangers 
within  our  gates,  aided  much  in  giving  Philadelphia  a  never-to-be-forgotten  first 
place  in  the  hearts  of  hundreds  of  boys  stopping  here  on  their  way  overseas. 

The  Society  was  privileged  to  cooperate  with  the  magnificent  hospitality 
extended  through  the  Council  of  the  Historical  Society  to  the  service  men  and 
assumed  the  expense  and  entertainment  for  several  Saturday  evenings — 1,400 
men  being  present  at  their  Christmas  party.  Especially  prepared  Easter  Cards  of 
greeting  were  mailed  to  400  of  our  boys  overseas.  The  compilation  of  Honor  Rolls, 
listing  names  of  sons  and  other  close  relatives,  has  been  an  interesting  work.  Names 
of  365  have  been  placed  on  the  rolls.  Thirty  tribute  trees  were  planted  at 
Independence  Square  and  on  the  Parkway. 

The  Society,  in  conjunction  with  the  Red  Cross,  National  League  for  Woman's 
Service  and  the  Emergency  Aid,  erected  two  grand  stands,  seating  5,000  persons, 
from  which  their  members  and  their  relatives  witnessed  the  28th  Division  upon  its 
return  from  foreign  service. 

Suffice  to  say  that  nearly  every  office  and  position  of  responsibility  through- 
out the  State  in  every  field  of  usefulness  has  been  filled  by  a  Colonial  Dame,  with 
no  thought  of  self  in  her  endeavor  to  be  of  service  to  the  country  which  their 
forefathers  preserved  for  them. 

OFFICERS  1917-1918 

Mrs.  James  Starr,  Jr.,  President;  Miss  Anne  Hollingsworth  Wharton,  First  Vice-President; 
Mrs.  Samuel  Chew,  Second  Vice-President;  Mrs.  Alfred  Reginald  Allen,  Treasurer;  Mrs.  John 
C.  Groome,  Recording  Secretary;  Mrs.  Joseph  R.  Hutchinson,  Corresponding  Secretary;  Mrs. 
Charles  Roberts,  Historian;  Mrs.  Charles  C.  Harrison,  Jr.,  Registrar. 

Managers:  Mrs.  Alfred  R.  Allen,  Mrs.  Edgar  W.  Raird,  Miss  Laura  Rell,  Mrs.  F.  von  A. 
Cabeen,  Jr.,  Mrs.  Alexander  J.  Cassatt,  Mrs.  Louis  P.  Evans,  Mrs.  John  C.  Groome,  Mrs.  Charles 
C.  Harrison,  Jr.,  Mrs.  Charles  Wolcott  Henry,  Mrs.  Joseph  R.  Hutchinson,  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea, 
Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin,  Mrs.  Arthur  V.  Meigs,  Miss  Lydia  T.  Morris,  Mrs.  David  Reeves,  Mrs. 
Charles  Roberts,  Mrs.  John  Conyngham  Stevens,  Mrs.  James  D.  Winsor,  Jr. 

War  Service  Committee:  Mrs.  Nathaniel  Seaver  Keay,  Chairman;  Mrs.  Strieker  Coles, 
Mrs.  George  S.  Comstock,  Mrs.  James  de  W.  Cookman,  Mrs.  Raltzar  E.  L.  de  Mare,  Miss 
Frances  M.  F.  Donnel,  Mrs.  George  H.  Earle,  Jr.,  Mrs.  John  L.  Emerson,  Mrs.  Henry  Preston 
Erdman,  Mrs.  William  Sill  Foster,  Miss  Daisy  E.  R.  Grubb,  Miss  Katherine  W.  Howell,  Mrs. 
Rowland  Lippincott,  Miss  Helen  Mason,  Mrs.  James  S.  Merritt,  Mrs.  C.  LaRue  Munson,  Mrs. 
Marlin  Edgar  Olmsted,  Mrs.  Winthrop  Sargent,  Mrs.  Hollinshead  N.  Taylor,  Mrs.  J.  Mayhew 
Wainwright,  Mrs.  Henry  Hunter  Welles,  Jr. 

612 


THE  WOMEN'S  LAND  ARMY  OF  AMERICA 
PENNSYLVANIA  DIVISION 
Ry  Mrs.  Charles  Davis  Clark 

On  the  13th  of  January,  1918,  a  meeting  was  held  at  Mrs.  H.  LaRarre  Jayne's, 
1035  Spruce  Street,  Philadelphia,  by  the  National  League  for  Woman's  Service 
and  the  Garden  Club  of  Philadelphia,  to  which  members  of  the  other  garden  clubs, 
the  Society  of  Little  Gardens,  the  Women's  Suffrage  League  and  other  organiza- 
tions were  invited,  to  be  told  of  the  work  already  done,  not  only  by  the  women 
of  Europe  and  Canada,  but  also  by  the  college  units  of  America,  and  the 
imperative  need  of  forming  a  Women's  Land  Army  of  America.  The 
appeal  met  with  enthusiastic  response,  and  the  work  of  enrolment  was  promptly 
begun. 

For  a  short  time  the  Land  Army  held  its  meetings  at  the  rooms  of  the  Council 
of  National  Defense.  Later,  they  accepted  the  offer  of  a  house  at  2014  Chestnut 
Street  for  their  headquarters. 

Meanwhile  meetings  called  at  Pittsburgh  by  the  Committee  of  Public  Safety, 
the  Women's  Committee  of  the  Council  of  National  Defense,  members  of  the  Food 
Administration  and  farmers,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  women's  Land  Army, 
had  created  much  enthusiasm. 

Near  Pittsburgh  two  Units  were  organized  and  the  Land  Army  operated 
a  fully  equipped  canning  truck,  which  was  planned  by  Mrs.  Rarron,  of  Pittsburgh, 
throughout  Allegheny  and  the  neighboring  counties.  In  this  way  demonstrations 
were  given  in  the  smaller  communities  and  in  the  less  accessible  rural  districts. 

In  March,  the  National  League  for  Woman's  Service  endeavored  to  meet  in 
part  the  obvious  need  of  trained  workers  by  inaugurating  a  series  of  lectures  open 
to  the  public,  delivered  by  experts,  on  the  care  of  poultry,  the  planting  of  truck 
gardens  and  kindred  subjects. 

The  following  appointments  were  made  for  the  Roard  of  Directors  of  the  Land 
Army  of  Pennsylvania: 

Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin,  Honorary  Chairman;  Miss  Mary  K.  Gibson,  Chairman; 
Mrs.  Nathan  Hay  ward,  Secretary;  Mrs.  F.  W.  W.  Graham,  Treasurer;  Mrs. 
Clarence  A.  Warden,  Committee  of  Units,  Chairman ;  Miss  Sarah  Lowrie,  Com- 
mittee of  Membership,  Chairman;  Mrs.  Howard  W.  Lewis,  Committee  of  Camp 
Standards,  Chairman ;  Mrs.  George  W.  Woodward,  Committee  of  Finance,  Chair- 
man; Mrs.  Frank  Rlack,  Committee  of  Recruiting,  Chairman;  Mrs.  Stacy  Lloyd, 
Committee  of  Farm  Household  Ruying,  Chairman;  Mrs.  H.  L.  Roberts,  Com- 
mittee on  Standardization  of  Hours  and  Wages;  Mrs.  C.  A.  Warden,  Committee 
on  Farm  Investigation;    Mrs.  Charles  Davis  Clark,  Committee  on  Publicity. 

The  task  which  lay  before  these  women  was  no  light  one ;  the  public  was  not 
interested,  the  expense  was  likely  to  be  very  great,  there  were  no  precedents  to 
guide  them  and  much  disapproval  was  openly  expressed. 

The  directors  realized  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  that  there  should  be 
no  room  for  scandal,  that  the  girls  must  be  safeguarded  in  every  way  and  that 
sanitation  must  be  scrupulously  considered. 

An  appeal  to  the  public  was  made  for  funds  to  which  there  was  some 
response,  but  comparatively  little,  most  of  the  money  needed  being  finally 
subscribed  by  a  few  individuals  and  organizations,  while  some  of  the  units  were 

613 


Courtesy  of  Frank   W.    Buhler,    Stanley   Co.    of   America. 

On  Parade. 


financed  by  the  garden  clubs.    The  Federal  Government  having  stated  the  need  of 
forming  a  Woman's  Land  Army,  it  was  thought  that  some  assistance  from  it 
might  be  forthcoming,  but  the  expectation  was  never  realized,  the  whole  burden , 
financial  and  otherwise,  being  borne  by  a  few  individuals  and  societies. 
The  following  code  was  drawn  up  for  those  forming  units: 

1.  A  unit  shall  consist  of  a  group  of  women  who  shall  live  together  in  one  camp 
and  shall  go  out  together,  singly  or  in  groups,  to  work  on  farms  nearby. 

2.  They  shall  live  in  houses  or  in  tents  furnished  with  good  cots  and  other 
necessaries,  with  conveniences  for  bathing  and  under  conditions  which  insure 
decent  living. 

3.  Each  member,  before  being  allowed  to  sign  for  service,  must  be  examined 
by  a  physician  and  pronounced  fit  for  work. 

4.  As  it  takes  one  or  more  weeks  to  become  accustomed  to  the  manual  labor, 
no  workers  are  accepted  for  less  than  four  weeks  and  longer  terms  are  to  be  pre- 
ferred. 

5.  It  is  recommended  that  no  women  shall  be  required  to  work  more  than 
eight  hours  a  day  or  forty-eight  hours  a  week. 

6.  When  they  are  engaged  on  other  farms,  some  arrangement  must  be  made  to 
transport  women  to  and  from  their  work. 

7.  Two  methods  of  payment  are  practicable — one  in  which  the  money  is 
handed  to  the  worker,  she  paying  all  her  own  expenses,  the  other  in  which  the  super- 
visor receives  all  money  earned  and  the  worker  receives  a  percentage,  her  board  and 
traveling  expenses  being  provided  for. 

8.  There  shall  be  a  supervisor  in  charge  of  each  camp  who  is  experienced  in 

614 


managing  young  women.  She  shall  be  responsible  for  their  comfort  as  well  as  the 
conditions  under  which  they  are  hired  out.  When  the  unit  is  large,  she  must  have 
a  sufficient  staff  of  assistants. 

9.  Whenever  possible  a  recreation  room  should  be  provided  and  lectures  on 
needed  subjects  are  desirable. 

10.  To  save  traveling  expenses,  units  should  be  drawn  from  the  women  living 
in  the  neighborhood,  as  far  as  possible. 

The  members  of  the  units  working  near  Philadelphia  received  $15  a  month 
each,  with  board  and  traveling  expenses,  the  money  they  earned  being  paid 
into  the  account  of  the  unit,  to  meet  expenses.  This  has  not  proved  to  be  the  most 
satisfactory  arrangement.  There  is  less  discontent  when  the  girls  receive  the  full 
amount  they  earn  and  pay  a  stated  amount  each  week  for  board.  But  at  the  time 
of  organization  it  was  not  known  whether  the  women  should  be  sufficiently  em- 
ployed to  earn  their  own  expenses.  Given  the  conditions,  this  was  undoubtedly  the 
best  arrangement. 

Following  is  the  table  of  occupation  of  those  who  worked  in  1918:  College 
Women,  17  per  cent;  Teachers  and  Students,  34  per  cent;  Professional  Women, 
11  per  cent;  Industrial  Workers,  20  per  cent;  Women  of  Leisure,  18  per  cent. 

There  was  no  advertising  done  at  the  beginning  of  the  campaign  but  there 
were  400  names  on  the  waiting  list  before  the  first  unit  was  formed.  Valuable 
assistance  was  given  by  the  press  in  these  early  days. 

No  rent  was  paid.  A  sufficient  number  of  houses  were  offered  to  accommodate 
all  the  units  and  some  of  the  owners  lent  some  equipment  and  gave  valuable 
assistance  besides.  On  April  2d,  the  first  unit  opened  its  quarters  at  Newtown 
Square.  This  unit,  which  was  financed  by  the  Garden  Club  of  Philadelphia  em- 
ployed thirty-one  girls  at  the  height  of  the  season,  and  was  credited  with  13,809 
hours  of  work. 

The  largest  of  the  units  was  backed  by  the  gardeners  of  Montgomery  and 
Delaware  County  Weeders  Clubs  and  was  housed  at  Berwyn.  Seventy  was  the 
greatest  number  of  girls  employed  at  one  time.  They  accomplished  23,820  hours 
of  work,  earned  $5,956  and  the  cost  of  maintenance  was  estimated  at  $3.50  per  girl 
per  week. 

The  Chester  Valley  Unit  was  given  temporary  quarters  at  Whitford  Lodge, 
which  is  a  summer  home  for  working  girls.  Before  the  season  opened  this  unit 
lived  in  the  lodge,  meanwhile  helping  a  carpenter  construct  a  bungalow  for  them- 
selves. They  also  helped  in  the  work  of  cleaning  and  cementing  an  old  stable,  which 
was  turned  into  a  sanitary  and  convenient  lavatory,  besides  a  living  room  for  them- 
selves. 

At  the  height  of  its  season  this  unit  had  thirty  girls  at  work;  they  earned 
$4,750;  they  had  19,000  hours  of  labor  to  their  credit  and  the  cost  of  maintenance 
was  $4.50  per  girl  per  week. 

Four  Land  Army  units  were  organized  in  Chester  County  and  were  brought 
together  by  the  late  Dr.  Baker. 

A  unit  was  formed  at  Chester  Springs  which  was  unique.  The  workers  were 
students  of  the  Summer  School  of  the  Pennsylvania  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts, 
at  Chester  Springs,  and  they  asked  permission  to  grow  their  own  vegetables  by 
way  of  doing  their  share  of  war  work.  A  plot  of  three-quarters  of  an  acre  of  ground 
was  assigned  them  and  about  twenty  girls  took  part  in  the  work.     The  National 

615 


League  for  Woman's  Service  provided  an  instructor,  and  the  students  not  only 
raised  produce  for  the  school  but  also  sold  the  surplus  from  house  to  house. 

The  National  League  for  Woman's  Service  financed  five  units  in  or  near 
Philadelphia.  One  was  at  Chestnut  Hill;  its  home  was  a  comfortable  farmhouse. 
It  had  an  average  of  fifty  girls  at  work,  accomplished  30,296  hours  of  work  and 
earned  between  six  and  seven  thousand  dollars. 

The  Huntingdon  Valley  Unit  was  also  lodged  in  a  comfortable  farmhouse  at 
Willow  Grove.  Its  greatest  number  of  girls  at  one  time  was  thirty,  it  was  credited 
with  14,436  hours  of  work,  earned  $3,608.30,  and  averaged  a  cost  of  $4.50  for  the 
weekly  keep  of  each  girl. 

The  Wynnewood  was  one  of  the  first  units  to  be  at  work.  It  was  most  com- 
fortably lodged  in  a  former  coach  house,  on  the  estate  of  Miss  Mary  K.  Gibson. 
As  soon  as  its  members  began  to  go  to  work,  Miss  Gibson  realized  the  imperative 
need  of  trained  leaders,  and  to  meet  this  she  organized  a  training  camp  under  the 
guidance  of  two  graduates  of  Cornell  College.  The  first  course  was  begun  early  in 
May  and  lasted  six  weeks,  the  members  being  given  board,  lodging  and  tuition  free, 
the  only  requirement  being  that  they  should  at  the  expiration  of  the  term  sign  up 
for  the  Land  Army  service.  A  second  course  was  given  for  another  set  of  leaders 
beginning  on  the  1st  of  July. 

One  more  unit  was  organized  by  the  National  League  for  Woman's  Service 
which  had  for  its  object  the  utilization  of  the  work  of  women  who  could  only  give 
part  time.  About  five  acres  of  land  in  different  parts  of  Germantown,  which  had 
hitherto  been  used  as  dump  heaps,  were  secured  and  this  was  cleared  and  prepared 
for  cultivation,  and  women  were  invited  to  sign  for  such  hours  as  they  could 
spare.  The  scheme  excited  much  enthusiasm  and  over  250  women  registered, 
with  a  net  result  of  about  thirty  workers.  Most  of  the  women  were  absolutely 
untrained.  It  cost  about  $1,000  to  clear  the  land  and  tools  had  to  be  bought 
and  a  supervisor  engaged.  Fresh  vegetables  were  successfully  raised  which  sold 
readily,  the  workers  having  the  first  right  of  purchase.  All  expenses  were  met, 
all  loans  refunded,  and  at  the  end  of  the  season  there  remained  some  hundreds 
of  dollars  in  bank,  which  were  divided  amongst  those  who  had  done  most  of  the 
work. 

The  great  variation  in  the  cost  of  maintenance  is  to  be  noted.  It  is  accounted 
for  in  two  ways.  Some  of  the  supervisors  were  marvelous  managers  and  could  make 
their  money  go  a  long  way ;  but  in  addition  some  of  the  units  possessed  vegetable 
gardens  where  they  raised  much  of  their  own  produce,  which  they  sold  to  them- 
selves at  wholesale  rates.  In  one  or  two  cases  they  had  cows  and  poultry.  In 
others  they  bought  their  own  milk  and  eggs. 

In  all,  912  girls  worked  for  the  Land  Army  in  the  summer  of  1918,  and  over 
six  hundred  names  were  on  the  waiting  list  for  service,  for  whom  there  were  no 
places.  There  was  great  need  of  their  work,  the  farmers  were  calling  for  assistance, 
but  the  expense  of  placing  units  could  not  be  further  borne  by  the  few  who  were 
willing  and  able  to  give,  and  the  general  public  was  not  interested. 

The  health  report  was  very  satisfactory.  Most  of  the  workers  gained  in 
weight,  and  the  majority  were  willing  to  sign  up  for  the  next  year. 

Great  credit  is  due  to  the  members  of  the  Camp  Standards  Committee  for  the 
sanitary  conditions  which  prevailed.  Besides  the  constant  inspection  of  the 
camps,  they  did  their  utmost  to  raise  the  ideals  of  living  for  the  workers,  and 

616 


they  published  some  admirable  leaflets  on  the  subject  which  would  be  useful  to 
all  camp  dwellers. 

Some  of  the  girls  had  had  training,  some  had  had  none,  but  all  were  engaged 
at  the  rate  of  $2  for  an  eight-hour  day,  or  twenty-five  cents  an  hour,  which  was 
a  low  price  for  even  unskilled  labor.  The  very  farmers  who  criticised  were  never- 
theless glad  to  get  their  help,  and  it  was  through  their  recommendation  alone  that 
the  demand  for  their  services  so  increased. 

The  Land  Army  was  uniformly  successful  until  the  beginning  of  September, 
when  the  majority  of  the  workers,  most  of  whom  had  given  their  summer  vaca- 
tion to  the  service,  were  obliged  to  return  to  their  regular  avocations,  at  the  very 
time  when  harvesters  were  needed.  The  acute  shortage  of  labor  then  became  ap- 
parent. 

Advertisements  were  inserted  in  all  the  daily  papers  and  several  editorials  were 
written  urging  all  women  who  wished  to  do  patriotic  service  to  help  gather  the 
crops,  but  the  response  was  small.  One  after  another  of  the  units  was  forced  to 
close,  and  the  remaining  workers  were  gathered  in  one  or  two  places  to  save 
housing  expenses,  going  out  in  groups,  sometimes  a  long  way,  to  meet  the 
desperate  need  of  the  farmers.  Some  of  the  farmerettes  who  had  resumed  their 
former  occupations  came  out  in  bands  on  Saturdays  and  Sundays  to  help  with 
the  harvest.   Nevertheless,    the   loss   was   tremendous. 

New  Jersey  appealed  to  Pennsylvania  to  help  gather  her  enormous  crop  of 
tomatoes,  but  Pennsylvania  had  no  workers  to  send. 

A  uniform  was  obligatory,  but  each  unit  was  free  to  decide  upon  its  own,  and 
in  more  than  one  instance  blue  overalls  was  the  costume  chosen.  In  others, 
a  very  long  brown  smock,  worn  over  knickerbockers,  was  both  practical  and 
sightly.  The  workers  took  an  honest  pride  in  their  right  to  wear  a  uniform,  the 
more  so  when  it  was  shabby  from  hard  work.  A  brassard  was  also  chosen — a 
shield  shaped  as  a  keystone,  with  hoe,  rake  and  spade  crossed,  and  the  motto, 
"We  Serve." 

With  scarcely  an  exception,  the  farmers  who  employed  the  girls  were  warm 
in  their  commendations.  Though  invariably  hostile  at  first,  and  only  engaging 
them  when  they  had  satisfied  themselves  that  men  were  not  to  be  had,  they 
changed  their  opinions  after  trying  them.  The  girls  did  every  kind  of  work. 
They  ploughed  and  hoed  and  weeded,  dug  ditches  and  built  fences,  picked  fruit 
and  packed  it,  cleaned  stables,  manure  pits  and  pig  pens,  took  care  of  horses, 
cattle,  pigs  and  poultry,  learned  to  run  tractors  and  farm  machinery. 

They  were  especially  good  in  the  care  of  cattle,  in  dairy  work,  and  in  running 
the  machines. 

Strangely  enough,  the  only  real  difficulty  the  directors  had  to  meet  was  in 
getting  women  to  do  the  housework.  The  meals  were  at  times  an  almost  in- 
surmountable difficulty.  There  is  not  one  case  on  record  of  a  girl  who  was  willing 
to  help  indoors,  while  only  very  few  left  because  they  found  they  did  not  like 
farm  work. 

The  Woman's  Land  Army  of  America  was  about  to  hold  its  first  annual 
meeting,  and  the  National  Board  suggested  that  it  be  held  in  Philadelphia.  The 
Pennsylvania  Branch  cordially  welcomed  the  idea,  and  the  meeting,  which  was 
held  at  the  Art  Alliance  Club  on  January  14  and  15,  1919,  was  attended  by 
about   two    hundred    women,    representing  several  states.     It   was  decided   to 

617 


continue  the  work  of  the  Land  Army  for  another  year,  though  of  necessity  on  a 
smaller  scale.  Miss  Gibson  having  declined  renomination  as  Chairman,  Mrs. 
Edith  Ellicott  Smith  was  elected,  with  Miss  Gibson  as  Vice-Chairman,  Mrs. 
William  Norris  McCavley  as  Secretary,  Mrs.  E.  L.  Roberts  as  Treasurer  and 
Miss  Virginia  W.  McComb  as  Executive  Secretary. 

In  some  respects  the  task  of  carrying  on  the  Land  Army  was  even  more  diffi- 
cult in  1919  than  in  1918.  True,  the  leaders  no  longer  encountered  the  opposition 
of  the  former  season,  but  the  inspiration  of  the  war  conditions  was  lacking. 
However,  eight  units  were  organized  and  financed. 

The  names  of  these  units  and  number  of  workers  were  as  follows :  Bridgeport, 
8;  Chesterbrook,  34;  Dresher,  36;  New  Jersey,  8;  Plymouth  Meeting,  38;  Private 
Estate,  11;  West  Grove,  20;  and  Whitford,  30. 

Of  these  units  three  were  not  quite  self-sustaining  and  three  had  a  good  cash 
balance  at  the  end  of  the  season.     So  the  work  was  practically  self-sustaining. 

Wages  varied  from  $2  to  $3  a  day,  according  to  the  type  and  experience  of 
the  worker.  Even  $3  was  a  lower  wage  than  was  paid  to  the  most  ignorant  man 
who  helped  on  a  farm.  The  girls  made  good  and  the  reports  of  the  employers  were 
all  favorable. 

On  August  27th  a  letter  was  received  from  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  stating  that 
"As  the  labor  supply  is  deemed  to  be  normal  there  is  no  need  of  continuing  the 
work  of  the  Land  Army." 

It  was  therefore  decided,  at  a  meeting  of  the  board  held  on  October  17th,  to 
accept  the  invitation  received  to  affiliate  with  the  Pennsylvania  League  of  Women 
Workers — an  organization  devoted  to  the  interests  of  girls — forming  a  Land 
Army  Committee,  but  ceasing  to  exist  as  the  Woman's  Land  Army.  This  affilia- 
tion affords  a  link  between  those  women  who  wished  to  do  the  work  and  those 
who  wished  to  employ  the  women. 

The  Woman's  Land  Army  of  America,  as  a  national  organization,  exists  no 
longer.  There  is  now  no  need  for  the  women  to  do  the  heavy  work  they  did  in 
time  of  war.  But  because  of  the  experience  some  have  turned  to  agriculture  as 
a  means  of  livelihood.  Some  have  accepted  permanent  positions  on  truck 
farms  and  dairy  farms,  some  have  established  goat  farms,  and  the  short  courses 
offered  by  the  School  of  Horticulture  for  Women  at  Ambler  and  State  College 
have  been  attended  by  a  large  number  of  eager  students. 

WOMEN'S     PERMANENT     EMERGENCY     ASSOCIATION     OF 

GERMANTOWN 

By  Miss  Anna  M.  Johnson 

At  the  time  of  the  Johnstown  Flood  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  in  1889,  a 
hastily  formed  women's  committee  did  quick  service  in  sending  supplies  to  that 
stricken  community.  This  committee  was  then  organized  into  the  Women's 
Permanent  Emergency  Association  of  Germantown,  which  has  ever  since  held 
itself  ready  to  help,  sending  clothing,  other  necessities,  and  money  wherever 
disaster  in  this  country  called  for  public  assistance. 

When  the  appeal  came  for  the  Belgian  refugees  in  1914,  the  executive  committee 
met  on  October  28th,  forwarded  $100  at  once,  and  arranged  a  public  meeting 

618 


for  November  2d,  when  $500  was  collected,  and  cut-out  garments  were  given  out 
to  be  made. 

Workrooms  were  opened  immediately  and  kept  open  from  October  1914,  to 
to  June,  1915.  When  our  country  entered  the  war,  they  were  used  continuously 
until  January,  1920;  then  regular  work  was  discontinued. 

As  the  war  continued  and  the  needs  grew,  the  work  broadened  until  final 
totals  of  279  cases,  containing  106,537  articles  and  $28,661,  had  been  sent  to  twenty- 
six  relief  organizations  in  eleven  countries.  The  cases  contained  65,300  surgical 
supplies  and  hospital  comforts;  7,730  new  garments;  and  5,000  knitted  articles, 
made  by  our  workers,  besides  miscellaneous  supplies  of  many  kinds,  food  and 
condensed  milk;  also  jams  and  550  books  for  the  A.  E.  F.  Many  knitted  articles 
went  to  "our  boys"  in  France,  to  training  camps  here  and  to  the  Navy. 

Six  thousand  pairs  of  old  kid  gloves  went  to  London  for  making  windproof 
vests. 

Five  thousand  dollars  was  raised  to  endow  a  scholarship  in  the  Women's 
Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  for  training  a  medical  missionary,  to  be  known  as 
the  Women's  Permanent  Emergency  Association  of  Germantown  Scholarship. 

Committees  of  Women's  Permanent  Emergency  Association  workers  raised 
$208,850  in  the  third,  fourth  and  fifth  Liberty  Loan  Drives,  and  also  took  part 
in  the  Women's  Liberty  Loan  Parades  in  Philadelphia  and  Germantown. 

The  officers  of  the  Association  were: 

President,  Mrs.  James  Starr,  Jr.  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Walter  Penn  Shipley 

First  Vice-President,    Miss   Charlesanna   L.  Recording  Secretary,  Miss  Anna  M.  Johnson 

Huston  •  Corresponding    Secretary,    Miss    Salina    B. 

Second  Vice-President,  Mrs.  John  H.   Dye.  Mcllhenny 

Executive  Committee 

Miss  Mary  Allison  Miss  Mary  P.  Huston  Mrs.  E.  Stanley  Perkins 

Mrs.  Edward  Goodell  Mrs.  Edward  V.  Kane  Mrs.  Joseph  N.  Ross 

Mrs.  William  H.  Haines  Mrs.  John  F.  Keator  Miss  M.  Eloise  Rumney 

Mrs.  Robert  B.Haines,  Jr.  Mrs.  Edward  Mellor  Mrs.  John  M.  Whitall 


619 


PHILADELPHIA'S  RELIGIOUS  ORGANIZATIONS 

^^  ROM  first  to  last,  the  religious  bodies  of  Philadelphia  re- 
sponded to  the  call  of  the  country  during  the  period  of  the 
World  War.  They  rendered  a  service  that  can  never  be 
properly  told.  It  was  from  the  pulpits  of  America  that  the 
earliest  challenges  came  for  the  awakening  of  the  national 
conscience. 

In  1914,  as  soon  as  the  cry  of  Belgian  children  was 
heard,  the  churches  began  a  systematic,  cooperative  cam- 
paign for  alleviating  suffering.  As  the  days  of  the  war 
lengthened,  new  problems  were  faced  and  met.  Church 
buildings  were  opened  for  the  meetings  of  committees,  the  clergy  accepted  addi- 
tional responsibilities  and  directed  new  work,  while  the  rank  and  file  of  church 
members  became  more  and  more  active  in  all  kinds  of  relief  work. 

When  the  United  States  unsheathed  the  sword  to  defend  her  own  honor  and 
the  ideals  of  modern  civilization,  the  Government  turned  to  the  churches  of  the 
country  for  practical  aid.  In  Philadelphia  there  were  953  church  buildings,  and 
from  each  went  forth  the  call  to  stern  duty.  By  pulpit,  and  in  chancel,  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  were  placed,  soon  to  be  joined  by  the  service  flag  with  its  stars  of  blue, 
many  of  which  were  later  replaced  by  golden  symbols  of  supreme  renunciation. 
The  service  of  the  churches  took  on  a  more  martial  tone  as  their  members  turned 
to  the  God  of  Righteousness  for  guidance.  National  holidays  became  veritable 
"holy  days,"  and  the  messages  of  the  prophets  of  Israel,  and  of  the  Fathers  of  the 
Church,  were  redelivered  with  new  meaning  and  power. 

PROTESTANT  CHURCHES 

The  churches  were  used  directly  and  indirectly  for  recruiting  the  manhood 
of  the  city  for  military  and  naval  service  during  the  period  of  voluntary  enlist- 
ments and  after  the  Selective  Service  Act  became  operative. 

The  parish  house  of  the  Episcopal  Church  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  East  Cum- 
berland and  Collins  streets,  was  used  from  June  to  November,  1918,  as  the  head- 
quarters of  Local  Board  No.  28.  Frank  H.  Longshore,  for  thirty-three  years  lay 
assistant  to  the  rector,  the  Rev.  John  A.  Goodfellow — who  recently  celebrated  the 
forty-eighth  anniversary  of  his  rectorship — served  on  the  board,  the  other  members 
being  H.  Watson  Barras  and  Dr.  George  Sinnamon.  Nine  hundred  men,  exclusive 
of  those  inducted  for  special  service,  were  sent  through  Local  Board  No.  28,  and  all 
were  examined  and  drilled  in  the  parish  house.  A  welfare  committee  was  organ- 
ized and  every  man  received  a  kit,  containing  various  knitted  garments,  etc.,  and 
a  box  lunch  to  take  with  him  on  his  trip  to  camp.  The  Church  of  the  Good  Shep- 
herd holds  a  unique  place  among  the  churches  of  the  city  for  this  special  piece  of 
service,  and  no  expense  was  spared  to  prove  to  the  men  the  interest  which  the 
neighborhood  felt  in  them. 

The  Federal  Government  made  extensive  use  of  the  proffered  aid  of  the  churches 
during  the  Liberty  Loan  campaigns.     Four-Minute  Men  addressed  the  congrega- 

620 


a 


tions,  many  of  which  were  organized  for  parish  work  for  the  loans.  The  American 
Red  Cross  established  auxiliaries  in  a  large  number  of  church  buildings  or  parish 
houses.  The  appeals  for  the  War  Chest  and  other  relief  agencies  were  made  from 
pulpit  and  rostrum,  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  were  collected. 

The  opportunity  of  meeting  the  social  needs  of  the  men  at  League  Island, 
Frankford  Arsenal,  Schuylkill  Arsenal,  and  of  those  on  leave  from  Camp  Dix  and 
other  adjacent  points  of  mobilization,  soon  presented  itself.  In  meeting  it,  two 
general  lines  of  work  were  developed.  In  the  first  place,  special  services,  enter- 
tainments, educational  classes,  etc.,  were  organized  and  held.  This  work  was 
carried  out  in  the  church,  church  parlors  or  parish  house.  In  some  places  certain 
nights  were  set  aside  for  definite  weekly  programs  and  men  returned  over  and  over 
again  bringing  others  with  them.  Moving  pictures,  vaudeville  and  dances  were 
arranged.  Groups  of  men,  from  a  half  a  dozen  to  several  hundred,  were  invited 
to  suppers  which  preceded  an  evening  of  fun.  Many  churches  set  aside  certain 
rooms  for  reading,  writing,  smoking  and  games.  Frequently  the  Sunday  evening 
services  were  followed  by  a  social  hour,  at  which  time  the  women  of  the  church 
served  refreshments.  Again,  the  members  of  the  churches  took  an  individual 
interest  in  the  men,  inviting  them  to  their  homes  for  dinner  or  supper  or  for  the 
week  end.  This  touch  of  "home  fife"  was  appreciated  more  than  anything  else, 
for  many  of  those  in  the  service  of  "Uncle  Sam"  were  from  the  out-of-the-way 
corners  of  this  country,  and  were  more  "lost  and  lonely"  in  the  crowds  of  Market 
and  Chestnut  streets  than  on  their  first  day  at  camp.  The  friendships  thus  estab- 
lished lasted,  and  the  United  States  mail  was  all  the  heavier  as  the  result  of  the 
hours  spent  with  foster-parents — and  in  some  cases  with  "foster-sisters." 

The  Ship  and  Tent  Club 

In  1898,  immediately  after  the  war  with  Spain,  George  C.  Thomas,  of 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Apostles,  21st  and  Christian  streets,  was  greatly  impressed 
with  the  importance  of  affording  young  men  an  opportunity  for  military  training. 
On  May  22,  1898,  he  formed  the  Charles  D.  Cooper  Battalion,  and  in  1901  built 
the  present  Cooper  Battalion  Hall,  23d  and  Christian  streets,  for  military  and 
social  functions.  With  the  outbreak  of  the  war  with  Germany  the  vestry  of  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Apostles  voted  to  place  at  the  disposal  of  the  Government  any 
and  all  of  its  buildings  for  patriotic  purposes.  Cooper  Hall  was  turned  into  a 
recruiting  station  for  the  Ambulance  Corps,  and  later,  owing  to  the  fine  facilities 
of  the  hall  as  a  club  house,  it  was  taken  over  by  the  Canteen  Committee  of  the  Red 
Cross  in  the  spring  of  1917  as  a  club  house  for  enlisted  men,  and  the  name  changed 
to  its  present  one,  the  Ship  and  Tent  Club.  In  February,  1918,  the  Rev.  George 
Herbert  Toop,  D.D.,  Rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Apostles,  assumed  the 
management  of  the  Club,  placing  Mr.  C.  Adrian  Casner  in  charge  as  Managing 
Secretary. 

The  new  management  immediately  started  to  renovate  the  building,  adding 
shower  baths  and  toilet  facilities,  the  cafeteria,  the  canteen,  moving-picture  machine, 
and  very  considerably  enlarging  the  pool  room  and  sleeping  quarters. 

The  Club  in  time  became  such  a  favorite  place  for  the  meeting  of  the  enlisted 
men  that  thousands  were  entertained  there  each  week.  Frequently  they  traveled 
long  distances  in  order  that  they  might  spend  one  night  at  the  Club.  Letters  were 
received  from  France,  from  the  south,  and  from  other  places,  testifying  to  the 

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appreciation  on  the  part  of  the  boys  of  the  work  that  was  done  there  for  them. 
It  was  frequently  referred  to  by  them  as  the  "Gobs'  Paradise." 

Dances  were  frequently  held,  partners  being  furnished  for  the  boys  by  the 
Club.  No  young  lady  was  permitted  to  attend  the  dances  unless  her  application 
for  a  card  of  admission  was  accompanied  by  a  letter  of  recommendation  from  her 
pastor  or  priest,  or  some  other  trustworthy  person. 

On  holidays,  such  as  Christmas,  Thanksgiving,  etc.,  500  to  1,000  men  were 
guests  at  dinner  followed  by  a  special  entertainment,  the  Club  having  a  well- 
equipped  stage  for  theatrical  and  other  performances. 

The  Navy  Department  detailed  Chief  George  W.  Keough,  C.  M.  M.,  U.  S.  N., 
to  the  Club,  whose  duty  it  was  to  see  that  the  men  were  well  cared  for  and  to  help 
in  the  preservation  of  order. 

On  Sunday  nights  the  Club  held  religious  services  or  moving-picture  perform- 
ances of  a  high  quality. 

There  was  an  association  of  men  known  as  the  Host  Association,  headed  by 
Willard  C.  Maston,  who  helped  forward  in  many  ways  the  life  of  the  Club. 
There  was  also  a  Hostess  Association  which  did  most  valuable  and  useful  work 
along  many  lines  of  refining  influence  and  helpfulness  to  the  enlisted  men  coming 
to  the  Club.  Some  members  of  the  Hostess  Association  were  present  every  evening 
in  the  Hostess  Room  serving  coffee,  cake,  etc.,  and  acting  as  mothers,  pro  tempore, 
and  big  sisters  to  the  boys  so  far  from  home. 

During  the  "flu"  epidemic  the  club  house  was  turned  into  a  hospital  as  an 
adjunct  to  the  Navy  hospitals  of  the  city,  and  had  the  unique  distinction  of  not 
having  a  single  death  occur  among  the  many  patients  turned  over  to  its  care.  The 
Rev.  Charles  P.  Bispham,  Assistant  at  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Apostles,  was  the 
chaplain  of  the  hospital  during  this  period. 

The  Club  at  the  present  time  is  the  headquarters  of  posts  of  both  the  American 
Legion  and  Veterans  of  Foreign  Wars,  and  still  numbers  among  its  guests  a  club 
of  yeomanettes  of  the  Navy,  while  being  always  at  the  disposal  of  men  yet  in 
the  service,  and  of  the  ex-service  men  who  in  time  of  great  danger  offered  their 
all  that  the  peace  of  the  world  might  be  insured,  and  who  by  God's  goodness  have 
been  spared  to  return  to  the  homes  that  gave  them  up. 

Central  Congregational  Church 

The  Central  Congregational  Church,  at  18th  and  Green  streets,  although 
apparently  handicapped  by  not  being  very  "central"  as  to  location,  organized  and 
directed  a  work  that  attracted  the  men  from  the  Navy  Yard  as  well  as  many  who 
came  to  the  city  on  furlough.  The  Rev.  Dr.  William  V.  Berg  and  his  Assistant, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Bennett,  together  with  their  officers  and  members,  met  in  the  early 
days  of  the  war  to  plan  for  eventualities.  Rooms  in  the  church  were  set  aside  for 
reading  and  writing,  and  books,  magazines  and  stationery  supplied.  Another 
room  was  equipped  with  a  pool  table  and  "smokes"  were  provided.  Every  week 
entertainments  of  a  varied  character  were  arranged,  and  the  general  support 
of  the  congregation  was  enlisted  by  means  of  correspondence  and  personal 
solicitation. 

The  records  show  that  some  five  thousand  men  had  been  entertained  by  the 
church,  of  which  number  over  nine  hundred  had  signed  the  "Affiliated  Member- 
ship Cards."    Thus  those  at  home  knew  that  their  boys  were  continuing  their 

622 


church  relations.     This  membership  plan  was  instituted  so  that  strangers  in  the  city 
might  feel  that  they  had  a  church  home. 

Tenth  Presbyterian  Church 

In  June,  1917,  the  Tenth  Presbyterian  Church,  17th  and  Spruce  streets, 
started  a  series  of  weekly  socials  for  the  men  at  League  Island,  which  continued 
until  May,  1919.  The  Sunday  afternoon  services  were  followed  by  supper  and 
an  evening  of  fellowship.  During  the  time  these  entertainments  and  suppers 
were  held,  some  five  thousand  men  were  received  and  welcomed  at  the  church. 
They  came  from  every  state  in  the  Union  and  from  France,  Belgium,  England  and 
Russia,  as  ships  from  these  countries  were  in  port  at  various  times. 

The  members  of  the  church  took  a  personal  interest  in  their  guests  and  pre- 
sented them  with  Testaments,  mufflers,  comfort  bags  and  other  gifts.  A  com- 
mittee of  women  from  the  church  visited  those  who  were  ill  at  the  League  Island 
Hospital  and  provided  them  with  delicacies,  books,  pillows  and  afghans.  Station- 
ery was  supplied,  and  at  the  church  a  room  was  set  aside  as  a  writing  room,  so 
that  the  men  had  a  place  to  sit  down  in  quiet,  to  send  to  the  home  folks  an  account 
of  their  experiences  in  Philadelphia. 

A  committee,  representing  the  church,  under  the  chairmanship  of  Mrs. 
Richard  H.  Wallace,  met  all  of  the  expenses  incidental  to  carrying  on  the  work.  This 
committee  cooperated  with  the  Naval  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  League  Island,  and  received 
the  cordial  help  of  Mr.  Sutherland  and  his  assistants  there. 

"Kozy  Korner  Klub" 

In  the  spring  of  1918,  the  members  of  Gloria  Dei  (Old  Swedes')  Church, 
Rev.  P.  R.  Stockman,  Rector,  took  great  interest  in  the  men  of  the  Guard  and 
Fire  Company  No.  302,  whose  duty  it  was  to  guard  the  Delaware  River  piers  from 
Market  Street  to  Greenwich  Point,  and  they  secured  the  rooms  of  the  Seamen's 
Institute,  at  Front  and  Queen  streets,  as  offering  the  best  available  quarters  for 
a  club  for  that  service.  Here  was  organized  the  "Kozy  Korner  Klub,"  which 
offered  friendship  and  recreation  not  only  to  members  of  the  Guard  and  Fire 
Company,  but  also  to  the  gun  crews  of  the  United  States  Navy  assigned  to  the  cargo 
carriers  and  troopships,  which  came  into  the  piers  along  the  southern  section  of  the 
city's  water  front,  and  to  the  men  of  the  merchant  marine.  The  Seamen's  In- 
stitute cooperated  by  offering  its  facilities  to  the  utmost,  and  the  War  Camp 
Community  Service  gave  a  weekly  entertainment,  in  addition  to  which  the 
Philadelphia  Section  of  the  Navy  League  and  the  National  League  for  Woman's 
Service  cooperated  in  providing  games  and  records,  victrolas,  sweaters  and  other 
knitted  goods  and  personal  service.  The  Navy  League  and  various  individuals, 
representing  the  Colonial  Dames  and  other  groups  of  Philadelphia's  people,  served 
Sunday  suppers  at  intervals  to  the  Army  and  Navy  men  and  to  the  seamen.  On 
Monday  evenings  dances  were  regularly  conducted  for  the  service  men  exclusively, 
and  this  was  listed  in  the  printed  weekly  notice  of  the  War  Camp  Community 
Service  and  allied  activities.  Men  from  the  ships  and  boys  along  the  water 
front  and  from  the  Navy  Yard  came  to  these  dances,  which  were  very  popular. 

Succeeding  the  armistice  in  December,  1918,  a  small  tablet  was  unveiled  in 
the  auditorium  of  the  "Kozy  Korner  Klub,"  naming  it  "Victory  Hall,"  and  marking 
it  as  the  scene  of  the  war-time  activities  of  the  "Kozy  Korner  Klub." 

623 


The  Guard  and  Fire  Company  remained  on  duty  until  the  fall  of  1919,  and 
continued  to  use  the  facilities  of  the  "Kozy  Korner  Klub"  until  they  were  dis- 
banded. 

The  Young  People's  Societies 
Philadelphia  Christian  Endeavor  Union 

One  thousand  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven  of  the  young  men,  who  were 
members  of  the  Philadelphia  Christian  Endeavor  Union,  saw  service  in  the  Army 
and  Navy.  Of  this  number,  forty-four  were  killed  or  died  from  the  effects  of  wounds 
or  from  disease. 

While  these  members  of  the  Union  were  away  those  at  home  participated 
actively  in  all  forms  of  patriotic  work.  The  Christian  Endeavor  Societies  of  the 
city  held  services  every  Sunday  evening  at  the  Navy  Yard,  and  arranged  various 
forms  of  entertainment  there  two  nights  a  week.  At  certain  periods,  every  night 
found  the  Christian  Endeavor  workers  at  League  Island,  ministering  to  the  social 
side  of  the  life  of  the  sailors  and  marines. 

Baptist  Young  People's  Union 

Thirty-five  local  Unions  have  an  honor  roll  totaling  562  names  of  men  in  the 
service.  No  records  were  kept  of  the  work  done  by  the  women  but  they  engaged  in 
practically  every  form  of  war  activity. 

For  the  men  overseas,  and  in  the  camps  away  from  Philadelphia,  the  Union 
provided  comfort  kits  and  sent  Christmas  boxes  whenever  it  was  possible. 
Hundreds  of  letters  were  written  and  those  away  were  kept  in  touch  with  conditions 
at  home. 

For  the  men  at  League  Island,  the  Union  cooperated  with  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
and  other  agencies  there.  The  homes  of  the  members  of  the  Union  were  thrown 
open  to  sailors  and  marines,  and  in  many  cases  letters  were  sent  to  the  Unions  or 
other  church  societies  to  which  the  visitors  belonged. 

Reports  from  the  members  of  the  Union  show  that  they  continued  their 
interest  in  Christian  work,  and  one  West  Philadelphia  man  organized  a  B.  Y.  P.  U. 
at  Balboa,  Canal  Zone,  where  he  was  stationed.  His  home  society  sent  a  Bible 
to  the  officers  and  members  of  the  newly  established  Union.  The  Philadelphia 
B.  Y.  P.  U.,  with  contributions  from  a  number  of  the  local  societies,  presented 
a  beautiful  silver  communion  service  to  Chaplain  I.  C.  Woodward,  U.  S.  N., 
serving  on  the  U.  S.  S.  Martha  Washington. 

Young  People's  Conference  of  the  Reformed 
Episcopal  Church 

The  Reformed  Episcopal  Church  is  one  of  the  smaller  denominations  in 
Philadelphia,  nevertheless  467  of  the  young  men  who  belonged  to  its  Young 
People's  Conference  served  with  the  colors.  Those  who  remained  in  civilian 
life  and  the  women  of  the  Conference,  took  an  active  part  in  war  work,  and  every 
effort  was  made  at  all  meetings  to  make  patriotism  the  keynote. 

Five  students  at  the  Theological  Seminary  of  the  Reformed  Episcopal  Church, 
in  Philadelphia,  did  special  war  work.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Stevens  became  a  chaplain 
and  died  in  Paris.  Hugh  McL.  Newland  served  for  two  years  with  the  Army 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  camps  in  this  country.     Walter  H.  Stark,  before  the  United  States 

624 


entered  the  war,  went  to  Canada  and  was  sent  out  with  the  British  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
to  India,  where  he  served  for  over  two  years.  Two  other  students  sought  enlist- 
ment in  the  Navy,  but  were  rejected  on  account  of  defective  eyesight. 

Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  the  Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew,  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church,  organized  an  Army  and  Navy  Department,  and  established  its 
central  office  in  Philadelphia,  from  which  its  war  work  throughout  the  country  was 
directed.  This  office  kept  a  record  of  all  Episcopalians  in  the  service,  an  honor 
roll  of  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  names.  Each  man,  whose  name  was 
entered  on  the  records,  received  from  time  to  time  letters  of  good  cheer  and  en- 
couragement. Hundreds  of  young  men  in  the  Army  and  Navy  wrote  regularly 
to  the  central  office,  and  all  requests  for  literature  and  personal  necessities  were 
promptly  met. 

Although  the  Brotherhood  had  no  fund  at  its  command  for  the  suplying  of 
such  needs,  it  did  have  a  list  of  private  donors  only  too  glad  to  comply  with  any 
request  made  by  a  man  in  the  service.  St.  Andrew's  Cross,  the  Brotherhood 
magazine,  went  monthly  to  thousands  of  men  both  in  the  camps  in  this  country 
and  overseas.  To  keep  the  machinery  of  this  national  office  in  working  order 
a  force  of  from  twenty  to  thirty  clerks  and  stenographers  was  maintained  through- 
out the  war  period,  and  the  dissolution  of  the  Army  and  Navy  Department  only 
occurred  in  October,  1919,  when  demobilization  was  practically  completed  and  the 
men  had  returned  to  their  homes. 

Of  the  eighty-two  camp  secretaries  employed  by  the  department  and  recruited 
from  every  part  of  the  United  States  and  Canada,  eight  were  from  Philadelphia 
and  suburbs.  One  of  these  eight  gave  his  life  in  service  while  working  among  the 
marines  at  Paris  Island,  S.  C,  his  death  occurring  during  the  influenza  epidemic  of 
1918.  A  Philadelphia  Brotherhood  man  who  contributed  his  work  through  almost 
the  entire  war  period  held  religious  services  regularly  for  some  months  at  Pier  No.  19, 
in  Philadelphia,  ministering  to  the  sailors  located  at  that  point.  Brotherhood 
men  in  all  sections  of  the  city  cooperated  in  the  work  done  by  various  welfare 
organizations,  in  caring  for  the  enlisted  men.  For  some  time  also  one  of  the  most 
experienced  camp  secretaries  made  his  headquarters  in  Philadelphia  and  devoted 
his  time  to  assisting  the  individual  cases  which  continually  poured  into  the  head- 
quarters office  during  the  first  months  of  demobilization.  Spiritual  or  material 
aid  was  rendered  as  the  case  demanded.  In  many  instances  he  was  able  to  turn 
over  a  returned  man  in  need  of  help  to  the  local  Brotherhood  Chapter  nearest  the 
man's  home.     The  case  was  then  attended  to  by  local  organization. 

One  feature  of  the  work  of  the  Army  and  Navy  officers  in  Philadelphia  was 
that  of  keeping  track  of  Episcopalians  transferred  from  camp  to  camp  and  from 
station  to  station.  Brotherhood  camp  secretaries  or  Episcopal  chaplains  in  camps 
throughout  the  country  sent  frequent  lists  of  Episcopalians  transferred  from  one 
camp  to  another,  and  the  Philadelphia  office  submitted  these  lists  to  the  proper 
authority  in  the  camp  to  which  the  men  were  transferred,  thus  insuring  a  church 
welcome  to  all  such  men  arriving  at  a  new  camp.  In  this  way  the  central  office 
cooperated  closely  with  Chaplain  Dickens  and  his  efficient  staff  of  workers  at  the 
Philadelphia  Navy  Yard. 

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When  the  time  came  to  welcome  the  men  home,  organizations  were  formed  in 
almost  every  Episcopal  church  in  the  city,  called  Church  Welcome  Committees. 

These  committees  were  organized  under  the  direction  of  workers  sent  out 
by  the  central  office  of  the  Brotherhood's  Army  and  Navy  Department.  The 
plan  was  not  confined  to  this  city,  but  was  also  in  operation  throughout  the  country. 
These  Church  Welcome  Committees  were  made  up  of  the  older  men  of  the  church 
and  the  sub-committees  were  formed  with  definite  duties  assigned  to  each.  The 
sub-committees  made  themselves  responsible  for  the  spiritual,  material  and  social 
welfare  of  the  returning  men.  Social  functions  were  planned  to  welcome  them, 
jobs  were  secured  for  those  in  need,  or  positions  of  a  superior  character  for  men 
who  wished  to  make  their  return  home  the  beginning  of  broader  and  more  useful 
lives.  Last,  but  not  least,  it  was  the  aim  of  the  Church  Welcome  Committee  to 
induct  the  returning  man  into  the  vital  life  of  the  church  and  make  him  feel  the 
parish's  need  of  him  and  his  work.  Sixty  such  committees  were  formed  in  the 
diocese  of  Pennsylvania,  forty-five  of  which  were  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 

Business  Men's  War  Council  of  the  Pocket 
Testament  League 

In  April,  1917,  the  Pocket  Testament  League  was  organized  to  provide  for 
the  distribution  of  Testaments.  From  this  date,  work  has  been  carried  on  in  the 
Army  and  Navy  camps  by  trained  personal  workers  who  have  given  out  over 
four  hundred  thousand  copies.  Of  this  number,  considerably  more  than  one- 
fourth,  or  in  round  figures,  some  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  men  have 
signed  pledge  cards  as  an  expression  of  their  acceptance  of  Christianity  and  of 
their  determination  to  read  their  Bibles  daily.  These  cards  have  been  sent  to  the 
pastors  and  church  leaders  of  the  men's  home  communities  in  order  that  those 
naturally  most  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  men  might  know  of  their  newly 
made  decisions.  Two  of  the  best  workers  were  sent  out  with  the  A.  E.  F.,  and 
carried  on  their  work  for  six  months  or  more  with  splendid  results. 

An  Industrial  Department  was  created,  and  an  ever-increasing  number  of 
factories  and  shops  are  cooperating  with  the  Council  for  noonday  meetings. 

The  morale  of  the  men  in  service,  as  well  as  those  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  munitions  and  other  war  materials,  was  greatly  strengthened  by  the  practical 
work  of  the  Council,  and  its  activities  are  being  continued  with  the  regular  Army 
and  Navy,  and  in  industrial  plants. 

The  general  activities  have  been  directed  by  Philadelphia  men.  The  officers 
include  Joseph  M.  Steele,  Harry  E.  Paisley,  A.  I.  Wood,  G.  Percy  Fox,  J.  Lewis 
Twadell  and  Allan  Sutherland.  Among  the  secretaries  who  served  during  the 
period  of  the  war  were:  E.  W.  Rushton,  James  B.  Wolfe,  J.  Herbert  Rue  and 
George  T.  B.  Davis. 

Protestant  Episcopal  City  Mission 

Among  the  organized  church  agencies  in  Philadelphia  which  first  responded  to 
meet  the  needs  of  men  and  women  because  of  the  war,  was  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
City  Mission  in  charge  of  Dr.  William  H.  Jeffreys  and  the  Rev.  H.  Cresson 
McHenry.  A  Bureau  of  Information  and  Coordination  was  opened  in  order 
that  various  activities  might  be  directed  into  proper  channels  and  duplication 

626 


of  effort  prevented.     After  this  bureau  had  operated  for  some  six  months  the 
diocese  formed  its  own  war  commission  and  the  bureau  was  closed. 

As  one  of  the  permanent  relief  organizations  of  Philadelphia,  the  City  Mission 
kept  up  that  important  service.  All  of  its  regular  departments  continued  their 
work,  and  special  attention  was  paid  to  the  needs  of  service  men  and  their 
families.  All  service  men  who  applied  for  admission  to  the  Home  for  Consump- 
tives were  taken  in,  and  through  the  Home  Tuberculosis  Department  others 
were  placed  in  institutions  elsewhere,  or  provided  with  special  food  and  sick 
diet  in  their  own  homes. 

Work  at  the  Bethany  Brotherhood  House 

The  war-time  work  of  Bethany  Presbyterian  Church  was  started  by  the  women 
of  the  congregation  under  the  leadership  of  the  late  Mrs.  Mary  Fales,  a  sister  of 
John  Wanamaker. 

Committees  were  organized,  and  many  articles  of  clothing  and  other  necessities 
were  made  for  the  men  in  service,  both  abroad  and  at  home. 

Hundreds  of  men  were  entertained  at  the  homes  of  the  church  people  and  thus 
enjoyed  the  quiet  pleasures  of  the  hearth-side. 

On  July  21,  1917,  the  Bethany  Brotherhood  House,  2115-23  South  Street,  was 
thrown  open  to  the  men  in  service  and  its  full  equipment  placed  at  their  disposal. 
One  hundred  and  sixty  men  were  present  at  the  opening  night  and  were  addressed 
by  Mr.  Wanamaker. 

One  hundred  beds  were  installed  and  other  comforts  provided.  All  work 
was  done  without  any  cost  to  the  men  and  that  they  appreciated  the  hospitality 
of  the  Brotherhood  House  is  evidenced  by  the  many  letters  which  came  back  from 
the  men  themselves  and  from  their  relatives,  who  had  heard  of  the  church's  work. 
George  Kugler  was  in  charge  at  the  Brotherhood  House. 

The  Lutheran  Service  House 

The  Lutheran  Church  provided  for  Philadelphia  an  unusually  attractive  Service 
House  in  which  hundreds  of  men  found  a  real  touch  of  home. 

The  work  was  under  the  general  direction  of  the  National  Lutheran  War  Com- 
mission. 

The  Lutheran  Women's  League  of  Philadelphia,  of  which  Mrs.  Charles  L.  Fry 
is  President,  undertook  the  special  conduct  of  the  Philadelphia  Service  House.  The 
handsome  home  at  509  S.  Broad  Street,  which  was  formerly  the  residence  of  Col- 
onel E.  V.  Morrell,  was  rented,  and  a  special  Service  House  Committee,  with  Mrs. 
William  P.  M.  Braun,  Chairman,  was  appointed.  The  principal  aim  of  the  Com- 
mittee was  to  establish  a  real  home — not  merely  a  public  meeting  place  for  the 
soldier,  sailor  and  marine. 

The  many  expressions  of  gratitude  and  appreciation  proved  that  the  aim 
was  realized  and  the  name  of  "Home,  Sweet  Home,"  frequently  given. 

The  house,  being  one  of  the  finest  residences  in  Philadelphia,  with  its  spacious 
hall  and  rooms  was  readily  given  the  home  atmosphere  which  endeared  it  to  so 
many  service  men.  A  large  music  room  with  piano,  victrola,  good  pictures  and 
rugs,  afforded  opportunity  for  music  and  informal  entertainments. 

627 


Music  Room  Lutheran  Service  Club 


A  game  room  was  always  open  and  many  pleasant  hours  were  passed 
there. 

The  library  and  writing  room,  where  quiet  reigned,  was  usually  full  of  men 
who  were  grateful  for  a  chance  to  read  and  write  with  such  restful  surroundings. 

In  the  green  and  white  dining-room  with  its  clean  glass  top  tables,  delicious 
meals  were  served.  The  Lutheran  Churches  furnished  committees  of  women  and 
girls  who  cooked  and  served  meals  "just  like  mother  did" — and  the  expressions, 
"Some  chow,"  "Best  I've  had  since  I  left  home,"  testified  to  the  grateful  appre- 
ciation of  the  boys. 

The  third  and  fourth  floors  contained  beds — the  criticism  of  those  being  "they 
were  too  good."  These  rooms  were  attended  to  by  volunteers  from  the  various 
churches.  The  service  throughout  the  house  was  one  of  love,  prompted  by  the 
desire  to  surround  our  brave  boys  with  the  comforts  of  home.  The  members  of  all 
committees  put  aside  all  other  engagements  and  gave  their  time  willingly  and  cheer- 
fully. 

The  success  of  the  Lutheran  Service  House  was  largely  due  to  the  personal 
thought  and  care  given;  the  men  were  not  dealt  with  en  masse  but  as  individuals; 
birthday  parties  and  other  features  of  personal  interest  made  men  feel  that  "Some- 
body really  cares." 

The  Lutheran  Service  House  was  opened  for  soldiers,  sailors  and  marines 
February  1,  1918,  and  closed  April  15th,  1919.  About  25,000  men  were  guests 
during  these  days  and  many  visitors  enjoyed  the  comforts  of  the  house. 

The  members  of  the  Committee  were:  Mrs.  Charles  L.  Fry,  Mrs.  Enos 
Reeser  Artman,  Mrs.  William  T.  Tonner,  Mrs.  Joseph  F.  Hartman,  Mrs.  Adolph 
Woll,  Mrs.  Burton  C.  Simon,  Miss  Bertha  E.  Heid,  Mrs.  William  P.  M.  Braun, 
Chairman. 

628 


Old  St.   Stephen's  Club-  1917-1919 

Old  St.  Stephen's  Club  had  its  inception  in  the  desire  to  provide  shelter  and 
wholesome  entertainment  for  the  thousands  of  sailors,  soldiers  and  marines  who 
poured  into  Philadelphia  with  America's  entry  into  the  war,  and  who  drifted 
aimlessly  about  the  streets,  often  falling  a  prey  to  the  vicious  element  of  the  city. 
Situated  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  St.  Stephen's  Church  was  peculiarly  adapted  for 
this  work,  and  its  Rector,  Dr.  Carl  E.  Grammer,  and  the  Associate  Rector,  Rev. 
Frederick  R.  Keable,  welcomed  the  opportunity  to  help  these  lads  who  were  going 
overseas  to  fight  our  battles. 

Work  was  early  begun  among  the  sailors  at  League  Island.  On  June  10,  1917, 
two  hundred  boys  from  the  Navy  Yard  were  entertained  at  dinner  at  the  City  Club 
by  members  of  St.  Stephen's,  and  the  question  was  asked,  "How  would  you  like  to 
have  a  club  house  of  your  own,  where  you  may  meet  your  friends,  read  or  write 
your  letters,  and  enjoy  a  good  entertainment  every  evening?" 

The  proposition  met  with  an  enthusiastic  acceptance;  the  Sunday  School 
building  was  quickly  fitted  up,  and  on  June  25,  1917,  it  was  turned  over  to  the 
boys,  the  opening  concert  being  given  by  the  crew  of  the  Indiana.  The  building 
and  its  furnishings  were  of  the  simplest,  but  this  feature  was  appreciated  by  the 
club  members,  as  there  was  nothing  too  fine  for  use.  The  front  room  downstairs 
held  the  office  desk,  tables  fitted  up  with  stationery  for  correspondence,  reading 
matter,  a  victrola,  and  a  piano  which  was  in  constant  use  day  and  night.  The 
back  room  contained  several  pool  tables  and  a  shuffleboard  which  were  much  in 
demand.  Retween  the  two  a  circular  counter  enclosed  the  domain  of  the  stew- 
ardess who  served  a  buffet  luncheon  at  five  o'clock  and  again  at  half  past  njjie,  free 
of  charge.  Needless  to  say  this  feature  of  the  Club  was  appreciated,  and  Mrs. 
Place,  who  presided  rosy  and  smiling  over  her  volunteer  assistants,  was  one  of 
the  most  popular  members  of  the  staff. 

The  affairs  of  the  Club  were  administered  by  an  Executive  Committee,  with 
Andrew  Luffbarry  as  Chairman.  Howard  Reifsnyder  was  at  the  head  of  the 
Financial  Department,  securing  contributions  from  public-spirited  citizens  all  over 
the  city.  E.  W.  Moore,  Director  of  the  evening  entertainments,  was  assisted  by  mu- 
sicians, elocutionists  and  dramatic  societies.  The  moving  pictures  were  a  popular 
feature.  The  Club  had  its  own  machine,  and  films  were  generously  furnished  by 
the  various  motion  picture  corporations  of  Philadelphia.  Theatre  managers  were  also 
kind,  chief  among  them  being  H.  T.  Jordan,  Manager  of  Keith's  Theatre,  who 
gave  the  entire  evening  entertainment  for  eighty-one  successive  Wednesdays. 

The  registration  system  of  the  Club  was  a  great  success  and  furnished  valu- 
able information  to  the  families  of  a  number  of  the  men.  A  like  service  was  ren- 
dered by  a  card  sent  to  the  family  of  each  visitor  which  read  as  follows: 

"Our  Club  has  welcomed  and  entertained  over  200,000  soldiers,  sailors  and  marines  in  the 
service  of  our  country.  It  seems  to  us  that  in  these  anxious  hours  you  will  be  comforted  to  learn 
that  your  son  is  in  good  health  and  has  chosen  to  use  our  club  house  and  accept  our  entertainment 
and  good-fellowship.  We  are  deeply  interested  in  him  and  his  comrades  and  will  help  him  in 
any  way  we  can.     God  grant  that  he  may  return  to  you  whole  in  body  and  unstained  in  soul." 

Many  appreciative  letters  were  received  in  return  for  this  card  from  parents 
who  were  rejoiced  to  know  that  their  boys  were  well  and  safe  "in  such  a  fine  reli- 
gious place"  as  one  good  woman  put  it. 

629 


THE  ROMAN  CATHOLIC  ARCHDIOCESE  OF  PHILADELPHIA  IN 

THE  WAR  WORK 

Right  Rev.  Henry  T.  Drumgoole,  D.D.,  LL.D.* 

The  detailed  history  of  the  great  agencies  of  the  World  War  cannot  be  fully 
written  for  years  to  come;  today,  only  a  broad  outline  can  be  fairly  traced.  The 
Federal  and  State  Governments  and  many  historical  organizations  are  gathering 
and  preparing  statistics,  but  all  acknowledge  the  vastness  of  the  task  and  the 
need  of  time  for  collecting  and  ordering  data.  No  such  great  event  had  ever 
happened  so  quickly;  and  never  was  there  such  a  mobilization  of  gigantic  forces. 

The  part  played,  therefore,  by  the  Catholic  Church  and  the  Catholics  of 
Philadelphia  can,  at  this  writing,  merely  be  indicated;  later,  fuller  details,  now 
agathering,  will  be  set  down  with  historical  calm  and,  so  far  as  possible, 
in  exact  figures  and  language.  It  should  be  noted  here  that  the  work 
of  the  Knights  of  Columbus  is  not  included  in  this  statement;  their  report  appears 
under  a  separate  heading  and  treatment.  Neither  is  there  any  attempt  made 
now  to  formulate  the  activities  of  various  societies  of  Catholics.  This  account 
is  meant  merely  as  a  modest  outline  of  the  endeavors  of  the  Catholic  Church  in 
Philadelphia  to  help  win  the  war,  to  make  the  world  safe  for  democracy,  to  help 
the  fighters  and  their  families  and  to  give  assistance  to  the  needy  of  Europe. 

In  the  first  years  of  the  war,  while  the  struggle  was  confined  to  the  nations 
of  Europe,  numerous  appeals  were  made  to  the  Archbishop  of  Philadelphia  for  aid 
for  the  widows  and  orphans  of  the  contending  peoples,  and  his  approbation  was 
sought  by  the  International  Red  Cross  and  kindred  organizations  for  their  methods 
and  for  means  to  alleviate  suffering  and  privation  in  the  war-wrecked  countries. 
All  these  requests  were  honored,  and  so  far  as  possible  helped.  Within  three  years 
two  diocesan  appeals  were  issued  in  behalf  of  the  Belgians,  which  realized  nearly 
$25,000.  The  returns  from  the  first  collection  were  sent  direct  to  Cardinal  Mercier; 
and  from  the  second,  approximating  $10,000,  to  Cardinal  Gibbons.  The  French, 
Italian,  Lithuanian,  Polish,  Slavonian,  and  Greek  Ruthenian  committees  solicited 
financial  aid  for  the  poor  and  afflicted  of  their  respective  co-nationalists.  When 
war  was  formally  declared  by  the  United  States,  the  national  and  local  committees, 
appointed  and  self-appointed,  were  innumerable.  Many  meetings  of  these  com- 
mittees were  approved  and  fostered;  and  if  the  data  were  filed  of  the  donations 
and  subscriptions,  the  Philadelphia  diocese  would  occupy  an  enviable  place  among 
the  dioceses  of  the  United  States  of  America  for  its  charity  and  generosity. 

While  the  European  struggle  was  on,  the  United  States  had  its  own  difficulties 
in  Mexico  and  on  the  border.  Philadelphia  was  the  first  to  send  help  to  care  for 
the  spiritual  needs  of  the  Catholic  soldiers  mobilized  in  Texas. 

No  clearer  indication  could  be  given  of  Catholic  patriotic  spirit,  love  of  country, 
sense  of  duty  to  the  Government,  unity  of  purpose  and  effort,  than  the  constant, 
enduring  and  helpful  efforts  of  the  Catholics  of  Philadelphia  under  the  unvarying 
leadership  and  direction  of  the  three  successive  Ordinaries — Archbishop  Prendergast, 
Bishop  McCort,  and  Archbishop  (afterwards,  Cardinal)  Dougherty. 

Prior  to  America's  entrance  into  the  conflict,  as  early  as  March  24,  1917. 
The  Catholic  Standard  and  Times,  the  official  organ  of  the  Archdiocese  of  Phila- 

*Chairman  of  the  Historical  Committee,  National  Catholic  War  Council;  Member  of  the 
Pennsylvania  War  History  Commission. 

630 


delphia,  carried  an  editorial,  "Driven  to  the  Brink,"  in  which  occurred  these  words: 
"War  is  now  at  our  doors.  It  can  no  longer  be  averted.  President  Wilson  did  all 
he  possibly  could,  by  night  and  day,  to  stave  it  off;  but  he  was  forced  by  the  pres- 
sure of  outraged  opinion  to  take  the  penultimate  step — the  calling  together  of  Con- 
gress to  consult  for  the  honor  and  safety  of  the  country.  The  date  fixed  for  the 
muster  is  the  2d  of  April.  If  Congress  declares  war,  we  may  not  go  to  it  with  the 
light  heart  that  Ollivier,  the  French  War  Minister,  boasted  of  in  1870;  we  can  do 
so  with  what  is  better — a  clear  conscience  as  a  government — and  leave  the  event 
with  God." 

On  April  5,  1917,  the  day  before  war  was  formally  declared  by  the  United 
States,  Archbishop  Prendergast  issued  the  following  letter  to  his  clergy  and  laity  f 

"While  the  Catholic  Church  commands  your  obedience  in  things  spiritual, 
the  land  of  your  birth  or  adoption  has  exclusive  claim  to  your  allegiance  in  all  that 
regards  the  civil  order.  This  is  a  doctrine  which  you  have  been  trained  from  your 
infancy  to  believe  and  observe.  We  exhort  you,  therefore,  in  the  great  crisis 
through  which  we  are  passing,  to  comport  yourselves  as  loyal,  patriotic  citizens 
and  to  uphold  the  authorities  by  every  means  in  your  power  in  whatever  measures 
they  see  fit  to  adopt  for  the  safety  and  dignity  of  the  Republic.  Our  fathers  in 
the  faith  had  no  small  part  in  establishing  and  maintaining  this  home  of  freedom. 
We  view  their  achievements  with  justifiable  pride,  and  to  them,  as  to  the  other 
heroes  of  our  nation,  we  will  look  with  grateful  reverence.  May  we  in  this  and  in 
all  emergencies  prove  ourselves  their  worthy  children,  ever  ready,  even  as  they, 
at  the  call  of  country,  to  stake  our  lives,  our  fortunes,  and  our  sacred  honor. "  This 
letter  is  a  keynote  of  the  Catholic  disposition  and  readiness  in  the  great  emergency. 

It  is  said  that  the  Catholic  Hierarchy  was  the  first  religious  body  in  America 
to  pledge  its  support  to  the  Government  in  the  conduct  of  the  war.  Of  this 
body,  the  Archbishop  of  Philadelphia  was  a  prominent  and  active  member.  In  a 
meeting  at  the  Catholic  University,  Washington,  in  September,  1917,  the  Arch- 
bishops of  the  country  formulated  a  letter  to  President  Wilson  in  which  they  said, 
"Our  people  now,  as  ever,  will  rise  as  one  man  to  serve  the  nation."  One  month 
before  this  meeting,  and  in  preparation  for  it,  the  Archbishop  of  Philadelphia 
favored  and  fostered  the  formation  of  a  National  Catholic  War  Council,  which 
should  look  to  the  material  and  spiritual  aid  of  the  chaplains  who  would  be  re- 
quired for  the  soldiers.  Under  Philadelphia  influence,  the  whole  conception  was 
broadened  to  include  every  species  of  work  and  help  that  would  be  necessary,  and  to 
organize  all  the  Catholic  forces  throughout  the  country.  As  a  consequence  the 
National  Catholic  War  Council  undertook,  and  in  a  great  measure  accomplished, 
the  coordination  of  all  Catholic  available  resources  and  of  all  Catholic  men's  and 
women's  societies  throughout  the  United  States.  All  these  forces  were  directed  to 
the  winning  of  the  war,  to  the  spiritual,  moral  and  temporal  welfare  of  the  soldier, 
to  the  care  of  the  soldier's  family  and  to  the  heightening  and  steadying  of  the 
general  morale  in  and  out  of  the  camps. 

From  the  National  Catholic  War  Council  came  the  National  Catholic  Welfare 
Council,  eager  and  ready  for  reconstruction  work  and  for  the  deepening  and  pres- 
ervation of  the  American  spirit.  Every  faculty  of  the  Catholic  Church — its 
manhood,  its  womanhood,  its  priesthood,  its  sisterhoods,  its  churches,  schools  and 
hospitals — were  prepared,  and  lined  solidly  behind  the  President  and  the  nation. 
Spiritually,  in  upholding  religion  and  morals,  in  readiness  to  serve  the  wounded,  the 

631 


sick  and  the  dying;  intellectually,  in  upholding  right  principles  of  government  and 
order;  materially,  in  supplying  man-power  and  funds — the  Catholic  Church  was  ready 
to  accept  her  share  of  leadership  and  service,  to  do  her  part.  All  her  forces,  spiritual 
and  temporal,  were  ready  for  a  just  cause,  as  were  the  Army  and  Navy  of  the  nation. 

"Philadelphia's  contribution  to  the  Government  in  the  present  crisis  is 
monumental  and  no  sacrifice  has  been  considered  too  great.  From  that  memo- 
rable Good  Friday,  1917,  when  war  was  proclaimed,  every  measure  has  received 
generous  support  from  prelate,  priest  and  layman.  The  work  of  the  Catholics 
in  this  diocese  in  the  Liberty  Loan  Campaigns,  the  Red  Cross,  Knights  of  Columbus 
and  War  Chest  drives,  and  all  other  kindred  activities,  is  still  fresh  in  the  minds  of 
all."  "It  has  been  claimed  that  Philadelphia  led  the  Hierarchy  of  the  country 
in  subscribing  to  the  Liberty  Loan."  "It  will  be  the  first  time,  I  am  informed," 
said  H.  Wilson  Moorehouse,  of  the  Federal  Reserve  Bank  Committee,  "that  the 
Catholic  Church  has  done  anything  of  the  kind.  The  fact  that  the  Archbishop 
of  Philadelphia  has  given  us  assurance,  of  course,  is  significant  of  the  Church 
throughout  the  country,  as  I  understand  it." 

It  is  estimated  that  20,000  Catholics  from  America  died  in  the  war — prac- 
tically 20  per  cent  of  all  the  casualties.  At  least  1,000  Catholics  of  the 
Diocese  of  Philadelphia  made  the  supreme  sacrifice.  More  than  900  names  of 
these  heroes  are  on  record  today,  with  nearly  one-third  more  parishes  to  report. 
We  have  no  accurate  number  at  present  of  the  number  of  Catholics  from  Phila- 
delphia who  served  in  the  United  States  forces  during  the  war;  but  it  is  confi- 
dently believed  that  when  the  lists  are  completed,  Philadelphia  will  be  found 
to  maintain  the  high  average  of  Catholic  contribution  of  men  for  Army,  Navy  and 
Marine  Corps.  Whole  societies  of  young  men  entered  the  service,  most  of  them 
volunteering.  The  records  of  one  church  society  reads,  "Club  closed  until  after 
war;  all  members  in  Army. "  Thirty-two  Philadelphia  priests  were  Army  or  Navy 
Chaplains — more  had  volunteered  and  were  waiting  the  word  of  call.  Indeed,  all 
priests  under  forty  years  of  age  were  asked  by  the  Archbishop  to  offer  their  services, 
and  his  Grace  publicly  notified  his  people  that  he  was  ready,  if  necessary,  to  rob 
the  churches  of  their  needed  clergy,  to  meet  the  need  of  chaplains  for  Army  and 
Navy;  and  every  rector  gave  his  assent. 

Before  our  entrance  into  war,  our  Catholic  women  had  formed  Red  Cross 
branches  and  were  aiding  the  needy  in  Europe.  As  the  Red  Cross  feature  of 
Catholic  war  activity  is  treated  of  formally  in  the  Red  Cross  report,  only  a  few 
lines  of  statement  will  be  made  here;  but  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  call  attention 
to  the  fact  that  the  "  Red  Cross  "  and  the  Red  Cross  service  were  initiated  by  a  Cath- 
olic priest,  Saint  Camillus  of  Lellis,  in  the  sixteenth  century.  Pope  Sixtus  V. 
granted  permission  to  him  and  his  coworkers  to  use  a  red  cross  as  the  distinguishing 
mark  of  the  society  of  nurses  to  be  formed  to  minister  to  the  sick  and  the  wounded. 
These  Red  Cross  nurses  of  Saint  Camillus  cared  for  the  people,  particularly  in  time 
of  pestilence  and  of  war.  They  served  here  in  America,  long  years  ago,  in  Peru 
and  in  Mexico;  they  looked  after  the  wounded  in  the  wars  of  Mexico  as  late  as 
the  year  1821. 

The  Catholic  women  of  Philadelphia  formed  Auxiliary  138  of  the  Red 
Cross  two  weeks  after  our  entrance  into  the  conflict.  They  sent  to  the  front 
350,000  surgical  dressings,  and  were  paid  the  high  compliment  by  the  War  Depart- 
ment of  having  their  dressings  passed  without  re-inspection.     The  stamp,  "War 

632 


A  Field  Mass. 


Auxiliary  138,"  was  taken  as  sufficient  guarantee.  Both  the  quantity  and  the 
compliment  speak  volumes  for  the  work  done.  They  received  their  supplies 
of  wool  in  300  and  400  pound  allotments,  and  returned  to  the  Government 
each  fortnight  a  truck  load  of  sweaters,  socks  and  other  "  comfy s"  for  overseas 
use.  Their  membership  was  3,000,  not  numbering  the  juniors.  Six  large  convents, 
as  well  as  many  parishes,  formed  centers.  As  the  Senior  Red  Cross  had  anticipated 
the  war  and  the  call  for  laborers,  so  too,  the  Junior  Red  Cross  was  planned  and  in 
operation  before  the  President's  request  had  been  published.  All  these  activities 
were  largely  the  inspiration  of  the  members  of  the  Alliance  of  Catholic  Women. 
Everything  that  a  woman  or  a  girl  could  and  should  do  for  the  soldiers  and  the 
nation,  our  Catholic  womanhood  undertook.  Many  were  formally  joined  to 
avowed  Catholic  societies  but  many,  too,  had  associated  themselves  with  general 
organizations. 

Philadelphia  Catholic  women  were  represented  in  every  movement — some 
here,  some  overseas.  The  National  Catholic  War  Council  had  opened  a  training 
school  in  Washington  for  social  service  work  in  Europe  and  at  home.  Our  Phila- 
delphia girls  and  young  women  attended  this  school  and  did  their  share  at  home  and 
abroad.  One  of  the  largest  works  accomplished  by  the  Philadelphia  Alliance  of 
Catholic  Women  was  the  conduct  of  the  Benedict  Service  Club,  which  had  been 
established  in  Philadelphia  by  the  National  Catholic  War  Council,  for  all  men 
in  service,  and  named  by  it  in  honor  of  Pope  Benedict  XV.  Here  the  women 
served  night  and  day,  and  ministered  to  every  want  of  the  soldiers  and  sailors,  who 
found  in  this  club  house  every  comfort  and  help.  The  report  of  the  Benedict 
Service  Club  showed  that  during  eleven  months  it  received — mostly  from  Camp  Dix, 
Camp  Meade  and  the  League  Island  Navy  Yard — 223,233  soldier  and  sailor  guests. 
It  supplied  during  the  same  period,  55,613  lodgings  and  131,809  meals.  The 
monthly  attendance  varied  from  10,500  to  30,318.     The  Alliance  of  Catholic 

633 


Women  gladly  gave  their  services  to  the  entertainment  of  the  soldiers  and  sailors. 
The  entertainments  were  under  the  management  of  a  joint  committee  representing 
all  the  Catholic  societies  of  Philadelphia.  These  are  only  some  of  the  women's  work 
for  the  soldier.  The  hospitals  were  ever  ready  to  render  all  the  needed  help  and 
medical  care  and  nursing.  The  National  Catholic  War  Council  especially  fitted 
the  Misericordia  Hospital  for  soldier  service.  All  the  other  Catholic  hospitals 
held  themselves  ready  for  every  emergency  and  organized  special  departments 
of  social  service  and  care. 

No  more  helpful  or  heroic  duty  was  performed  during  the  war  than  the  nursing 
of  both  soldier  and  civilian  during  the  fatal  epidemic  of  influenza  that  raged  in  Phila- 
delphia during  October  of  1917.  Sixteen  soldiers,  a  lieutenant  and  his  fifteen  men, 
were  passing  through  the  city  under  military  orders  and  were  encamped  in  the  City 
Hall.  Over  night  they  developed  the  dread  disease.  The  Philopatrian  Club  was 
at  once  offered  for  the  care  of  the  men.  At  ten  in  the  morning  it  was  a  luxurious 
club  house,  at  five  in  the  afternoon  it  was  a  splendidly  equipped  hospital.  Forty 
Sisters  at  once  took  charge  of  hospital  and  patients.  The  same  thing  was  enacted  at 
the  dismantled  Medico-Chirurgical  Hospital.  Trained  nurses  had  been  arranged 
for  and  volunteer  nurses  had  been  secured,  but  the  physicians  were  at  their  wits' 
end  for  lack  of  help.  Archbishop  Dougherty  was  appealed  to  towards  bedtime 
one  night,  and  promised  that  in  the  morning  a  sufficient  number  of  Nuns  would  be 
at  the  new  emergency  hospital.  And  so  the  work  of  the  Catholic  Sisterhoods  grew. 
Hospital  and  workhouse  were  supplied;  and  then  the  call  came  from  the  helpless 
dying  in  private  houses.  More  than  2,200  Nuns  left  their  convents  and  schools 
and  went  wherever  needed,  making  no  distinction  of  color,  race  or  religion. 
All  the  Catholic  Sisterhoods  offered  volunteers;  all  gladly  risked  their  fives,  some 
lost  theirs  in  this  splendid  work  of  mercy.  Archbishop  Dougherty  gave  permission 
to  utilize  all  church  buildings — particularly  parochial  halls  and  schools — for  hospital 
purposes.  Again,  every  agency  of  the  Catholic  Church  was  turned  to  the  needs 
of  the  hour — and  the  needs  were  great  indeed,  and  the  hour  one  of  the  darkest  in 
Philadelphia's  history.  The  priests  were  everywhere  visiting  and  looking  after 
the  sick  and  dying — themselves  dying  in  consequence ;  laymen  and  lay- 
women  and  all  organized  agencies  turned  to  give  a  helping  hand.  Two  hundred 
and  twenty-five  ecclesiastical  students  of  the  Theological  Seminary  volunteered 
as  orderlies  and  nurses  in  the  hospitals  and  large  institutions.  Many  of 
them  buried  the  dead,  when  no  one  could  be  had  to  dig  the  graves.  In  one 
cemetery  alone,  whose  yearly  number  of  burials  was  5,000,  the  seminarians 
buried  2,600  corpses  in  a  month.  To  do  this  they  worked  many  times  far  into  the 
night.  The  Chairman  of  the  Soldiers'  Aid  Committee  of  City  Councils  said:  "For 
the  care  given  the  lieutenant  and  his  fifteen  men  who  were  brought  to  this  city 
and  taken  to  the  Philopatrian  Emergency  Hospital  for  treatment,  no  statement 
of  our  appreciation  would  be  exaggerated."  One  of  the  medical  chiefs  said:  "In 
thirty-three  years'  experience  in  city  hospitals  I  never  witnessed  such  heroic  de- 
votion to  duty  as  that  manifested  by  these  Sisters.  I  have  never  seen  a  greater 
demonstration  of  real  charity  than  has  been  given  by  the  Sisters  in  their  nursing 
of  the  sick,  irrespective  of  the  creed  or  color  of  the  victims,  wherever  the  Nuns  went." 
Mayor  Smith  said :  "  Immediate  relief  was  the  result  of  the  aid  afforded  by  the  Arch- 
bishop.    Beyond  any  doubt  the  work  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  resulted  in  sav- 

634 


ing  innumerable  lives."  Archbishop  Dougherty  met  the  crisis  promptly  and 
efficiently.     His  forces  answered  every  call  and  without  delay. 

The  two  great  sinews  of  war  were  men  and  money.  Not  only  did  the  Catholics 
give  their  share  of  fighting  men,  but  the  Catholic  Church  did  everything  in  her 
power  to  deepen  their  sense  of  duty,  to  sanctify  their  endeavors  and  to  hallow  their 
sacrifices,  deaths  and  memories.  Service  flags  were  raised  in  every  church,  and  as 
a  church  function.  Sermons  and  rallies  were  innumerable ;  prayers  were  unceasing 
— not  for  slaughter,  not  for  a  vain,  brutal  victory,  but  for  the  triumph  of  the  right. 
Every  spiritual  and  moral  safeguard  that  could  be  thrown  around  the  soldiers, 
and  about  the  non-combatants,  was  employed,  and  every  spiritual  and  moral 
helpful  force  that  could  protect  innocence  and  recover  the  prodigal  was  made  use 
of,  regardless  of  sacrifice. 

In  the  raising  of  funds,  too,  the  Catholic  Church  did  her  full  share.  The  matter 
of  the  First  Liberty  Loan  was  quite  new  to  the  people  and  not  so  generally  organized, 
but  active  participation  was  obtained  from  every  pastor,  under  the  leadership 
and  inspiration  of  the  Ordinary.  In  the  Second  Loan  the  Catholic  Church  took 
the  lead  in  the  Third  Federal  Bank  Reserve  District,  and  every  influence  possible, 
from  the  Archbishop  down,  was  used  to  promote  the  Loan.  Appeals  were  read 
from  every  Catholic  pulpit,  and  pastors  were  empowered  to  use  any  available 
church  funds  in  purchase  of  the  bonds.  There  was  scarcely  a  parish  or  institution 
in  the  Diocese  that  did  not  invest — some  in  the  thousands — and  that  did  not  form 
committees  or  parish  organizations  to  promote  the  Loan. 

In  the  Third  Loan  the  activities  of  the  Catholic  Church  were  even  greater  than 
in  the  Second.  The  Fourth  Loan  was  the  greatest  effort  and  produced  very  satis- 
factory results.  To  the  amounts  that  were  credited  to  the  churches  must  be  added 
the  subscriptions  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  and  the  subscriptions  credited 
to  the  Foreign  Language  Division  of  the  Liberty  Loan  Committee,  many  of  whose 
workers  were  Catholics. 

The  great  force  of  the  Church's  financial  help  cannot  be  named  in  figures  or 
estimated  merely  in  dollars;  it  was  the  united  effort  of  archbishop,  priest  and 
people,  both  as  to  the  working  force  in  obtaining  subscriptions  and  the  moral 
force  to  subscribe  to  the  Loan.  In  some  parishes  an  active  house-to-house  canvass 
was  made,  through  their  Church  Collections  Association,  and  every  individual 
wage-earner  subscribed  for  at  least  one  bond.  A  number  of  parishes  reached  the 
half  million  mark  in  some  of  the  individual  drives,  and  more  than  once.  One  small 
parish  subscribed  $71,000. 

In  the  Third  Loan  more  than  $3,000,000  was  credited  to  the  work  of  the  pupils 
in  the  parochial  schools  and  Catholic  convents  and  colleges.  With  only  50  per 
cent  of  the  parishes  reporting,  nearly  $7,000,000  of  subscriptions  were  credited 
to  the  Catholic  churches  in  this  Loan;  $10,000,000  of  subscriptions  were  reported 
for  the  Fourth  Loan — with  more  than  20  per  cent  of  the  parishes  to  be  heard  from. 
Archbishop  Dougherty  had  accepted  $17,000,000  for  the  Catholic  share  of  the 
$50,000,000  allotted  to  all  the  churches,  and  it  is  believed  that  every  dollar  was 
paid  in. 

In  the  Victory  Loan  more  than  $6,000,000  is  of  record — always  not 
including  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Foreign  Language  Division  or  private  sub- 
scriptions. 

The  labors  of  the  men  and  the  women  who  had  to  stay  at  home — how  they 

635 


opened  their  club  houses  and  their  homes  to  the  soldiers,  how  they  provided  for  the 
men  in  the  service  the  little  things  that  counted  so  much,  how  they  bought  and  sold 
bonds  and  war  stamps,  would  require  space  beyond  reasonable  limits  of  this  presen- 
tation. Some  day  the  full  story  of  America's  sacrifices  and  achievements  will 
please  God,  be  told  at  least  in  some  detail.  Some  day,  too,  the  work  of  the 
Catholic  Church  will  be  made  manifest.  Then,  so  far  as  Philadelphia  is  con- 
cerned, the  patriotism,  the  deep  spiritual  concern,  the  thirst  for  helpfulness  to 
country  and  to  mankind  of  Archbishop  Prendergast,  of  Bishop  McCort,  of 
Archbishop  (now,  Cardinal)  Dougherty  will  be  better  known.  Then,  too,  will 
the  generous  work  of  the  Catholics  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  magnificent  sacrifices 
of  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  be  given  a  merited  prominence  in  the  great  agencies 
of  the  World  War. 

"America  turned  the  scales  in  favor  of  the  Allies,  and  the  world  can  thank 
the  United  States  for  victory.  Our  soldiers  and  sailors  have  covered  themselves 
with  immortal  glory.  Our  country  will  now  doubtless  enter  into  a  new  epoch 
of.  greatness.  She  should  henceforth  lead  all  nations,  not  only  financially  and  in- 
dustrially but  also  in  the  cultivation  of  religion  and  democratic  ideals. "  This  was 
the  "Peace"  statement  of  the  Philadelphia  Catholic  journal.  The  Catholic 
Church  through  its  National  Catholic  War  Council  did  its  share  for  right  and 
justice  and  humanity,  in  the  days  of  the  war.  Now,  in  the  days  of  peace,  it  will, 
through  its  Welfare  Council,  make  for  the  cultivation  of  religion  and  of  democratic 
ideals. 

THE  WAR  ACTIVITIES  OF  THE  JEWISH  CONGREGATIONS  AND 
OTHER  JEWISH  ORGANIZATIONS  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

By  Rabbi  Leon  H.  Elmaleh,  Congregation  Mikveh  Israel 

The  Jewish  organizations,  societies  and  groups  of  one  sort  and  another  that 
engaged  in  various  war  activities  were  so  numerous,  and  their  efforts  covered 
such  a  wide  field,  that  it  would  be  impossible,  within  the  limits  of  this  work,  to 
enumerate  their  accomplishments  in  detail.  It  may  be  said,  in  brief,  that  there 
was  no  Jewish  organization  or  institution  in  existence  at  the  time  of  the  war 
that  did  not  engage  in  war  work.  And  in  addition,  many  Jewish  associations 
were  created  for  the  express  and  sole  purpose  of  war  activity — chief  of  which,  of 
course,  was  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board,  a  nation-wide  organization.  For  the  rest, 
the  most  comprehensive  idea  of  Jewish  war  work  in  this  city  can  be  given  by  an 
account  of  the  activities  of  the  most  important  institutions,  and  of  their  leaders. 

Congregation  Adath  Jeshurun  (Broad  and  Diamond  streets)  organized  a  Red 
Cross  Auxiliary  No.  52,  which  met  weekly  throughout  the  war  and  for  several 
months  thereafter.  Under  the  auspices  of  this  auxiliary,  and  of  the  Congregational 
organization,  "The  Adath  Jeshurun  Assembly,"  Liberty  Sings  and  entertainments 
were  arranged  at  the  synagogue  for  men  at  near-by  camps.  Seventy-five  men  of 
the  congregation  went  into  the  service,  serving  on  land,  water,  or  in  the  air. 
Three  of  them  were  killed  on  the  field  of  battle:  Morris  Goldstein,  Aaron  I.  Price 
and  Henry  Frank  Singer.  The  men  and  women  of  the  Congregation  and  the 
Boy  Scout  and  Girl  Scout  Troops  of  the  Congregation  participated  in  every  Liberty 
Loan  drive.  The  Congregation  has  placed  a  bronze  tablet  in  the  synagogue  in 
honor  of  those  who  served  and  fell.     Rabbi  Max  D.  Klein,  minister  of  the  Con- 

636 


gregation,  spoke  at  Camp  Dix,  Camp  Lee  and  Cape  May,  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Jewish  Welfare  Board. 

Congregation  Beth  Israel  (32d  Street  and  Montgomery  Avenue)  maintained 
a  Red  Cross  Auxiliary.  Eighty -five  young  men  of  this  congregation  were  engaged 
in  the  various  branches  of  the  government  service.  Six  of  them  gave  their  lives 
to  their  country:  Captain  Frederick  D.  Clair,  Sergeant  Irving  S.  Clair,  George 
Katz,  Jerome  Marks,  Alexander  J.  Roth  and  Benjamin  Spitzer.  The  Daughters 
of  Beth  Israel  took  a  very  active  part  in  Red  Cross  work  and  Liberty  Loan  drives. 
The  officers  of  this  organization  included  Mrs.  Fannie  B.  Lesser,  Mrs.  Alexander 
Block,  Mrs.  Samuel  Herbach,  Mrs.  William  M.  Lewis,  Mrs.  S.  Belle  Cohn,  Mrs. 
Max  S.  Apt  and  Mrs.  Arthur  Cohen.  Rabbi  Marvin  Nathan,  minister  of  the 
Congregation,  conducted  services  at  different  camps. 

Congregation  Benai  Jeshurun  (31st  and  Diamond  streets)  did  not  fall  behind 
the  larger  congregations  in  various  patriotic  activities.  Rabbi  Davidovitz  received 
a  commission  as  Chaplain  in  the  United  States  Army,  and  saw  service  abroad. 
He  was  wounded. 

Congregation  Beth  El  (58th  and  Walnut  streets)  gave  forty  of  its  young  men 
to  the  service  of  the  United  States  Army  and  Navy.  A  Red  Cross  branch  met 
every  Thursday  evening  at  the  synagogue  and  made  material  for  hospital  use. 
Sweaters,  helmets  and  wrist  bands  were  knitted,  and  kits  were  donated.  Com- 
mittees met  detachments  of  soldiers  passing  through  the  city  and  provided  them 
with  cigarettes,  coffee  and  sandwiches.  Entertainments  were  furnished  at  the 
Navy  Yard.  The  Congregation  and  the  sisterhood  participated  in  the  various 
drives  for  Liberty  Loans.  Rabbi  Samuel  Fredman  received  a  commission  as 
Chaplain  in  the  Army. 

Congregation  Keneseth  Israel  (Broad  Street  and  Columbia  Avenue)  had 
273  men  in  the  service.  The  sisterhood  of  the  Congregation  gave  twenty  suppers 
and  dances  to  3,000  enlisted  men.  They  sent  to  the  Navy  Yard  11,123  magazines, 
866  books,  sheet  music,  cards,  victrolas,  records,  games  and  typewriters.  To 
the  Jewish  Welfare  Board  they  sent  $700  in  money,  also  books,  magazines,  games 
a  victrola,  "smileage  books,"  and  cigarettes.  They  formed  Red  Cross  Auxiliary 
No.  291,  which  turned  out  7,000  hospital  garments,  4,000  knitted  garments,  0.  D. 
shirts.  They  donated  kits,  and  participated  in  a  linen  shower.  The  sisterhood 
acted  as  a  sponsor  for  the  U.  S.  Transport  De  Kalb,  providing  subscriptions  to 
twelve  weekly  and  monthly  magazines,  games,  victrolas,  books  and  everything 
needed  to  provide  recreation  for  the  boys.  They  sent  3,000  copies  of  Dr.  Joseph 
Krauskopf's  discourses  abroad,  also  Hanucah  boxes  and  Rosh  Hashana  (Jewish 
New  Year)  cards.  Rabbi  Joseph  Krauskopf,  minister  of  the  Congregation,  was 
summoned  to  Washington  by  Mr.  Hoover  to  help  in  the  Department  of  Food 
Conservation.  He  served  for  three  months  at  Washington  and  for  more  than  a 
year  afterward  in  the  food  conservation  work  in  the  City  and  State.  Dr.  Krauskopf 
was  Chairman  of  the  various  Liberty  and  Victory  Loan  drives  for  the  Jewish 
Community  of  Philadelphia. 

Congregation  Mikveh  Israel  (Broad  and  York  streets),  through  the  "Mikveh 
Israel  Association, "  applied  in  May,  1917,  for  a  charter  for  a  Red  Cross  Auxiliary  in 
the  Southeastern  Pennsylvania  Chapter.  Auxiliary  No.  172  was  established,  the 
officers  of  which  were  Miss  Elinor  Solis-Cohen,  Chairman,  Mrs.  Leon  H.  Elmaleh 
Secretary,  and  Miss  Aimee  Pereyra,  Treasurer.     A  workroom  for  the  making  of  hos- 

637 


pital  garments  was  opened  in  the  adjoining  building,  Gratz  College,  under  the 
direction  of  Miss  Pereyra.  The  workroom  was  open  one  day  a  week,  winter 
and  summer,  from  June,  1917,  to  March,  1919.  Hospital  garments  and  supplies, 
comfort  kits  and  refugee  garments  were  made.  The  knitting  of  all  articles  necessary 
for  the  men  in  the  service,  and  later  for  the  refugees,  was  done  in  the  homes 
of  the  members.  In  December,  1917,  the  auxiliary  opened  an  additional  work- 
room, under  the  direction  of  Miss  Elizabeth  Solis,  at  Dropsie  College,  for  the 
making  of  surgical  dressings.  Later,  Mrs.  Cyrus  Adler  took  charge  of  this  de- 
partment, and  work  was  continued  until  November,  1918.  Reclamation  work, 
the  repair  of  soldiers'  garments,  was  undertaken  by  the  auxiliary,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Mrs.  Lewis  Steinbach.  All  appeals  for  clothing,  linens,  comfort  kits,  etc., 
were  promptly  and  generously  responded  to.  The  women  of  the  Congregation 
also  worked  with  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board  in  its  various  activities.  The  work 
of  the  food  conservation,  under  the  chairmanship  of  Mrs.  Ernest  Lowengrund, 
was  carried  on  with  much  zeal.  In  the  Liberty  and  Victory  Loan  drives,  excellent 
work  was  done  under  the  chairmanship  of  Mrs.  Edward  Whitehill.  Miss  Amelia 
Tobiason  was  in  charge  of  the  collection  of  funds  for  the  Belgian  children.  Fifty- 
one  young  men  of  the  Congregation  were  in  the  service  of  the  Government.  Of 
that  number,  thirteen  were  privates.  The  remainder  ranged  in  rank  from  ser- 
geant to  captain  in  the  Army,  and  from  petty  officer  to  lieutenant  commander 
in  the  Navy. 

Among  the  number  were  Lieutenant  Commander  Albert  M.  Cohen,  U.  S.  N., 
Legion  of  Honor;  Captain  Jacques  M.  Swaab,  Croix  de  Guerre,  American  Ace, 
who  downed  eleven  German  planes,  and  Sergeant  Simon  Cohen,  Croix  de  Guerre. 
The  Rev.  Leon  H.  Elmaleh,  minister  of  the  Congregation,  acted  as  Jewish  Chaplain 
at  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard  from  May,  1917,  to  June,  1919.  He  was  also 
Chairman  of  the  religious  committee  of  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board,  and  took  an 
active  part  in  all  the  Liberty  Loan  drives. 

Congregation  Rodeph  Shalom  (Broad  and  Mt.  Vernon  streets)  gave  150  men 
to  the  service.  Its  sisterhood  established  Red  Cross  Auxiliary  No.  124,  which 
met  every  Tuesday  for  two  years,  winter  and  summer,  made  over  2,500  garments. 
The  Liberty  Loan  Committee  produced  splendid  results.  Through  the  endeavors 
of  the  Recreation  Committee,  many  U.  S.  vessels  were  the  recipients  of  musical  in- 
struments, records,  games,  sporting  goods,  books,  subscriptions  to  magazines,  and 
other  helps  to  tide  over  many  weary  hours  on  shipboard.  A  unique  feature  of 
the  war  work  of  this  congregation  was  the  formation  of  a  children's  class.  A  very 
large  proportion  of  thirty-nine  blankets  donated  by  the  sisterhood  for  the  use 
of  convalescents,  was  made  by  this  unit.  Rabbi  Berkowitz,  minister  of  the  Con- 
gregation, visited  different  camps  at  various  times,  conducted  services,  and 
preached. 

The  Philadelphia  Section  of  the  Council  of  Jewish  Women  was  most  actively 
concerned  with  war  work.  It  established  three  Red  Cross  auxiliaries,  Nos.  200,  82 
and  292.  The  Chairman  of  Auxiliary  No.  200  was  Mrs.  J.  M.  Rice,  of  German- 
town,  in  whose  home  the  work  of  this  auxiliary  was  carried  on.  It  had  its  sessions  in 
conjunction  with  other  local  auxiliaries,  and  accomplished  much  in  all  branches 
of  Red  Cross  work.  Auxiliary  No.  82,  of  which  Mrs.  Max  Aaron,  was  Chairman, 
was  the  first  Jewish  auxiliary  formed.  It  met  every  Friday,  all  day,  and  when 
articles  were  urgently  needed,  extra  sessions  were  called.     It  met  at  the  home 

638 


of  the  Chairman,  where  the  living  room  had  been  transformed  into  a  Red  Cross 
workroom,  with  oil-cloth  covered  tables,  and  modern  gauze  folding  and  cutting 
appliances.  The  chief  work  of  this  unit  was  surgical  dressings,  of  which  it  pro- 
duced 10,000.  Its  members  also  knitted  all  the  needful  articles,  made  house- 
wives, and  property  bags;  and  also  adopted  and  maintained  a  French  Orphan 
for  two  years.  The  auxiliary  consisted  of  thirty-five  women.  The  Chairman 
of  Auxiliary  No.  292  was  Miss  Alice  T.  Fleisher.  This  auxiliary  was  formed 
for  the  purpose  of  making  surgical  dressings,  and  met  on  Wednesday  from  9  a.m. 
to  5  p.m.,  averaging  an  attendance  of  thirty  to  forty  women.  As  many  teachers, 
and  others  employed  during  the  day,  wished  an  opportunity  to  do  something, 
the  unit  opened  Thursday  evenings  from  8  until  10  o'clock.  In  this  group  there 
were  twenty-five  to  thirty  women.  All  meetings  were  held  at  the  Young  Men's 
Hebrew  Association  Building.  This  unit  continued  its  work  until  February  20, 
1919.  Auxiliary  No.  306,  also  under  the  direction  of  the  Council,  was  generally 
known  as  the  "Pajama  Factory."  It  was  run  systematically  on  a  factory  basis. 
A  workroom  was  donated  by  Gimbel  Brothers,  and  equipped  by  the  organization 
as  an  up-to-date  factory,  with  motor-driven  machines,  and  other  labor-saving 
devices.  It  was  open  five  days  a  week,  all  day.  Efficient  women,  as  captains, 
taught  and  supervised  the  work.  It  turned  out  thousands  of  pairs  of  pajamas, 
and,  as  the  emergency  demanded,  it  made  also  trench  slippers,  bed  sacques,  surgical 
aprons,  comfort  kits,  and  Siberian  vests.  After  the  armistice,  it  manufactured 
garments  for  the  refugees.  The  Chairman  of  this  auxiliary  was  Mrs.  Harry  J. 
Bissinger.  The  Council  also  formed  a  Navy  Recreation  Committee  of  which 
Mrs.  Edwin  M.  Goldsmith  was  Chairman.  This  committee  supplied  the  men 
at  League  Island  with  victrolas,  records  and  games.  The  President  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Section  of  the  Council  of  Jewish  Women,  Mrs.  Max  L.  Margolis,  was  head 
of  a  Red  Cross  canteen  auxiliary  of  one  hundred  Jewish  women,  and  she  served 
as  lieutenant  regularly  once  a  month  for  the  duration  of  the  war. 

The  Big  Sisters,  through  its  Junior  Clubs,  did  Red  Cross  work  of  different 
kinds,  and  also  entertained  Army  and  Navy  men  stationed  around  the  city. 


639 


AMERICAN  LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION 

Philadelphia  Dispatch  Office 

HE  WAR  WORK  of  the  American  Library  Association, 
known  as  the  A.  L.  A.  Library  War  Service,  was  carried  on 
with  the  approval  of  the  United  States  Government,  and 
was  one  of  the  seven  war-work  organizations  authorized 
by  the  "Commissions  on  Training  Camp  Activities"  to 
carry  on  library  work  with  both  the  Army  and  Navy.  No 
charge  of  any  kind  was  made  for  this  service. 

In  June,  1918,  The  Free  Library  of  Philadelphia 
closed  the  lecture  room  of  the  H.  Josephine  Widener 
Rranch,  removed  all  the  seats  and  other  furniture  from  it 

and  turned  over  the  entire  room,  together  with  other  space  in  the  same  building, 

to  the  American  Library  Association  to  be  used  as  an  Overseas  Dispatch  Office. 

From  this  time  on,  while  the  work  remained  under  the  supervision  of  F.  H.  Price, 

it  was  conducted  along  two  separate  lines,  as  follows: 

1.  The  Overseas  Dispatch  Office,  charged  with: 

(a)  Establishing  and  maintaining  suitable  collections  of  reading  matter  for 
the  use  of  service  men  and  government  employes  at  or  near  Philadelphia.  Forty- 
nine  libraries  were  established  locally.  In  this  work,  existing  organizations 
were  utilized  for  the  distribution  of  books,  rather  than  risk  the  delay  and  expense 
of  erecting  temporary  buildings  for  the  exclusive  use  of  the  A.  L.  A. 

(b)  The  direct  shipment  of  books  to  the  A.  E.  F.,  naval  bases,  naval  aviation 
and  radio  stations  overseas.  The  forwarding  of  books  to  camps,  cantonments, 
forts,  munition  plants  and  hospitals  in  the  United  States. 

Shipments  of  this  character  were  packed  in  strongly  made  cases  holding  from 
sixty  to  eighty  volumes  each.  These  cases  could  be  stacked  on  edge  to  form 
rough  sectional  book  cases,  thus  making  the  books  available  for  use  as  soon  as 
received. 

(c)  The  supply  of  reading  matter  for  use  of  the  men  on  the  battleships,  cruisers, 
destroyers,  submarines  and  smaller  vessels  of  the  Navy,  troop  transports,  N.  0.  T.  S. 
boats  and  to  the  armed  guards  on  merchant  ships. 

Frequently,  on  troop  transports,  from  one  to  two  thousand  books  were  re- 
quired for  each  trip.  Arrangements  were  made  to  collect  the  books  when  the 
vessels  reached  France  and  send  them  ashore  for  use  at  one  of  the  "Y  Huts," 
"K.  of  C."  or  Salvation  Army  Buildings  near  the  front. 

When  the  return  movement  of  our  troops  from  France  began,  the  system  was 
reversed,  most  of  the  necessary  books  being  placed  on  board  the  transport  at  the 
French  embarkation  port.  On  this  side  the  only  necessity  was  to  replace  badly 
worn  books,  and  supply  large  quantities  of  the  latest  magazines. 

2.  A.  L.  A.  Hospital  Service,  charged  with  the  supply  of  educational  and  recrea- 

tional reading  to  all  service  men  in  the  hospitals  of  Philadelphia. 

640 


Books  for  the  Quiet  Hours,  at  U.  S.  A.  Hospital  No.  22. 

Miss  Jean  E.  Graffen  who  had  complete  charge  of  this  work,  organized  well 
equipped  libraries  at  the  three  largest  government  hospitals,  supplementing  these 
by  placing  small  collections  of  books  directly  in  the  wards,  solariums  and  sick 
bays  of  twelve  local  hospitals,  where  the  books  were  freely  accessible  to  the  men. 
Twice  a  week  each  man  was  visited  at  his  bedside  by  the  hospital  librarian,  who 
took  a  personal  interest  in  providing  him  with  exactly  the  book  or  books  desired. 
Among  these  supplied  were  medical  and  scientific  books  for  the  use  of  the  doctors 
and  nurses  of  the  hospital  staff,  vocational  books  for  the  wounded,  who,  owing 
to  partial  disability,  were  seeking  new  means  of  support,  technical  books  relating 
to  every  trade  and  profession,  as  well  as  poetry,  literature  and  drama,  to  say 
nothing  of  fiction,  for  which  there  was  an  insistent  demand. 

Books  impossible  to  supply  from  the  various  A.  L.  A.  hospital  collections, 
were  borrowed  by  Miss  Graffen  from  The  Free  Library  of  Philadelphia  and  sent 
direct  to  the  men  requesting  them,  over  9,000  such  loans  being  secured,  each 
supplying  a  specific  need.  Thousands  of  magazines  and  scrap  books  were  dis- 
tributed in  the  hospitals  and  to  sick  bays. 

The  commanding  medical  officers  in  charge  of  the  various  hospitals  appreciated 
the  value  of  the  A.  L.  A.  Hospital  Service,  permitting  the  work  to  continue  without 
interruption  during  the  entire  period  of  the  influenza  epidemic. 

On  October  31,  1919,  the  A.  L.  A.  relinquished  to  United  States  Government 
control,  all  books  and  library  equipment  in  use  at  Army  or  Navy  points.  Prior 
to  this  date  the  various  library  collections  had  been  reorganized  and  all  books 
in  poor  condition  replaced,  making  it  possible  to  turn  over  to  the  government  for 
use  of  the  service  men  at  Philadelphia,  16,710  books  all  in  fine  condition.      Collec- 

641 


tions  of  books  at  the  clubs  and  welfare  organizations  were  permitted  to  remain 
as  long  as  work  was  continued  for  the  service  men,  or  during  the  period  of  demobil- 
ization for  ex-service  men. 

The  American  Library  Association  is  indebted  to  The  Free  Library  of  Phila- 
delphia for  the  necessary  space  to  carry  on  its  war  work,  for  the  services  of  Miss 
GrafFen  and  Mr.  Price,  for  the  loan  of  over  9,000  books  to  the  A.  L.  A. 
Hospital  Service,  and  for  its  effort  in  collecting  books  and  funds  from  the 
citizens  of  Philadelphia.  Thanks  are  due  to  the  following  gentlemen,  all  of  whom 
gave  the  finest  possible  cooperation:  Hon.  William  C.  Sproul,  John  Ashhurst, 
H.  H.  Furness,  Jr.,  Samuel  B.  Fares,  Charles  C.  Kinney,  R.  J.  McLaughlin  and 
Walter  Lee,  and  to  the  American  Ice  Co.,  American  Red  Cross,  Emergency  Aid 
of  Pennsylvania,  Jewish  Welfare  Board,  Motor  Messenger  Service,  Philadelphia 
County  Sunday  School  Association  and  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Transport  Service. 

THE  FREE  LIBRARY  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

When  the  United  States  entered  the  war,  all  bulletin  boards  at  the  Main 
Library  Building,  13th  and  Locust  streets,  and  at  the  twenty-eight  branch  libraries 
were  used  exclusively  to  exhibit  posters,  placards  and  appeals  in  support  of  the  war. 
Over  1,100  separate  appeals  were  thus  given  publicity,  and  these  posters  and  pla- 
cards now  form  part  of  the  Library's  collection  of  war  posters,  which  contains  over 
3,000  specimens. 

Upwards  of  a  half  million  leaflets  on  food  and  fuel  conservation,  Liberty  Loans, 
thrift  and  war  savings  stamps  were  distributed  by  the  library,  and  bibliographies 
on  "Farm  Work,"  "Canning,"  "Preserving"  and  "Foods"  were  given  out  in  large 
numbers. 

Practically  all  of  the  twenty-eight  Branch  Library  Buildings  furnished  head- 
quarters for  local  activities  connected  with  the  war,  and  their  meeting  rooms  were 
in  constant  use  by  residents  of  the  neighborhood  engaged  in  furthering  war  work. 

Soldiers,  sailors  and  marines  stationed  at,  or  near,  Philadelphia,  were  per- 
mitted to  retain  library  books  for  long  periods,  without  the  necessity  of  paying 
library  fines,  and  later  were  not  even  asked  to  hold  library  cards,  the  signature  of 
the  man  and  his  local  address  being  all  that  was  required. 

The  Free  Library  lent  to  the  A.  L.  A.  Hospital  Library  Service,  for  the  use 
of  wounded  service  men  in  the  Philadelphia  hospitals,  over  nine  thousand  volumes, 
many  of  them  being  technical  and  educational  books. 

In  May,  1917,  arrangements  were  made  through  Chaplain  C.  H.  Dickens,  of  the 
Philadelphia  Navy  Yard,  to  send  a  collection  of  600  library  books  for  the  use  of 
the  enlisted  men  at  the  yard.  These  were  delivered  on  June  2,  1917,  and  placed 
in  the  large  recreational  tent  known  as  the  "Bee  Hive."  Through  the  same 
officer,  on  August  2d,  over  1,400  books  were  placed  in  Building  252  at  the  Navy 
Yard,  for  the  use  of  the  men  at  the  naval  training  camp.  One  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  books  for  the  study  of  French,  mathematics  and  surveying  selected  by  the 
officers  of  the  U.  S.  M.  C,  were  purchased  by  The  Free  Library,  placed  in  a  special 
traveling  library  collection,  and  sent  to  the  United  States  Marine  Barracks  to  be 
used  exclusively  for  instruction  purposes. 

In  October,  1917,  John  Ashhurst,  Librarian  of  The  Free  Library  of  Phila- 
delphia, conducted  a  campaign  for  a  "Soldiers'  Book  Fund"  under  the  auspices 

642 


of  the  War- Service  Committee  of  the  American  Library  Association,  which  resulted 
in  $20,105.93  being  contributed  by  the  citizens  of  Philadelphia.  Mr  Ashhurst 
later  applied  to  the  "War  Welfare  Council  of  Philadelphia  and  its  Vicinity"  in  the 
name  of  the  American  Library  Association  for  funds  for  the  second  campaign  for 
money  for  books  for  soldiers,  and  received  a  grant  of  $150,000  from  the  "War 
Chest."  Both  of  these  sums  were  raised  to  support  the  national  work  of 
the  A.  L.  A.  and  were  forwarded  to  the  general  headquarters  of  the  A.  L.  A.  at 
Washington,  D.  C. 

During  1918  and  1919  the  "Joint  Special  Committee  of  Select  and  Common 
Councils  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia  on  the  Care,  Sustenance  and  Relief  of  those 
in  the  Military  and  Naval  Service  of  the  United  States"  appropriated  $3,000  to 
The  Free  Library  of  Philadelphia  to  cover  expenses  in  connection  with  the  collec- 
tion and  distribution  of  "Books  for  Soldiers." 

The  first  appeal  made  in  Philadelphia  for  reading  matter  for  soldiers  and 
sailors  was  made  by  the  American  Ice  Company.  On  July  1,  1917,  this  company 
mailed  with  all  its  bills  to  consumers,  a  small  slip  calling  for  "gifts  of  books,  maga- 
zines, periodicals  and  games,"  suggesting  that  these  gifts  be  turned  over  to  the 
drivers  or  other  employes  of  the  company,  who  would  deliver  them  without  charge 
to  the  proper  authorities  at  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard. 

Later,  this  company  merged  its  appeal  for  reading  matter  with  that  of  The  Free 
Library,  and  continued  to  give  splendid  cooperation  during  the  period  of  the  war 
by  collecting  reading  matter. 

In  September,  1917,  The  Free  Library  of  Philadelphia  began  a  campaign  for 
gifts  of  "Books  for  Soldiers,"  making  its  first  appeal  through  the  Philadelphia  news- 
papers of  September  18th,  and  supplemented  this  by  the  use  of  posters,  placards, 
bookslips  and  by  exhibiting  lantern  slides  at  many  of  the  moving-picture  houses. 
Further  appeals  for  reading  matter  were  made  in  March  and  December,  1918, 
and  a  final  appeal  in  June,  1919,  at  which  time  Governor  Sproul  sent  a  letter  to 
the  Sunday  School  children  of  the  State,  in  an  effort  to  secure  additional  reading 
matter  for  the  use  of  returning  troops. 

Practically  all  of  the  Libraries  in  Philadelphia,  as  well  as  John  Wanamaker's 
Book  Department,  the  American  Red  Cross  and  the  American  Ice  Company, 
assisted  The  Free  Library  in  collecting  books  and  magazines  for  this  purpose. 

The  residents  of  Philadelphia  contributed  112,143  books  and  185,321  maga- 
zines; libraries  outside  of  Philadelphia  collected  and  forwarded  30,850  books  and 
2,621  magazines;  the  A.  L.  A.  Library  War  Service  supplied 43,866  books,  many 
of  them  newly  purchased  technical  and  scientific  volumes,  and,  in  addition, 
purchased  6,449  magazines,  making  a  total  of  186,859  books  and  198,488  magazines 
collected  and  distributed  through  The  Free  Library  of  Philadelphia.  All  of  this 
reading  matter  was  examined  and  that  unsuited  for  use  was  discarded,  the  balance 
being  marked  and  arranged  in  groups  suitable  for  library  service. 

From  September,  1917,  until  June,  1918,  The  Free  Library  furnished  quarters 
at  the  H.  Josephine  Widener  Branch,  1200  North  Broad  Street,  for  work  in  con- 
nection with  the  books  and  magazines  collected  in  Philadelphia  for  soldiers  and 
sailors.  Books  were  sent  out  with  the  approval  of  the  A.  L.  A.,  every  effort  being 
made  to  reach  service  men  from  Philadelphia,  even  when  they  were  in  small  units, 
and  to  this  end  books  were  sent  to  the  battleships  Iowa,  Indiana  and  Missouri, 
as  well  as  to  many  of  the  smaller  vessels  of  the  United  States  Navy,  while  col- 

643 


lections,  varying  from  a  few  books  to  several  thousand  volumes,  were  sent  to  Camps 
Meade,  Jackson,  Greene,  Johnson,  McClellan,  Lee,  Upton,  Travis,  Hancock  and 
to  the  Hazlehurst  Field,  Mineola.  At  Camp  Hancock  the  books  sent  were  placed 
in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut,  and  gave  good  service  prior  to  the  opening  of  the  A.  L.  A. 
camp  library  building.  Libraries  for  overseas  service  were  given  to  Army  Base 
Hospital  No.  38,  and  to  United  States  Navy  Hospital  Units  No.  2  and  No.  3. 
Local  Army,  Navy,  Marine  Corps  and  hospital  points  were  supplied  with  reading 
matter,  as  were  some  of  the  clubs  and  organizations  serving  the  enlisted  men, 
and  books  were  also  sent  overseas.  Suitable  traveling  book  cases,  designed  to  hold 
52  books  and  a  few  magazines  for  use  in  the  field,  were  manufactured  at  the 
U.  S.  M.  C.  carpenter  shop,  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard,  through  the  kindness  of 
Major  General  Waller,  from  material  contributed  by  the  War  Emergency  Unit 
of  Philadelphia.  Forty  of  the  cases  were  supplied  with  reading  matter,  and  saw 
foreign  service  with  the  United  States  Marine  Corps. 

The  library  placed  Franklin  H.  Price  in  full  charge  of  the  collection  and 
distribution  of  "Books  for  Soldiers,"  and  later  granted  him  the  necessary  time  to 
act  as  "Dispatch  Agent  and  Supervisor  of  the  A.  L.  A.  Library  War  Service  work 
in  Philadelphia  and  vicinity."  Miss  Jean  E.  Graffen,  of  the  library  staff,  was 
detailed  to  act  as  hospital  librarian  for  the  A.  L.  A.  and  later  organized  the  A.  L.  A. 
Hospital  Service  in  Philadelphia,  while  Miss  Julia  W.  Williamson  and  Miss  Mary 
L.  Smythe  performed  effective  library  work  with  the  A.  E.  F. 

A  large  number  of  The  Free  Library's  assistants  devoted  their  time,  after 
library  hours,  to  work  on  "Books  for  Soldiers,"  while  others  volunteered  to  supply 
reading  matter  to  the  men  in  the  hospitals. 

COMMUNITY   SINGING 

During  the  summer  of  1917  the  custom  of  mass  singing  was  established  in 
Philadelphia  with  the  cooperation  of  the  city  officials  and  many  clubs  and  socie- 
ties. "Sings"  in  connection  with  the  Municipal  Band  Concerts  in  the  city  parks; 
"Sings"  at  the  Navy  Yard,  directed  by  a  song  leader  appointed  by  the  United 
States  Government,  and  "Home  and  Neighborhood  Sings"  became  more  and 
more  popular. 

As  the  idea  was  extended  throughout  the  city,  plans  were  made  for  "Block 
Sings. "  Little  organization  was  required.  The  families  on  both  sides  of  a  certain 
street  simply  met  together  to  sing  over  the  war  songs  in  honor  of  their  "boys." 
The  block  was  decorated  with  the  national  and  allied  colors,  a  large  service  flag, 
with  the  number  of  stars  equivalent  to  the  number  of  men  in  the  service  was  prom- 
inently displayed  and,  during  some  part  of  the  informal  program,  the  names  of 
all  of  the  men  or  women  who  were  away  from  home  were  read  out. 

The  War  Camp  Community  Service  aided  in  the  movement.  Leaders  were 
trained  and  sent  throughout  the  city.  In  a  few  weeks  it  seemed  as  if  all  Phila- 
delphia was  singing.  The  idea  appealed  to  the  imagination  and  other  cities,  from 
New  York  to  Los  Angeles,  took  up  the  plan  so  admirably  developed  in  Philadelphia. 

The  Pennsylvania  Council  of  National  Defense,  and  later,  upon  organization, 
the  Philadelphia  Council  of  National  Defense,  also  cooperated  with  the  local  War 
Camp  Community  Service  in  its  efforts  to  keep  the  people  in  a  singing  mood. 

Among  those  who  from  the  first  took  a  real  interest  in  the  work  were  Robert 

644 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 


Mr.  Hoxie  leading  a  "Liberty  Sing. 


D.  Dripps,  E.  A.  Van  Valkenburg,  Courtenay  Baylor,  Mrs.  E.  T.  Stotesbury, 
Miss  Myrtle  Dunn,  Mrs.  E.  P.  Lynch,  Harry  R.  Whitecraft,  A.  E.  McKinnon, 
James  E.  Corneal,  Miss  Anne  McDonough  and  Albert  N.  Hoxie. 

During  the  winter  of  1917-18,  the  "Keep  America  Singing "  idea  was  taken 
into  the  schools.  Song  sheets  were  distributed  to  the  children  and  leaders  were 
sent  to  direct  the  singing  at  various  celebrations.  Clubs  all  over  the  city  gave 
entertainments  for  the  men  in  service,  and  churches  and  private  individuals 
arranged  for  various  "parties."  Song  sheets  and  leaders  were  always  available. 
In  many  of  the  large  industrial  plants  a  time  during  the  noon  hour  was  set  aside 
for  singing.  The  men  who  served  "behind  the  lines"  thus  expressed  their  vital 
interest  in  their  work  as  they  joined  in  the  very  songs  which  the  men  were  singing 
on  their  way  to  Germany. 

During  intermissions  at  Grand  Opera  at  the  Academy  of  Music,  the  audiences 
were  also  led  in  singing. 

In  the  spring  of  1918,  when  America  was  sending  tens  of  thousands  of  men 
overseas,  and  when  the  A.  E.  F.  was  about  to  launch  the  series  of  great  offensives, 
Community  Singing  took  on  the  name  of  the  "Liberty  Sing  Movement." 

The  first  large  "Liberty  Sing"  was  at  the  Liberty  Statue,  in  June,  1918,  when 
the  marines  just  leaving  for  the  front  were  the  "guests  of  honor. "  In  passing,  it 
should  be  mentioned  that  the  Liberty  Statue  was  the  popular  rendezvous,  and 
whenever  any  event  of  signal  importance  was  announced  in  the  papers  or  on  the 
bulletin  boards,  crowds  gathered  at  the  statue  instinctively,  sure  that  a  song 

645      , 


leader  would  be  on  hand  to  help  them  express  themselves  in  songs  and  cheers. 

On  July  29th  thousands  of  people  joined  in  one  of  the  largest  of  all  "Liberty 
Sings"  at  Willow  Grove. 

Singing  was  featured  in  every  Liberty  Loan.  During  the  Fourth  Loan,  a  pa- 
rade of  war-time  organizations  was  held  and  hundreds  of  song  leaders  were 
assigned  to  the  twenty-seven  blocks  through  which  the  parade  passed. 

Thanksgiving  Day,  1918,  had  a  very  real  signifiance,  and  the  leaders  of  Liberty 
Singing  assisted  the  Philadelphia  Council  of  National  Defense  by  supplying  a 
cornetist  and  song  leader  for  the  Thanksgiving  services  that  were  held  in  some 
forty  or  more  public  squares.  At  Christmas  time,  with  the  cooperation  of  the 
clergy  and  choir  masters  of  the  city  churches,  one  hundred  groups,  of  thirty  singers 
each,  marched  through  one  hundred  sections  of  the  city,  and  sang  Christmas  Carols. 
Wherever  a  service  flag  was  seen  in  a  window  the  singers  paused  and  serenaded 
the  members  of  the  household.  The  first  Memorial  Day  after  the  World  War 
found  hundreds  of  people  gathered  in  the  city  parks  and  squares  to  pay  tribute  to 
all  men  and  women  who,  in  the  long  history  of  the  nation,  had  paid  in  full  measure 
of  devotion  the  price  of  freedom.  A  simple  program  was  arranged  by  the  Phila- 
delphia Council  of  National  Defense,  a  song  leader  and  cornetist  were  present, 
and  at  the  conclusion  of  the  exercises  Taps  was  sounded. 

When  the  troops  returned  to  the  port  of  Philadelphia,  the  city  chartered 
river  boats  to  accommodate  the  relatives  who  wished  to  greet  the  men.  It  was  a 
great  welcome  that  was  given,  and  on  the  ride  down  the  river  and  during  the 
frequent  long  waiting  for  the  transports,  the  crowds  were  kept  busy  singing. 

When  the  men  of  the  28th  Division  paraded  in  Philadelphia,  447  volunteer 
song  and  cheer  leaders  helped  to  direct  the  enthusiasm  of  the  throngs  that  lined  the 
streets.  Music  was  furnished  by  twenty-five  bands  and  forty-three  brass  quar- 
tettes. 

The  beginning  of  real  educational  features  in  Community  Singing  was  at  the 
Music  Festival,  held  in  Strawberry  Mansion  Pavilion,  in  the  fall  of  1918.  The 
Moravian  Trombone  Choir  played  a  number  of  Bach  Chorales,  for  which  they  are 
famous,  and  a  quartette  of  mixed  voices  rendered  a  short  song  cycle. 

Besides  the  regular  classes  for  song  leaders,  five  courses  in  sight  singing  were 
started  in  October,  1918,  and  continued  throughout  the  winter. 

In  the  ways  enumerated  above  and  along  similar  fines,  many  men  and  women 
of  Philadelphia  who  were  interested  in  music  helped  to  maintain  the  morale  of  the 
people  at  home  and  to  keep  ever  present  the  real  and  vital  meaning  of  the  war. 
When  families  and  neighborhoods,  in  smaller  or  larger  numbers,  gathered  and  sang 
with  one  accord  the  national  anthems  and  the  war  songs,  they  were  bound  together 
by  a  common  feeling.  The  message  of  "The  Long,  Long  Trail, "  " Keep  the  Home- 
fires  Burning"  and  "Sons  of  America,"  sung  with  one  accord  over  here,  carried 
courage  and  faith  to  all  who  were  serving  "over  there." 

THE  HISTORICAL  HIKES  TO  OLD  PHILADELPHIA* 

Ten  thousand  service  men,  representing  every  state  in  the  Union,  were  per- 
sonally guided  afoot  to  the  historic  shrines  of  the  old  section  of  Philadelphia  on 
Sunday  afternoons   by  Albert  Cook  Myers.     This  Historical  Hike,   as  it  was 

*Summarized  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Philadelphia  War  History  Committee  from  the  ac- 
count written  by  Albert  Cook  Myers. 

646 


Photo  by   James  A.   Henderson. 


Historical  Hikers  at  Independence  Hall. 


called,  was  begun  in  November,  1918,  and  continued  without  a  break  until 
December  14,  1919.  It  was  organized  and  directed  by  Mr.  Myers,  without  com- 
pensation. The  estimated  cost  was  $2,000.  There  was  always  a  new  group  of 
men,  the  sailors  being  in  the  majority.  The  average  attendance  was  from  150  to 
200  and  the  largest  300  men. 

Notice  to  the  men  and  much  other  assistance  were  given  by  the  War  Camp 
Community  Service.  Posters  were  displayed  and  small  cards  distributed,  and  on 
Sunday  mornings  Mr.  Myers  himself  made  the  rounds  of  the  chief  service  clubs  of 
the  city,  inviting  the  men  to  join  his  party  that  afternoon.  A  twelve-page  booklet, 
"What  to  see  in  Historic  Philadelphia,"  written  by  Mr.  Myers,  especially  for 
service  men,  included  the  itinerary  of  the  Hike.  Several  hundred  thousand  copies 
were  published  by  War  Camp  and  distributed  gratuitously. 

Promptly  at  2:15,  on  Sunday  afternoons,  the  Hikers  started  from  the  Central 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  1421  Arch  Street,  two  abreast,  keeping  step  to  the  rhythmic  tap  of 
the  stout  hiking  stick  carried  by  Mr.  Myers,  the  Conductor,  who  led  the  procession. 
Thence  they  marched  to  the  War  Camp  Booth  on  the  east  plaza  of  City  Hall, 
where  other  men  joined  the  party.  On  some  of  the  early  Hikes,  Ellis  Paxson 
Oberholtzer  accompanied  Mr.  Myers  and  assisted  in  explaining  the  points  of 
interest. 

Eighteen  principal  halts  were  made,  as  follows: 

Halt  No.  1 — Southeast  corner  City  Hall. 

Halt  No.  2— Post  Office,  at  Boyle's  Statue  of  Franklin,  the  supposed  place 
where  the  kite  was  flown  and  the  site  of  the  mansion  built  for  President  Washington. 

647 


The  Continental  Hotel  was  pointed  out  as  the  lodging  place  of  President  Lincoln, 
and  the  Prince  of  Wales  (Edward  VII). 

Halt  No.  3 — At  the  north  side  of  the  Old  State  House  and  Congress  Hall.  (Bal- 
cony from  which  President  Washington  spoke  pointed  out.) 

Halt  No.  4 — Independence  Square,  at  the  Barry  Statue,  for  a  south  view  of 
these  old  buildings  and  of  the  Curtis  Building,  the  American  Philosophical  Society 
(founded  by  Franklin  in  1743),  etc.  Here  photographs  of  the  party  were  taken 
by  James  A.  Henderson. 

Halt  No.  5 — By  the  north  door,  the  party  filed  into  the  Old  Stale  House 
(Independence  Hall).  In  Independence  Chamber  and  at  the  Liberty  Bell  brief 
descriptive  talks  were  given. 

Halt  No.  6—  Congress  Hall,  the  Capitol  of  the  United  States,  1790-1800. 
Passing  the  United  States  Custom  House  (Second  U.  S.  Bank),  the  party  came  to — 

Halt  No.  7 — Carpenters'  Hall.  This  building,  closed  on  Sunday,  was  open  to 
the  Hikers  only  by  the  courtesy  of  Mrs.  J.  Howard  Hill,  whose  son  was  in  the  Army. 

Halt  No.  8— First  United  States  Bank,  1797— later  the  Bank  of  Stephen 
Girard.     (His  story  told.) 

Halt  No.  9 — At  the  site  of  the  Slate  Boof  House  on  2d  Street,  which  was 
William  Penn's  Home,  1699-1701,  and  the  birthplace  of  his  son  John,  1699.  The 
adjoining  lot  is  said  to  be  reserved  for  the  Indians  in  which  to  set  up  their  wigwams 
when  they  come  to  town. 

Halt  No.  10— S.  W.  Cor.  2d  and  Market  streets— Site  of  the  Great  Quaker 
Meeting  House,  in  which  the  youthful  Franklin  first  slept  in  Philadelphia  (story  of 
his  arrival  told).      Sites  of  Old  Court  House  and  Market  pointed  out. 

Halt  No.  11 — Christ  Church.  (Leaflet  history  distributed.)  The  Tombs  of 
the  Signers,  James  Wilson  and  Bobert  Morris  (the  financier),  viewed.  Sitting 
in  the  pews  which  had  been  occupied  by  Washington  and  other  Fathers  of  the 
Country,  the  men  were  given  a  brief  account  of  the  edifice,  often  by  the  rector 
himself,  the  Bev.  Dr.  Louis  C.  Washburn. 

Halt  No.  12 — Old  Houses  in  Cuthbert  Alley. 

Halt  No,  13 — The  apocryphal  Betsy  Ross  House,  239  Arch  Street. 

Halt  No.  14 — Was  in  the  spacious  and  dignified  Old  Friends  Meeting  House, 
at  4th  and  Arch  streets.  Into  this  place  of  peace  trooped  the  uniformed  pilgrims. 
Settling  into  the  quaint,  time-stained  benches  of  the  west  meeting  room,  its  colonial 
quietude  stole  over  them  and  for  more  than  half  an  hour  they  were  carried  back 
by  the  Conductor  to  William  Penn,  the  early  days  of  the  city,  and  the  peculiar 
sect  of  its  founding.  Questions  and  answers  as  to  the  Quaker  marriage  ceremony, 
the  Fighting  Quakers,  and  like  topics  increased  the  interest.  On  one  occasion, 
the  Hike  party  was  interestingly  addressed  by  the  late  Isaac  Sharpless,  President 
of  Haverford  College. 

Now,  each  man  in  turn  arose  and  gave  the  name  of  his  state.  Here,  also, 
the  men  were  inducted  by  the  Conductor  into  the  "Order  of  H.  H."  and  given 
the  degree  of  "H.  H.,"  with  all  the  rights  and  privileges  that  appertain  thereto 
throughout  the  world.  "  H.  H., "  which  was  to  be  the  password  thereafter  on  meet- 
ing their  leader,  was  explained  to  mean,  on  entry  into  the  Hike,  "Husky  Hero"; 
on  the  march — "Historical  Hiker";  or  on  account  of  the  day — "Holy  Hiker"; 
prior  to  supper — "Hungry  Hound";  and  after  supper — "Happy  Hound."  The 
hope  was  expressed  that  it  would  never  mean  "Husky  Hobo." 

648 


In  confirmation  of  this  initiation,  each  man  stepped  to  the  platform  and  was 
handed  a  printed  diploma  card,  dated,  autographed  by  the  Conductor,  and  bearing 
a  War  Camp  button.  This  card  might  be  kept  as  a  memento  but  it  was  the  sole 
passport  to  the  swim  and  supper,  which  followed  the  Hike. 

Each  man  also  received  a  copy  of  Mrs  Charles  Roberts's  forty-page,  illus- 
trated booklet  on  "William  Penn,"  which  was  especially  published,  at  the  request 
of  the  Conductor,  for  these  parties,  by  the  Society  of  Friends. 

Halt  No.  15 — Franklin's  Grave. 

Halt  No.  16 — Free  Quaker  Meeting  House  (Built  1783,  "In  the  year  of  the 
Empire  8,"  as  inscribed  on  the  gable  end)  by  the  Fighting  Quakers,  one  of  whom 
was  "Hugh  Wynne,"  the  hero  of  S.  Weir  Mitchell's  novel. 

Halt  No.  17— No.  526  Market  Street— The  site  of  President  Washington's 
Home. 

Halt  No.  18 — At  the  southwest  corner  of  Market  and  7th  streets,  where,  in 
a  former  building,  Jefferson  Drafted  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

The  return  march  brought  the  party  back  to  the  Central  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  about 
6  p.m.,  for  a  refreshing  plunge  of  about  twenty  minutes  in  the  swimming  pool, 
which  was  especially  opened  for  the  occasion.  The  expenses  of  the  swim  were 
first  met  by  the  War  Camp  Community  Service  and  later  by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

Supper  was  served,  prior  to  June  15,  1919,  by  the  ladies  of  the  New  Century 
Club.  When  this  war  work  of  the  Club  ceased,  a  number  of  generous  individuals 
and  organizations  provided  refreshments  for  the  remainder  of  the  Hikes  at  various 
places  in  the  city.  Comprising  this  group  were:  the  War  Camp  Community  Ser- 
vice; the  Y.  M.  C.  A.;  the  United  Service  Club;  Mrs.  N.  Allen  Stockton;  the 
Ship  and  Tent  Club;  the  National  League  for  Woman's  Service;  the  Emergency 
Aid  of  Pennsylvania;  the  Lutheran  Service  Club;  Mrs.  George  B.  Evans;  the  Na- 
tional Catholic  War  Council;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward  Powell;  Mrs.  Harry  R.  Yeager; 
the  Peace  and  Emergency  Service  Committee  of  Philadelphia  Yearly  Meeting 
of  Friends;  Howard  Gow  Welch;  Miss  Nina  Lea;  Miss  M.  Atherton  Leach,  Miss 
Anna  J.  Magee,  Mrs.  Edward  P.  Davis,  and  other  ladies  at  Christ  Church  Neigh- 
borhood House;  Mrs.  Alvin  A.  Parker,  Miss  Mary  F.  Small  and  Mrs.  J.  P.  Donald- 
son also  were  contributors. 

Groups  of  women  volunteers  served  the  food  and  helped  entertain  the  men, 
among  whom  were  Miss  Helen  K.  Morton,  together  with  members  of  her  Girls'  Club 
of  the  Church  of  St.  Luke  and  the  Epiphany;  Mrs.  N.  Allen  Stockton  and  a  group 
of  young  ladies;  Mrs.  William  Francklyn  Paris;  Miss  Levering  Jones;  Miss  Jean  E. 
Graffen;  Miss  Cornelia  Greenough;  and  Mrs.  Edward  Powell,  with  a  group  of  other 
ladies  of  the  Red  Cross  Canteen. 

The  table  was  decorated  with  flowers  and  the  menu  was  practically  the  same 
each  time,  consisting  of  cold  roast  beef  and  ham,  rolls,  butter,  jam,  pickles,  potato 
salad,  coffee  or  tea,  ice  cream  and  cake,  cigars  and  cigarettes;  and  second  helpings 
were  acceptably  received. 

Following  the  supper  was  a  variety  entertainment,  provided  usually  by  the 
War  Camp  Community  Service,  through  its  Bureau  of  Entertainments,  headed  by 
Miss  Clara  T.  Chase. 

The  Conductor  presiding,  the  program  began  with  a  Community  Sing,  usually 
under  the  leadership  of  Charles  H.  Ehrenzeller.  Varying  from  time  to  time,  then 
came  the  several  performers — soloists,  musicians,  impersonators,  magicians,  etc., 

649 


often  in  special  costume.  In  addition  to  the  paid  performers,  many  volunteers 
assisted.  Among  these  were  Elizabeth  Latta;  Professor  Paul  Pearson  of  Swarth- 
more  College;  the  venerable  actor,  "William  North"  (William  Syrett);  Howard 
Futhey  Brinton  and  Sara  V.  Shriner.  Brief  addresses  were  given  at  various  times 
by  Charles  Francis  Jenkins,  John  O'Gorman  and  others.  Good  talent  was  found 
among  the  men  themselves,  and  they  were  particularly  pleased  to  be  called  upon 
and  to  have  a  part  in  the  exercises.  At  10  o'clock  the  Hike  party  ended,  and  the 
men  were  contented  to  go  to  rest  without  further  diversion  that  day. 

JEWISH  WELFARE  BOARD 

By  E.  Z.  Dtmitman,  Publicity  Director 

At  midnight  on  December  31,  1919,  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board  officially  ceased 
to  exist,  bringing  to  a  close  more  than  two  and  a  half  years  of  welfare  work. 

When  war  was  declared  in  April,  1917,  the  Young  Men's  Hebrew  Association 
of  Philadelphia  was  prepared  to  enter  the  welfare  field  immediately  and  its  board 
of  directors  offered  its  building  and  facilities  to  the  Federal,  State  and  City  govern- 
ments. Actual  welfare  work  was  started  at  the  same  time  when  the  Army  and 
Navy  Committee  of  the  Y.  M.  H.  A.  assigned  a  representative  to  the  Philadelphia 
Navy  Yard,  where  he  served  in  the  capacity  of  Jewish  Aide  to  the  chaplain  of  the 
yard.  This  was  the  first  welfare  work  on  the  part  of  any  American  Jewish  organiza- 
tion in  the  World  War.  Welfare  work  in  the  Philadelphia  district  was  thus  carried 
on  for  a  number  of  months  under  the  auspices  of  the  Army  and  Navy  Department 
of  the  Philadelphia  Young  Men's  Hebrew  Association. 

In  September,  1917,  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board,  United  States  Army  and  Navy, 
was  officially  recognized  by  the  War  and  Navy  Departments  as  the  Jewish  agency 
to  minister  to  the  welfare  of  the  men  of  the  Jewish  faith  in  the  service.  The 
National  Board  then  started  a  campaign  of  organizing  community  branches  through- 
out the  country  and  the  Philadelphia  branch  was  one  of  the  first  to  become  affiliated 
with  the  National  Organization. 

The  executive  committee  was  composed  of  the  following  members: 

Leon  J.  Obermayer,  Chairman;  Leon  C.  Sunstein,  Vice-Chairman;  Arthur  A.  Fleisher,  Treas- 
urer; Irvin  L.  Stone,  Secretary;  Dr.  Cyrus  Adler,  David  Bortin,  Mrs.  Ferdinand  Dilsheimer, 
Frank  E.  Hahn,  Joseph  L.  Kun,  Arthur  Loeb,  Simon  Miller,  Mrs.  M.  C.  Stein,  Morris  Wolfe, 
John  B.  Goldenberg,  Dr.  A.  J.  Cohen,  Bev.  Leon  H.  Elmaleh,  Miss  Jeanette  M.  Goldberg,  Louis 
E.  Levinthal;  Mrs.  Max  L.  Margolis,  Jerome  J.  Bothschild,  D.  Hays  Sobs-Cohen,  Herman  W. 
Fernberger,  E.  Z.  Dimitman,  Nathan  Ehrenreich. 

The  work  of  the  Philadelphia  headquarters  while  conducted  along  Jewish  lines 
was  entirely  non -sectarian.  With  the  men  in  the  service  as  well  as  with  the  families 
at  home,  its  work  was  done  regardless  of  race,  creed  or  color.  Neither  was  its 
work  confined  to  Philadelphia  and  Philadelphians  in  the  service.  While  strictly  a 
local  organization,  deriving  its  funds  from  its  National  Headquarters,  it  was  quick 
to  grasp  the  opportunity  to  cooperate  with  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board  at  other 
camps  and  in  other  communities.  It  was  also  more  than  ready  to  cooperate  with 
the  other  welfare  and  patriotic  organizations  doing  welfare  work  in  the  Philadelphia 
district  and  was  largely  strumental  in  the  formation  of  a  welfare  committee  in 
Philadelphia  for  work  with  drafted  men  along  non-sectarian  lines.  This  committee 
was  composed  of  representatives  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  K.  of  C,  W.  C.  C.  S.  and 
J.  W.  B. 

650 


The  general  activities  of  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board  may  be  grouped  under  the 
following  subdivisions : 

Field   Work 

In  the  summer  of  1918,  the  National  Headquarters  of  the  Jewish  Welfare 
Board  assigned  its  first  field  representative  in  the  Philadelphia  district,  E.  Z. 
Dimitman.  After  making  a  survey  of  the  situation  it  was  found  that  there  were 
in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia  eighteen  Army  and  Navy  posts  with  a  total  popula- 
tion of  approximately  25,000.  The  largest  of  these  was,  of  course,  the  League 
Island  Navy  Yard,  its  population  varying  from  fifteen  to  twenty  thousand.  Other 
posts  included  Greenwich  Point,  Frankford  Arsenal,  Schuylkill  Arsenal,  Quarter- 
master's Depot,  Naval  Home,  Fort  Mifflin,  Pier  No.  17,  etc.  A  short  time  later, 
additional  representatives  were  assigned  to  the  Philadelphia  district  in  order  to 
do  more  intensive  field  work  at  the  various  posts. 

A  new  problem  soon  arose  because  of  the  taking  over  by  the  Government 
of  certain  institutions  for  developing  the  Student  Army  Training  Camps. 

The  field  work  was  adequately  taken  care  of  at  that  time  by  Solon  J.  Reiser, 
Samuel  Belinkoff ,  Dr.  A.  A.  Finkelstein  and  Charles  Horn. 

Cooperation  with  Camps  and  Hospitals 

The  Jewish  Welfare  Board  representatives  at  the  nearby  camps  were  in  urgent 
need  of  materials  for  their  work  with  the  men.  Knitted  goods,  athletic  equipment, 
musical  instruments,  playing  cards  as  well  as  furniture  and  other  equipment  were 
appealed  for.  In  addition,  weekly  requisitions  were  put  in  for  refreshments  and 
smokes.  Cooperation  with  camps,  however,  was  more  than  supplying  equip- 
ment. It  included  the  sending  of  men  and  women  daily  to  the  camps  to  give  the 
"just  like  home  "atmosphere  to  the  huts,  the  sending  of  girls  properly  chaperoned 
for  dances  and  professional  entertainments. 

Philadelphians  answered  every  call  and  the  organization  was  thus  enabled  to 
supply  practically  every  demand  from  Camp  Dix,  League  Island  Navy  Yard,  Cape 
May  Hospital,  and  Camp  Meade,  as  well  as  the  smaller  posts  in  and  near  Philadelphia. 
In  addition,  it  was  in  a  position  to  cooperate  with  practically  every  other  camp 
in  the  country  in  supplying  knitted  goods,  athletic  equipment  and  musical  instru- 
ments. 

The  General  Hospital  problem  was  a  new  one.  The  authorities  at  the  hospitals, 
because  of  the  endless  red  tape,  were  not  in  a  position  to  carry  out  their  educational 
work  in  the  proper  manner  and  called  upon  the  various  organizations  for  their 
support.  The  Philadelphia  headquarters  of  the  J.  W.  B.  were  quick  to  respond 
and,  with  the  generous  aid  of  various  Jewish  organizations  of  this  city,  supplied 
the  hospital  authorities  at  Cape  May,  Lakewood,  Camp  Dix  and  Philadelphia 
with  material  for  their  educational  department.  The  supplies  varied  from  a  keg 
of  nails  and  a  pot  of  glue  to  a  tractor  plough  and  a  carload  of  fertilizer,  and  included 
books  on  educational  subjects,  drawing  instruments  and  equipment,  baseball  equip- 
ment, bicycles,  etc. 

Recreation  and  Entertainment 

Recreation  and  entertainment  for  enlisted  men  were  found  to  be  important 
factors  of  welfare  work,  in  so  far  as  Philadelphia  was  concerned.  The  League 
Island  Navy  Yard,  with  20,000  sailors  and  marines,  was  only  half  an  hour  from  the 

651 


P'.ioto  hy  Bell  and  Fisher. 


Off  for  a  Moonlight  Excursion. 


center  of  the  city,  and  liberty  was  granted  each  evening.  Camp  Dix  was  only  a 
matter  of  an  hour  and  a  quarter's  travel  and  provision  had  to  be  made  to  entertain 
thousands  of  visiting  soldiers  over  week-ends. 

More  than  a  million  service  men  were  entertained  by  the  local  Jewish  Welfare 
Board. 

The  first  form  of  entertainment  to  be  conducted  by  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board 
of  Philadelphia  was  dancing.  This  proved  to  be  very  popular  with  the  enlisted 
men,  inasmuch  as  a  select  class  of  girls  was  always  present.  A  great  deal  of  credit 
is  due  to  the  5,000  girls,  whose  names  appeared  on  the  invitation  list  of  the  J.  W.  B.. 
for  their  unselfish  and  patriotic  cooperation. 

For  the  dances  conducted  in  Philadelphia  and  Camp  Dix,  the  girls  were  trans- 
ported by  means  of  special  motor  busses.  A  large  non-sectarian  community  dance 
for  1,000  enlisted  men  was  conducted  each  alternate  week  at  the  Mercantile  Club 
on  Broad  Street.  This  was  one  of  the  most  popular  eventb  for  the  service  men 
stationed  in  Philadelphia.  Ex-State  Senator  Clarence  Wolf,  President  of  the 
Mercantile  Club,  was  largely  instrumental  in  securing  the  use  of  the  hall  free  of 
charge  for  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board. 

The  entertainment  program  included,  at  various  times,  three  dances  at  head- 
quarters each  week;  one  professional  vaudeville  entertainment  at  the  Navy  Yard, 
one  dance  at  the  Navy  Yard,  one  vaudeville  entertainment  at  the  Cape  May  General 
Hospital,  four  vaudeville  entertainments  and  one  dance  at  Camp  Dix,  one  dance 
each  at  the  Frankford  Arsenal  and  Greenwich  Point  and  one  vaudeville  enter- 
tainment at  the  Naval  Home  and  Frankford  Arsenal. 

652 


The  entertainment  program  slowly  but  surely  grew  until,  at  the  signing 
of  the  armistice,  the  Philadelphia  headquarters  of  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board 
was  conducting  each  week  a  matter  of  about  fiteen  entertainments,  and 
entertaining   on   an  average  of  15,000  men. 

Home  Hospitality 

In  so  far  as  the  service  men  were  concerned,  home  hospitality  was  the  key- 
note of  the  welfare  work.  This  was  especially  true  in  a  community  as  large  as 
Philadelphia  where  so  many  men  were  stationed  who  were  strangers  in  the 
city. 

Philadelphia  headquarters  recognized  this  in  the  early  days  of  the  war,  and 
immediately  instituted  a  Home  Hospitality  Service.  By  means  of  personal  letters 
to  practically  every  Jewish  family  in  the  city,  a  list  of  such  families  was  prepared 
who  desired  to  invite  service  men  to  their  homes  for  dinners,  parties,  dances  and 
other  social  affairs.  An  average  of  300  men  each  week,  for  more  than  eighteen 
months,  were  sent  to  families  for  this  purpose.  In  this  way  strangers  were 
enabled  to  make  personal  contact  with  the  proper  people. 

Work  with  Drafted  Men 

One  of  the  most  important  functions  of  the  Board  was  its  work  with  drafted 
men.  Through  close  contact  with  the  various  local  draft  boards,  the  Jewish  Wel- 
fare Board  learned  when  detachments  of  selected  service  men  would  leave  for  camp. 
In  each  instance,  the  men  were  supplied  with  many  articles  essential  to  their  com- 
fort. 

Personal  Service  Cases 

Some  five  thousand  personal  service  cases  were  handled  for  service  men 
and  their  families.  The  aid  rendered  ranged  from  the  supplying  of  train 
fare  to  men  "stranded"  in  the  city,  the  investigation  of  reports  of  injury  or 
death  of  local  men  and  the  re-uniting  of  families  to  the  arranging  for  the 
funeral  services  of  those  who  died  in  the  service. 

• 
Demorilizatioim  Work 

The  Philadelphia  headquarters  of  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board  was  singularly 
honored  when  the  War  Department  designated  it  as  being  in  charge  of  all  transport 
work  at  the  port  of  Philadelphia.  Each  transport  leaving  for  overseas  received  a 
quantity  of  community  boxes,  gotten  up  jointly  by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  the  Knights 
of  Columbus  and  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board,  which  were  to  be  distributed  on  the 
return  trip  to  each  of  the  soldiers  and  members  of  the  crew.  These  packages  con- 
tained two  khaki  handkerchiefs,  three  boxes  of  cigarettes,  two  bags  of  smoking 
tobacco,  one  box  of  hard  candy,  four  bars  of  chocolate,  three  packages  of  chewing 
gum,  mints  and  matches. 

The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  had  charge  of  this  activity  at  the  port  of  Hoboken,  the 
Knights  of  Columbus  at  Newport  News  and  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board  at  Phila- 
delphia. 

653 


,  Employment 

The  employment  problem,  in  so  far  as  the  re-employment  of  the  discharged 
men,  ended  on  November  10,  1919,  one  year  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice. 
The  Jewish  Welfare  Board  closed  on  that  date  its  employment  department  which 
during  that  period  had  been  very  successful  in  the  satisfactory  placement  of  service 
men. 

From  June,  1919,  when  the  unemployment  situation  was  at  its  height,  until 
November,  a  matter  of  five  months,  the  Philadelphia  Jewish  Welfare  Board  had 
placed  680  men  in  positions. 

Hospital  Committee 

The  Hospital  Committee  had  under  its  jurisdiction  the  work  at  Camp  Dix, 
Cape  May,  Lakewood,  League  Island  and  at  the  Naval  Home,  as  well  as  at  General 
Hospital  No.  22,  and  several  smaller  institutions,  where  service  men  were  sta- 
tioned. According  to  the  report  of  Mrs.  Elkan  Henly,  Chairman  of  the  Hospital 
Committee,  the  following  supplies  were  distributed  during  1919: 

Apples  45,000;  oranges  37,000;  pears  22,500;  bananas  16,000;  choco- 
late buds  2,000  lbs;  chocolate  bars  10,000;  handkerchiefs  18,000;  chewing 
gum  5,000;  cigarettes  120,000;  matches  45,000  packages;  tobacco  7,200 
bags;  hard  candies  5,000  packages;  tooth  paste  7,200  tubes;  postals  25,000. 

Besides  the  above  mentioned  articles,  there  were  distributed  at  irregular  in- 
tervals, sweaters,  socks,  games,  writing  paper,  pencils,  puzzles  and  playing  cards. 

Canteen  Service 

Another  important  committee  was  the  Jewish  Welfare  Unit  of  the 
American  Bed  Cross  Canteen  Service.  This  committee  of  one  hundred,  under  the 
direction  of  Mrs.  Max  L.  Margolis,  was  an  indication  of  the  close  manner  in  which 
the  Jewish  Welfare  Board  cooperated  with  the  Red  Cross.  The  unit  was  called 
out  on  an  average  of  twice  a  month  for  canteen  service  at  railroad  stations. 

Other  committees,  all  of  which  contributed  their  share  towards  the  work  of 
the  organization,  and  the  names  of  their  chairmen  are  herewith  appended: 
Transportation,  Morton  Hecht;  Propaganda,  Jeanette  M.  Goldberg;  Religious, 
Rev.  Leon  H.  Elmaleh;  Service  Club,  Arthur  Loeb;  Camp  Work,  Lionel  F.  Levy; 
Camp  Dix,  Benjamin  F.  Loeb;  Statistics,  Louis  E.  Levinthal;  S.  A.  T.  C,  Henry 
W.  Braude;  Finance,  Morris  Wolf;  Civilian  Belief,  Mrs.  M.  C.  Stein;  Comforts, 
Alice  T.  Fleisher;  Entertainments,  Mrs.  A.  Bosenstein;  Publicity,  Miriam  Moses; 
Drafted  Men,  D.  Hays  Solis-Cohen. 

Volunteers 

One  of  the  most  gratifying  results  brought  about  by  the  war  was  the  splendid 
manner  in  which  everyone  responded  to  the  call  of  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board  for 
volunteers.  In  the  course  of  its  two  and  a  half  years  of  work,  in  addition  to  the 
work  of  committees,  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board  availed  itself  of  the  voluntary 
service  of  more  than  500  young  women  who  served  in  the  capacity  of  stenographers, 
typists,  clerks  and  general  office  assistants. 

654 


KNIGHTS  OF  COLUMBUS  WAR  ACTIVITIES 
IN  PHILADELPHIA 

By  E.  J.  Galbelly 

The  patriotic  services  rendered  by  the  Philadelphia  membership  of  the  Knights 
of  Columbus,  as  distinct  from  the  national  undertakings  of  the  Order  under  govern- 
ment commission,  had  their  inception  early  in  the  year  1918.  From  the  very 
moment  of  the  declaration  of  war  by  the  United  States,  the  Philadelphia  Knights 
individually  took  their  part  in  the  varied  duties  incumbent  upon  them  as  loyal 
citizens.  As  a  distinct  Philadelphia  body,  however,  they  were  not  mustered  into 
service  until  the  Third  Liberty  Loan  Committee  called  for  their  aid.  In  answer 
to  that  summons  a  meeting  was  held  in  the  Red  Room  at  the  Bellevue-Stratford 
Hotel,  March  22,  1918,  and  the  local  Knights  of  Columbus  Committee  on  War 
Activities  was  then  established.  The  members  present  on  that  occasion  unan- 
imously elected  John  V.  Loughney,  Master  of  the  Fourth  Degree  for  the  Eastern 
District  of  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware,  Chairman  of  the  newly  created  organization 
known  as  the  "Knights  of  Columbus  Central  Committee  on  War  Activities." 
Mr.  Loughney  retained  the  chairmanship  from  that  time  until  the  services  of  the 
committee  were  taken  up  by  the  National  War  Activities  Committee  in  May  of 
1919.  At  that  juncture  Mr.  Loughney  received  the  appointment  of  general  sec- 
retary for  this  district,  including  the  Navy  Yard,  with  duties  practically  identical 
with  those  he  had  hitherto  had  under  his  charge.  Assisting  him  were  the  follow- 
ing officers: 

Secretary,  Jos.  C.  McMenamin,  Past  Grand  Knight  of  Philadelphia  Council;  Assistant 
Secretaries,  B.  J.  Martin,  Past  Grand  Knight  of  Brownson  K.  of  C:  Leonard  B.  Botfield,  Grand 
Knight  of  Pinzon  Council;  Executive  Committee:  James  A.  Flaherty,  Supreme  Knight;  James 
J.  Baney,  Navigator,  Archbishop  Ryan  Assembly,  4th  Degree;  Edward  A.  Kelly,  Chairman 
of  the  Philadelphia  Chapter;  Philip  S.  McDevitt,  District  Deputy,  1st  District;  James  F.  Tobin, 
District  Deputy,  2d  District;  Charles  J.  McKinney,  District  Deputy,  15th  District;  and  Michael 
A.  Brown,  District  Deputy,  16th  District. 

The  members  of  the  General  Committee  were: 

John  J.  Abbott,  Harry  J.  Baker,  Albert  J.  Becker,  James  J.  Brogan,  John  J.  Brophy,  John 
M.  Carroll,  George  A.  Cooke,  Albert  J.  Crawford,  James  Curran,  Thomas  H.  Cullman,  James 
M.  Dohan,  John  P.  Donohue,  John  A.  Dougherty,  M.  J.  Geraghty,  Chris.  Gercke,  John  W. 
Hallihan,  Frank  Hardart,  William  A.  Hayes,  Robert  E.  Hepburn,  William  N.  Hussie,  Edward 
C.  Hallinan,  James  F.  Herron,  William  E.  Howe,  William  J.  Ludes,  John  J.  Lumsden,  Francis  A. 
McCarron,  William  B.  McNulty,  F.  L.  Maguire,  Thomas  Murphy,  John  J.  L.  Merget,  James  F. 
O'Connor,  John  H.  O'Gorman,  Thomas  A.  O'Hara,  George  P.  Philips,  I.  A.  Quinn,  John  A. 
Quinn,  Thomas  K.  Quirk,  Frank  M.  Rourke,  Gerald  Ronan,  Harry  Schmidt,  Lawrence  R.  Smith, 
William  D.  Spillan,  Edw.  H.  Thaete,  Dr.  Charles  W.  Wang,  James  W.  Wafer,  Daniel  Wade,  E.  P. 
Worthington. 

The  immediate  project  in  hand  was  a  drive  for  the  Third  Liberty  Loan, 
which  was  to  open  on  April  6,  1918.  Plans  were  laid  for  a  thorough  canvass 
of  the  Councils  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus  in  this  city  and  three  members  of  the 
Council  were  appointed  to  address  each  meeting  of  the  respective  Councils  during 
the  intensive  campaign,  in  order  to  sell  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $500,000.  This 
was  the  quota  of  subscriptions  set  for  the  Knights  of  Columbus  Committee.  When 
the  returns  were  made  from  its  headquarters,  1537  Chestnut  Street,  the  sum 

655 


Photo  by  Replogle. 


Morning  Service  at  K.  of  C.  Building,  Navy  Yard. 


was  found  to  be  more  than  thrice  over-subscribed,  as  bonds  amounting  to  $1,695,000 
had  been  sold. 

The  campaign  for  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan  was  conducted  by  practically  the 
same  committee  with  only  minor  changes  in  personnel.  It  was  determined  to 
follow  the  general  method  which  had  brought  so  much  success  in  the  previous  loan. 
Speakers  were  assigned  to  address  the  members  at  their  various  meetings  and 
at  the  day  and  evening  gatherings  in  the  center  of  the  city,  as  well  as  in  the  north- 
east and  northwest  districts.  At  the  very  outset  of  the  drive,  however,  the  plans 
were  thrown  into  confusion  by  the  influenza  epidemic. 

It  will  be  recalled  also  that  the  war  was  at  a  critical  stage  during  these  weeks 
and  it  was  more .  than  ever  urgent  that  the  Loan  should  be  fully  subscribed.  Ac- 
cordingly new  processes  had  to  be  set  in  motion  to  provide  American  funds  for  the 
victorious  prosecution  of  the  international  struggle.  With  indomitable  spirit  and 
resource,  notwithstanding  the  discouragements  of  sickness  and  death  and  the  re- 
sultant general  disorganization,  the  Knight  of  Columbus  Committee  took  up  this 
task  and  the  patriotism  of  the  people  rallied  to  the  personal  calls  and  mail  solicita- 
tions of  the  campaign  workers.  At  the  close  of  this  memorable  drive  a  new  victory 
had  been  won  for  liberty  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus  headquarters  had  to  its 
credit  the  total  of  $2,223,900  in  loans  sold. 

In  the  interval  between  its  work  in  promoting  the  Third  and  Fourth  Liberty 
Loan,  the  committee  was  actively  engaged  in  raising  money  for  the  War  Chest. 
Its  force  of  stenographers  and  telephone  operators  was  furnished  with  offices  in 
the  Liberty  Building,  where  the  War  Chest  had  its  headquarters.     In  addition  to 

656 


this  equipment  the  committee  had  two  field  teams,  each  comprising  twenty  men, 
making  daily  calls  on  prospective  subscribers.  Reports  of  their  canvass  were  made 
every  day  at  the  luncheon  in  the  Bellevue-Stratford  and  the  sum  of  $300,000  in 
pledges  was  the  reward  of  the  teams'  efforts. 

An  interesting  feature  of  the  War  Chest  promotion  activities  was  the  exhibi- 
tion which  the  Knights  of  Columbus  gave  in  conjunction  with  the  French  War 
Exposition  in  the  Earle  Building  at  Tenth  and  Market  streets.  A  presentation 
of  the  Knights  of  Columbus  services  in  the  camps  at  home  and  at  the  various 
battle  fronts  abroad  was  made.  A  model  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus  building 
at  Camp  Meade  was  shown,  together  with  one  of  the  tents  that  had  been  used  in 
the  war  in  France,  equipped  with  phonograph,  cigarettes,  smoking  tobacco,  writing 
paper,  games  of  all  sorts,  etc.  Photographs  of  Knights  of  Columbus  work  at 
camps  and  cantonments  were  also  on  view.  During  this  exhibition,  secretaries 
were  always  in  attendance  to  answer  questions  and  give  information,  and  to  accept 
pledges  to  the  War  Chest  Fund  from  those  who  thus  saw  the  practical  object 
lesson  of  the  causes  to  which  their  subscriptions  were  to  be  put. 

The  next  work  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus  was  in  connection  with  the  Victory 
Liberty  Loan.  In  its  efforts  to  continue  its  successes,  the  Knights  of  Columbus 
worked  under  the  same  general  committee  with  headquarters  in  the  Penn  Square 
Building.  A  booth  was  also  established  in  front  of  the  Benedict  Service  Club  at 
1019  Market  Street,  with  such  remarkable  results  that  it  had  the  proud  distinction 
of  making  the  largest  return  of  bond  sales  of  any  booth  in  the  city.  As  accounting 
in  part  for  this,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  service  men  were  sent  out  in  tanks  from 
this  rendezvous  accompanied  by  Boy  Scouts,  to  aid  the  campaign.  In  the  evening, 
concerts  were  given  at  this  central  point  by  the  St.  Francis  de  Sales  Cadet  Band 
and  Four-Minute  Men  addressed  the  assembled  people.  Through  the  efforts  of 
the  Knights  of  Columbus  Committee  a  total  of  $1,279,500  in  subscriptions  to  the 
Victory  Liberty  Loan  was  secured. 

Special  limitations  permit  only  a  summary  of  the  welfare  activities  of  the 
Philadelphia  Knights  of  Columbus  in  behalf  of  our  soldiers  and  sailors  during  the 
period  of  demobilization  and  readjustment  to  the  orderly  life  of  the  community. 
A  brief  record  of  these  services  is  made  here  in  the  interest  of  historical  accuracy. 

The  first  American  troops  to  return  from  Europe  to  the  port  of  Philadelphia 
arrived  on  the  Haver ford  in  February,  1919.  Knights  of  Columbus  secretaries 
were  among  the  welfare  workers  which  distributed  hot  coffee,  cigarettes,  candy  and 
chewing  gum  to  the  men.  They  acted  also  as  postmen  and  messengers  in 
forwarding  letters  and  greetings  from  the  returning  troops  to  their  families. 

In  April,  1919,  a  Knights  of  Columbus  booth  was  opened  in  the  City  Hall 
Courtyard  where  direct  communication  by  private  wire  to  Camp  Dix,  New  Jersey, 
was  installed.  At  this  booth  were  established  headquarters  for  all  returning  troops. 
All  information  regarding  the  arrival  of  soldiers,  the  conditions  of  health,  the 
approximate  date  of  discharge  and  other  desired  items  were  passed  through  this 
clearing  house  to  the  soldiers'  families.  An  employment  agency  for  discharged 
men  was  conducted  in  the  same  place.  Countless  other  commissions  for  service 
men  from  out  of  town  were  also  undertaken.  The  motor  convoys  that  were  at 
this  time  passing  through  Philadelphia  on  their  way  to  New  York,  Baltimore  and 
Washington,  almost  invariably  rested  over  night  in  this  city  and  it  frequently 
fell  to  the  attendants  of  the  booth  to  provide  the  men  in  charge  with  food  and 

657 


lodgings.  At  the  ferry  the  free  canteen  service  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus  was 
in  constant  requisition  for  the  men  in  uniform  who  were  moving  in  a  continuous 
stream  to  and  from  Camp  Dix.  The  Knights  of  Columbus  secretaries  played  the 
role  of  "big  brother"  to  these  young  soldiers  who  found  themselves  in  Philadelphia 
far  from  their  own  homes. 

The  various  transports  were  met  from  time  to  time,  and  their  soldier  passengers 
received  at  the  hands  of  the  committee  the  creature  comforts  in  the  form  of  a  wel- 
come home  package  which  they  so  much  appreciated.  And  then  came  the  28th 
Division  and  the  city's  hearty  welcome  to  its  war  veterans.  Before  the  parade 
of  these  troops,  they  were  served  with  coffee  and  sandwiches  and  a  great 
number  of  the  men  were  guests  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus  of  Philadelphia 
for  the  night  preceding  the  parade.  In  due  course,  the  79th  Division  also  arrived 
and  the  welcome  accorded  them  was  the  same  as  the  earlier  comers  had  received, 
except  that  the  parade  feature  had  to  be  dispensed  with.  After  disembarkation 
of  the  79th  Division,  only  two  or  three  more  transports  brought  troops  to  the 
port  of  Philadelphia. 

The  United  States  Naval  Hospital  also  claimed  the  committee's  attention, 
and  through  the  courtesy  of  the  American  Red  Cross  Field  Director,  Wilfred  C. 
Craig,  space  in  its  building  was  allotted  the  Knights  of  Columbus  workers. 
Welfare  kits  and  comforts  to  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  were  distributed. 
Various  forms  of  entertainment  were  staged  in  the  hospital  with  the  assistance  of 
talent  recruited  from  the  vaudeville  houses  in  this  city.  Dances  for  the  con- 
valescents were  held  in  the  Red  Cross  quarters.  Cards  of  invitation  to  the  ladies 
were  issued  with  strict  surveillance  by  the  Knights  of  Columbus  Committee  in 
conjunction  with  the  Red  Cross.  Refreshments  were  served  at  all  these  dances 
and  parties.  Every  Friday  evening  motion-picture  plays  were  shown  to  the  men. 
Automobile  parties  were  organized  and  weekly  trips  to  Atlantic  City  and  to  the 
Knights  of  Columbus  Country  Club  of  De  Soto  Council  at  Garden  Lake,  N.  J., 
were  provided.  These  week-end  excursions  were  in  great  favor  with  the  service 
men,  who  were  given  the  use  of  the  club  quarters,  canoes,  bathing  facilities,  base- 
ball equipment  and  free  dining-room  service.  The  average  number  of  the  men 
in  uniform  at  these  parties  was  sixty.  About  the  same  number  were  welcomed 
weekly  at  the  St.  Lawrence  Country  Club  in  Upper  Frankford  where,  under  the 
auspices- of  the  Alliance  Catholic  Women  several  picnics  were  held.  Together  with 
the  Jewish  Welfare  Board,  the  Knights  of  Columbus  conducted  two  service  shows 
a  month  at  the  Mercantile  Club  which  were  usually  attended  by  about  600  men. 
At  all  these  War  Welfare  enterprises  Secretaries  Walter  J.  Dorsey,  John  A.  Cunning- 
ham and  James  L.  McCann  rendered  efficient  service.  The  other  secretaries  on 
the  Philadelphia  staff  were  Thomas  D.  Kane  and  John  V.  Loughney,  Jr. 

In  this  connection  a  word  should  be  said  about  the  services  that  centered 
at  the  Knights  of  Columbus  building  at  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard,  begin- 
ning in  April,  1918,  and  continuing  to  October  31,  1919 — a  full  year  after  the  signing 
of  the  armistice.  This  building  was  the  Knights  of  Columbus  headquarters  for  the 
marines  and  sailors  who  found  there,  not  only  safe  and  sane  entertainment  to  their 
liking,  but  also  the  free  creature  comforts  of  which  these  brave  boys  stood  in  need 
during  their  absence  from  home  in  the  critical  days  of  demobilization.  Especial 
attention  was  given  to  those  who  were  in  the  hospital.  As  they  became 
convalescent,  volunteer  automobiles  were  provided  for  their  use.     Aboard  the 

658 


ships  in  the  docks  at  the  yard,  the  Knights  of  Columbus  workers  organized  dances 
and  served  refreshments.  With  a  fine  touch  of  sympathy,  the  unfortunate  inmates 
of  the  "brig"  were  likewise  kept  in  view.  Whilst  mindful  always  of  the  rules  of 
discipline,  the  Knights  of  Columbus  saw  to  it  that  every  permitted  privilege  was 
granted  those  who  were  for  the  time  "out  of  luck."  Books  were  furnished  and  base- 
balls and  bats  and  equipment  for  other  games  were  secured  for  their  amusement 
and  recreation.  Victrolas  and  records  were  supplied  to  three  "  brigs  "  and  to  several 
ships.  The  battleships  Nevada  and  Idaho  each  received  a  player  piano.  Supplies 
of  all  kinds  were  put  aboard  all  outgoing  steamers.  In  this  work  Secretaries  W.  A. 
Davis  and  Joseph  E.  Donnelly  rendered  efficient  service. 

Side  by  side  with  these  useful  activities  stands  the  free  evening  school  in- 
augurated by  the  Knights  of  Columbus  in  Philadelphia  for  men  and  women  mustered 
out  of  the  Army  and  Navy.  For  this  educational  undertaking  the  Knights  leased 
the  building  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Broad  and  Vine  streets  in  December,  1919, 
and,  through  the  kindness  of  the  trustees  of  the  Roman  Catholic  High  School, 
secured  also  the  use  of  their  classrooms  for  the  same  purpose.  Public  announce- 
ment of  the  free  courses  was  made  by  advertisements  in  all  the  Philadelphia  papers 
on  Saturday  evening  and  Sunday  morning,  January  17  and  18,  1920.  On  the 
following  day  the  registration  of  pupils  began.  Within  one  week  1,385  applications 
were  received  and  1,000  pupils  were  on  hand  for  the  formal  opening  of  the  school 
on  January  26th.  Actual  class  exercises  began  on  Monday  evening,  February  2d. 
The  average  number  of  teachers  in  charge  of  the  classes  has  been  twenty-one.  By 
April  1st,  the  number  of  registrants  had  reached  1,945  and  at  that  time  twenty- 
eight  teachers  were  employed. 

A  Labor  Bureau  for  ex-service  men  was  started  on  June  3,  1919,  and  within 
a  few  months  had  placed  over  12,000  men  in  gainful  occupations. 

The  Knights  of  Columbus  participated  as  a  body  in  these  public  movements 
during  the  war  and  the  successes  which  attended  their  efforts  have  established  them 
permanently  in  the  estimation  of  Philadelphians  as  a  great  Catholic  and  patriotic 
organization.  This  is  evidenced  by  the  playful  naming  of  the  steamship  Casey 
in  honor  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  This  boat,  a  product  of  Hog  Island  was 
launched  on  October  11,  1919.  At  the  launching,  Supreme  Knight  James  A. 
Flaherty  was  complimented  by  having  his  little  daughter  selected  as  the  boat's 
sponsor.  The  patriotic  exercises  of  the  day  were  Held  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Knights  of  Columbus  of  Philadelphia. 

THE  BENEDICT  SERVICE  CLUB 

The  Benedict  Service  Club  was  operated  under  the  auspices  of  the  National 
Catholic  War  Council,  Philadelphia  Archdiocesan  Division,  and  governed  by  the 
following  men:  John  J.  Sullivan,  president;  J.  Percy  Keating,  vice-president;  A.  L. 
Fitzpatrick,  secretary;  John  V.  Loughney,  treasurer;  James  M.  Willcox,  assistant 
treasurer;  James  A.  Flaherty,  Ignatius  J.  Horstmann,  James  F.  Herron,  Michael 
J.  Slattery  and  Miss  Katherine  M.  Walsh. 

The  forerunner  of  the  Benedict  Service  Club  was  the  Catholic  Philopatrian 
Literary  Institute,  1411  Arch  Street.  This  institution  was  one  of  the  first  to  turn 
over  its  entire  building  to  the  use  of  the  city  in  combating  the  terrible  influenza 
epidemic.     The  nursing  staff  during  the  epidemic  being  recruited  from  the  sisters 

659 


Courtesy   of   the   Philadelphia    "Press." 


Three  Kinds  of  Service. 


of  various  convents,  who  administered  so  effectively  to  the  many  cases  that  came 
under  their  charge  as  to  earn  the  unstinted  praise  of  every  public  newspaper. 
Several  of  the  nuns  while  on  duty  at  this  temporary  hospital  fell  victims  to  the 
terrible  scourge. 

After  the  passing  of  the  influenza  epidemic,  the  Philopatrian  Club  was  taken 
over  as  the  original  service  club  operating  under  the  National  Catholic  War  Council 
in  Philadelphia,  but  even  this  well  equipped  club  house  grew  so  rapidly  in  popularity 
as  to  be  altogether  inadequate  for  its  purpose.  It  was  then  decided  that  some- 
thing on  a  bigger  scale  must  be  done  to  meet  the  emergency,  and  after  very  careful 
search  and  survey  by  Michael  J.  Slattery,  Executive  Secretary  of  the  National 
Catholic  War  Council,  quarters  were  established  at  1019-21  Market  Street,  a 
spacious  five-story  building.  It  was  here  the  Benedict  Service  Club  was  opened 
February,  1919.  The  formal  opening  on  March  16,  1919,  was  attended  by  his 
Grace,  Archbishop  Dougherty,  who  dedicated  the  institution  to  the  needs  of  the 
men  of  all  creeds  in  the  Army  and  Navy. 

The  National  Catholic  War  Council,  knowing  that  Philadelphia,  which  was 
in  close  proximity  to  Camps  Meade  and  Dix  and  the  great  Navy  Yard  at  League 
Island,  would  be  confronted  with  one  of  the  hardest  problems  of  the  country 
because  so  many  service  men  would  be  visitors  in  the  city  during  the  demobilization 
period,  saw  the  need  for  placing  its  largest  service  club  in  a  city  where  the  most 
good  to  the  greatest  number  could  be  accomplished. 

The  services  of  the  Club  were  rendered  exclusively  to  men  in  uniform,  and  the 
ex-service  men  who  were  seeking  an  opportunity  to  get  back  to  a  normal  condition. 

660 


Entertainments  were  held  three  nights  a  week  under  the  direction  of  James  W. 
Wafer  who  called  upon  the  various  Catholic  societies  in  the  city  to  furnish  them. 

The  work  of  the  Alliance  of  Catholic  Women  will  never  be  forgotten  by  the 
boys  who  visited  the  Benedict  Service  Club.  The  cafeteria  came  under  their 
particular  charge,  and  over  four  hundred  Catholic  women,  under  the  able  direction 
of  Miss  Katherine  M.  Walsh  and  Miss  Mary  Clare,  served  in  relays  from  early  in 
the  morning  until  late  at  night  waiting  on  the  tables  and  ever  finding  ways  of 
cheering  up  the  boys  far  from  their  home  towns. 

The  figures  taken  from  the  records  of  the  club  show  in  an  unmistakable  manner 
the  valuable  accomplishments  of  the  Benedict  Service  Club  during  the  single 
year  of  its  tenure  at  1019  Market  Street.  Two  hundred  and  twenty-eight  thousand 
men  were  registered.  One  hundred  and  thirty-seven  thousand  meals  were  furnished 
at  an  average  cost  of  twenty-seven  cents  per  meal.  Nearly  80,000  men  were  ac- 
commodated with  lodgings  and  11,000  men  were  furnished  with  positions  through 
the  free  Employment  Bureau  Service.  Thousands  of  inquiries  were  handled  relative 
to  vocational  training  and  as  many  more  relative  to  War  Risk  Insurance.  The 
club  also  served  as  a  clearing  house  for  many  anxious  mothers  who  were  desirous 
of  locating  their  boys  in  France.  Over  6,000  meals  were  served  gratis  and  3,000 
free  beds  furnished  to  those  boys  who  were  short  of  funds. 

The  need  of  a  service  club  in  Philadelphia  created  the  desire  to  perpetuate 
the  work,  and  as  the  spacious  building  at  1019  Market  Street  was  entirely  too  large 
for  the  present  needs,  smaller  quarters  have  been  obtained  at  157-59  North 
Fifteenth  Street,  where  the  work  will  go  on  and  the  same  high  standard  of  service 
will  be  continued. 

THE  SALVATION  ARMY 

By  Colonel  R.  E.  Holz 

In  the  war  work  of  the  Salvation  Army  in  France,  the  Atlantic  Coast  Province, 
of  which  Philadelphia  is  the  headquarters,  was  well  represented.  In  the  first 
party  which  sailed  August  12,  1917 — were  two  staff-captains,  Wm.  Halpin  and  L. 
Allison  Coe.  There  were  eleven  in  all  in  the  pioneer  party,  seven  men  and  five 
women,  and  two  were  sent  by  the  Philadelphia  headquarters.  With  every  party 
that  sailed  up  to  1919  other  representatives  were  sent.  A  total  of  twenty-five 
overseas  workers  representing  our  Philadelphia  headquarters  did  splendid  work, 
and  were  known  from  the  Gondrecourt  area  to  Coblenz  and  Brest. 

Apart  from  the  overseas  work,  there  was  much  work  done  at  home  by  a  large 
corps  of  officers  and  workers.  The  work  at  the  Pershing  Hotel,  Atlanta,  Ga.,  the 
large  building  at  Camp  Gordon,  Petersburg,  Va.,  Newport  News,  Va.,  Baltimore, 
Md.,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  Washington,  D.  C,  and  Camp  Meade  was  directed  from 
Philadelphia.  Men  from  all  over  the  country  were  cheered  and  helped,  and  the 
touch  of  home  that  one  always  received  helped  to  steady  men  when  they  felt  like 
giving  way  to  temptation.  All  over  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  and  everywhere 
in  Philadelphia,  men  can  be  found  who  speak  of  the  Salvation  Army  in  the  most 
laudatory  terms.  They  call  Salvation  Army  men  and  women  "regular  guys"  and 
"real  people." 

The  hospitals  were  not  forgotten  and  delicacies  of  various  kinds  were  regularly 
distributed  to  the  "boys." 

661 


International. 


Commander  Hinkle  and  the  German  Flag  which  he  brought  from  Metz. 


One  boy  coming  out  of  the  ether,  hearing  a  Salvation  Army  woman  war 
worker  say,  "It's  all  right,  son,"  said,  "Mother,  run  your  fingers  through  my  hair 
like  you  used  to  do." 

Of  course,  she  did  so  and  the  boy  was  quieted. 

The  story  of  the  Salvation  Army  war  work  can  truthfully  be  said  to  have  been 
the  doing  of  the  little  things  to  "the  least  of  these  my  brethren."  The  boys  multi- 
plied the  little  things  and  bulked  them  up,  and  built  a  monument  of  love  out  of 
them  in  memory  of  this  body  of  Christian  men  and  women  whose  service 
was  not  a  purchasable  quantity,  but  who  did  what  they  could,  remembering  it  had 
been  said  that  even  a  cup  of  cold  water  given  in  His  name  would  not  lose  its  re- 
ward. Through  the  mud  and  rain  of  France  they  tramped — the  darkest  nights 
found  them  heading  for  the  front,  when  they  were  seen  from  Seishpny  to  the 
Argonne.  They  cared  for  the  living — comforted  the  dying;  buried  the  dead  and 
placed  flowers  and  the  flag  for  which  the  boys  had  died  over  the  rough  mound 
of  earth  surmounted  by  a  White  Cross,  which  marks  the  resting  place  of  the  boys 
of  the  Golden  Star.  The  boys  sing:  "Though  she  called  each  a  Brother,  she  was 
more  like  a  Mother,  Salvation  Lassie  of  Mine."  Doughnuts  cooked  by  the  Salva- 
tion Army  Doughgirls  cheered  the  hearts  of  thousands  of  Doughboys — then  they 
made  pies,  cookies  and  big  cakes  that  were  just  like  mother  used  to  make.  The  boy 
that  ate  the  first  doughnut  said:  "Gee!  if  this  is  war,  let  it  continue."  If  he  had 
been  a  pessimist  before,  the  doughnut  converted  him  into  a  smiling  optimist. 

The  religious  side  of  things  was  not  forgotten  and  men  of  all  shades  of  religious 

662 


belief — the  Catholic,  the  Protestant  and  the  Jew  crowded  into  the  meetings. 
They  knew  that  no  man's  faith  would  be  insulted,  but  that  they  would  be  made 
better  men  and  helped  in  going  over  the  top,  or  going  West,  or  just  doing  the 
sordid  every  day  round  of  drill,  with  heavy  pack  and  aching  feet. 

Colonel  R.  E.  Holz,  who  directed  the  affairs  of  the  Atlantic  Coast  Province  for 
twelve  years,  was  transferred  from  Philadelphia  to  New  York  in  1920.  In  the 
rearrangement  of  areas,  Philadelphia  is  now  the  Headquarters  for  Eastern  Penn- 
sylvania, Southern  New  Jersey  and  Delaware  Division.  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Arthur  T.  Brewer  is  the  Divisional  Commander  and  Major  Wm.  H.  Barrett, 
General  Secretary.  Both  reside  in  this  city.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Brewer  has  been 
an  Officer  of  the  Organization  for  thirty-six  years  and  Major  Barrett  for  twenty- 
three  years. 

THE  UNITED  SERVICE  CLUB 

The  first  United  Service  Club  for  enlisted  men  was  formed  in  this  city  by  the 
Philadelphia  Army  and  Navy  Camp  Committee  of  the  National  Congress  of 
Mothers,  as  a  result  of  a  meeting  held  in  the  Acorn  Club  on  May  25,  1917.  The 
women  who  met  and  established  the  United  Service  Club  were  called  together  by 
Mrs.  William  T.  Carter,  Mrs.  Frederic  Schoff,  Miss  Mary  S.  Garrett  and  Mrs. 
Joseph  P.  Mumford. 

The  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Children's  Hospital,  22d  Street  below  Walnut, 
gave  the  Hospital  building  for  use  during  the  period  of  the  war.  With  the  support 
of  interested  men  and  women  the  necessary  equipment  was  secured.  The  Navy 
Yard  detailed  men  to  assist  in  running  the  Club.  Among  the  many  features  of 
the  Club  were  the  dormitor- 
ies, cafeteria  and  recreation 
rooms.  The  Mothers'  Annex 
was  opened  as  a  place  where 
the  next  of  kin  could  find  a 
place  to  meet  with  their  boys — 
often  the  last  time  before  they 
went  overseas,  and  in  all  too 
many  cases,  the  last  time  that 
they  saw  their  boys. 

The  Board  of  Managers  was: 
Mrs.  William  T.  Carter,  Chairman : 
Mrs.  Frederic  Schoff,  Vice-Chair- 
man: Miss  Mary  S.  Garret,  Mrs. 
Joseph  P.  Mumford,  Mrs.  George 
H.  Earle,  Mrs.  John  Gribbel,  Mrs. 
Spencer  K.  Mulford,  Mrs.  William 
Simpson,  Jr.,  Mrs.  Edward  T. 
Stotesbury.  Mrs.  Jones  Wister, 
Mrs.  J.  Albert  Caldwell,  Mrs. 
William  M.  Field,  Mrs.  William 
E.  Lingelbach,  Mrs.  William  A. 
Piatt,  Miss  Clara  T.  Chase  and 
Mrs.  J.  A.  Carter. 

An  Auxiliary  Committee  on 

Entertainments  Was  COmpOSed        courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley  Co.   of  America. 

of  a    150   prominent    women.  Service  Men  at  the  Club. 

663 


Over  800,000  enlisted  men  enjoyed  the  privileges  of  the  Club.  The  men  of 
the  British  and  French  ships  were  also  entertained  while  in  port. 

The  motto  of  the  Board  of  Managers  was  "Do  for  these  boys  what  you  would 
like  some  mother  to  do  for  yours,  wherever  he  may  be". 

WAR  CAMP  COMMUNITY  SERVICE 

The  War  Camp  Community  Service,  or  War  Camp,  as  it  was  generally 
known,  commenced  operations  in  May,  1917,  and  ceased  its  work  on  October  31, 
1919.  In  the  beginning  work  similar  to  War  Camp  activities  was  carried  on  under 
the  Philadelphia  District  Committee  of  the  Commission  of  Public  Safety  of  the 
Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania,  through  a  sub-committee  on  recreation,  co- 
operating with  the  Playground  and  Recreation  Association  of  America  and  the 
Army  and  Navy  Departments'  Committee  on  Training  Camp  Activities. 

Robert  D.  Dripps  was  the  original  Chairman  of  the  sub-committee  of  the 
State  Commission,  and  at  the  time  of  the  organization  of  War  Camp  work,  Ira  W. 
Jayne  and  Cheney  Jones  were,  successively,  Directors. 

With  the  development  of  the  Commission  on  Training  Camp  Activities,  War 
Camp  greatly  expanded  its  work  in  Philadelphia.     Mr.  Dripps  was  Acting  Director 


Keystone  Photo   Studio. 


The  Staff. 


following  Mr.  Jones,  and  was  succeeded  by  Courtney  Baylor,  who  had  his  head- 
quarters in  the  Widener  Building. 

Among  those  who  were  interested  in  promoting  the  War  Camp,  and  who  served 
on  its  Executive  Committee,  were:  Robert  D.  Dripps,  Chairman;  Mrs.  Edgar  W. 
Baird,  Vice-Chairman;  Lieutenant  Colonel  C.  B.  Hatch;  Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin; 
Mrs.  Barclay  H.  Warburton;  Albert  Cook  Myers;  Leon  J.  Obermayer;  Michael 
J.  Slattery;  Charles  A.  Stinson. 

Th  3  other  two  directors  of  the  War  Camp  were,  successively,  Calvin  L.  Lewis 
and  Olin  F.  McCormick.  Mr.  McCormick,  who  had  been  an  associate  director 
during  the  entire  period  of  the  work  of  the  service  in  Philadelphia,  terminated  its 
activities  on  October  31,  1919.  The  general  scope  of  the  War  Camp  was  con- 
tinued by  Community  Service,  Incorporated,  under  the  direction  of  Fred  A. 
Moore. 

War  Camp  was  instituted  under  the  direction  of  the  War  and  Navy  Depart- 
ments, Commissions  on  Training  Camp  Activities  for  the  purpose  of  providing 
the  armed  forces  of  the  United  States  with  adequt  te  recreational  facilities  during 
their  leisure  time,  and  for  the  purpose   of  maintaining  at  a  high  standard  the 

664 


Courtesy  W.   C.   C.   S. 


Navy  Yard  Booth. 


morale  of  the  civilian  population  in  communities  adjacent  to  armed  camps,  par- 
ticularly those  groups  of  the  civilian  population  which  were  engaged  in  war  in- 
dustry. 

It  was  successful  in  its  endeavors,  coordinating  the  work  of  existing  organiza- 
tions, assisting  the  development  of  new  ones  and  in  acting  as  a  clearing  house  for 
the  dissemination  of  general  information. 

The  Philadelphia  branch  was  divided  into  five  divisions,  namely:  the  Service 
Division,  the  Women's  Division,  the  Special  Division  for  Colored  Organization, 
the  Community  Singing  Division  and  the  Merchant  Marine  Division. 

The  Service  Division  maintained  a  Booking  Bureau  from  which  welfare  organi- 
zations, both  in  and  out  of  the  camps,  secured  entertainment  talent,  vaudeville 
artists,  motion  pictures,  singers,  orchestras,  etc.  This  bureau  provided  for  organi- 
zations at  the  Navy  Yard,  Camp  Dix,  Cape  May,  Allentown,  etc.,  and  at  welfare 
clubs  in  Philadelphia  and  vicinity.  About  1,100  full  performances  were  given, 
in  which  approximately  6,800  performers  participated,  one-third  of  whom  were 
paid  and  the  balance  were  volunteers. 

The  entertainment  department  was  instrumental  in  securing  the  production 
of  the  finest  sort  of  vaudeville  performances  in  various  theatres  in  Philadelphia 
during  the  winters  of  1917-18  and  1918-19.  These  productions  were  a  gift  to  our 
armed  forces  by  the  Theatrical  Managers'  Association,  theatre  owners,  actors  and 
actresses,  Stage  Employees'  Union  and  the  Musicians'  Union,  all  of  which  gave  their 
services  without  compensation.  Over  12,000  men  were  entertained  at  these  per- 
formances. 

This  department  was  able  to  induce  well  over  1,000  citizens  of  Philadelphia 
to  entertain  in  their  homes  no  less  than  120,000  enlisted  men.  One  of  the  staff 
of  the  War  Camp  Community  Service  was  officially  assigned  to  the  Navy  Yard  to 
organize  parties  of  men  to  attend  functions  of  various  kinds,  and  to  see  that  they 
reached  their  destination.     Transportation  was  paid,  if  necessary. 

665 


Courtesy  W.  C.   C.   S. 


A  Liberty  Party. 


The  department  operated  a  transportation  service,  which  included  over  2,000 
volunteers,  who  took  men  from  central  points  to  entertainments  and  dances.  They 
also  arranged  for  sight-seeing  trips  for  men  who  were  wounded  or  sick.  More  than 
200,000  men  were  thus  given  automobile  service. 

Another  branch  of  the  Service  Division  was  known  as  the  Cooperation  Depart- 
ment, which  equipped  two  canteens  and  three  service  clubs.  The  canteens  were 
operated  by  the  National  League  for  Woman's  Service.  One  of  the  clubs  was 
operated  by  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board.  The  canteen  in  another  club  was  con- 
ducted by  the  American  Red  Cross  and  the  balance  of  the  work  was  done  directly 
by  War  Camp.  One  of  the  most  successful  of  these  clubs  was  for  colored  men. 
In  these  clubs  and  canteens  about  85,000  men  were  served. 

The  department  assisted  in  the  organization  of  six  of  the  special  service  clubs 
for  enlisted  men  in  Philadelphia  and  gave  assistance  of  various  kinds  to  thirty-five 
other  local  organizations  which  were  operating  clubs,  either  wholly  or  in  part, 
for  the  use  of  our  armed  forces. 

An  Information  Department  was  established  which  provided  a  good  informa- 
tion service  covering  every  conceivable  item  of  interest  to  enlisted  men  and  their 
relatives.  In  particular,  information  regarding  incoming  transports  was  supplied 
in  cooperation  with  the  Emergency  Aid  and  Philadelphia  Council  of  National 
Defense.  Four  information  booths  for  the  use  of  men  in  uniform  and  civilians 
were  manned.  The  one  on  the  East  Plaza  of  City  Hall,  in  charge  of  John  W. 
Basford,  known  to  the  men  as  "Dad,"  was  especially  popular.  Over  one  million 
and  a  half  copies  of  the  Weekly  Bulletin,  published  by  the  War  Camp,  were  dis- 
tributed. Each  bulletin  gave  briefly  a  summary  of  events  for  service  men  in 
Philadelphia.  The  names  and  locations  of  the  more  important  places  of  historic 
interest  were  published  in  a  special  bulletin. 

666 


In  brief,  the  Service  Division,  through  its  various  branches  came  in  contact 
with,  and  served,  over  2,250,000  men. 

The  Women's  Division  organized  recreational  and  educational  groups  among 
approximately  43,000  girls,  which  consisted  of  workers  in  munition  factories,  yeo- 
women,  and  others.  The  Colored  Department  of  this  division  organized  over  3,000 
girls  in  similar  groups. 

The  special  division  for  colored  organizations  provided  recreational  and  educa- 
tional facilities  for  returned  (colored)  soldiers  and  sailors.  Groups  of  about  20,000 
colored  citizens  were  organized  in  this  service,  and  the  Berean  Army  and  Navy 
Section  of  the  War  Camp,  which  was  located  at  1930  S.  College  Avenue  (for  use 
by  either  white  or  colored  men),  was  one  of  the  finest  service  clubs  in  the  country. 

The  Community  Singing  Division  was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  keeping 
the  citizens  of  Philadelphia  in  the  singing  frame  of  mind  and  to  inspire  their  patriot- 
ism. Over  2,800  "Sings"  were  held,  in  which  something  like  6,000,000  people 
participated. 

The  Marine  Division  endeavored  to  do  for  the  members  of  the  Allied  Merchant 
Marine  the  same  sort  of  service  which  the  Service  Division  did  for  the  armed  forces. 
It  provided  special  entertainments  for  the  crews  of  foreign  vessels  and  stimu- 
lated activity  along  the  water  front.  It  also  cooperated  with  the  Seaman's  Insti- 
tute, and  a  large  part  of  the  work  which  it  assisted  in  developing  will  be  permanent. 

Sight-seeing  trips  about  the  city  for  service  men  had  their  inception  in 
the  early  summer  of  1918.      These  were  first  arranged  by  Albert  Cook  Myers, 


Courtesy  W.  C.   C.   S 


At  the  Berean  Club. 
667 


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JHEL 

Courtesy  W.  C.   C.   S. 


Brazilian  Naval  Officers  at  Independence  Hall. 


a  volunteer  member  of  War  Camp  Staff,  for  the  men  on  guard  at  Cramp's  Ship- 
yard. Later  in  the  summer,  Burton  Alva  Konkle  led  parties  on  Saturday  after- 
noons from  the  Navy  Yard  to  points  of  interest  in  old  Philadelphia.  Other 
guides  for  similar  Saturday  afternoon  pilgrimages  were  Albert  J.  Edmunds  and 
A.  J.  Kincaide. 

Among  those  who  served  on  the  Staff  of  War  Camp  were:  Howard  Gow 
Welch,  Horton  W.  White,  Miss  Clara  T.  Chase,  Miss  Helen  E.  Porterfield,  James 

E.  Corneal,  Miss  Anne  McDonough,  Miss  M.  S.  Liddle,  Benjamin  E.  Ammons, 

F.  C.  Brennan,  J.  V.  Fairlamb,  Miss  L.  H.  Mason  and  H.  T.  Barnett. 

THE  WAR  EMERGENCY  UNIT 

Early  in  April,  1917,  two  members  of  the  Fourth  Street  Club  in  Philadelphia 
held  a  discussion  regarding  the  best  means  of  maintaining  those  ideals  which  had 
led  the  United  States  into  the  Great  War,  by  helping  the  men  who  were  enlisting 
in  the  service  of  their  country.  The  War  Emergency  Unit  was  the  eventual 
outcome  of  this  conversation  and  as  an  organization  developed  through  the  in- 
spiration of  Frank  C.  Brodhead  and  his  associates. 

The  plan  outlined  was  to  provide  a  service,  social,  educational  and  moral, 
which  was  not  otherwise  taken  care  of  by  the  Government.  That  it  accom- 
plished its  purpose  is  proven  by  the  simple  record  of  its  achievements.  The  suc- 
cess of  the  unit  in  meeting  the  abnormal  demands  of  war  times  is  but  a  proof  of 
the  universal,  whole-hearted  cooperation  of  its  members. 

The  first  meetings  were  held  at  the  Fourth  Street  Club  in  April,  and  plans 
for  the  work  outlined  and  developed,  and  departments  of  activity  organized. 

668 


The  suggestions  of  Major  General  Littleton  W.  T.  Waller  were  most  helpful. 
An  important  feature  of  the  early  activities  of  the  unit  was  the  providing  of 
clean,  healthful  entertainment  for  the  sailors  and  marines  stationed  at  the  navy 
yard.  Tickets  for  moving-picture  theatres  and  other  amusements  were  placed  on 
sale  here  at  reduced  rates.  Through  the  courtesy  of  Harry  T.  Jordan,  Manager 
of  Keith's  Theatre,  the  unit  was  able  to  supply  performers  from  the  local  vaude- 
ville houses  for  entertainments  within  the  yard.  Moving-picture  films  were  fur- 
nished through  a  special  arrangement  with  Stanley  Mastbaum,  of  the  Stanley 
Picture  Corporation,  and  with  David  R.  Sablosky. 

Albert  N.  Hoxie  acted  as  Director  of  Community  Singing  in  Philadelphia  for 
the  unit.  He  was  assisted  by  Professor  Burton  T.  Scales,  of  Girard  College. 
Group  singing  in  the  barracks,  at  entertainments,  etc.,  was  a  feature  of  the  work. 
E.  J.  Berlet,  President  of  the  Walnut  Street  Business  Men's  Association,  was  of 
material  service  in  keeping  the  activities  of  the  unit  before  the  public. 

In  August,  1917,  Clarence  C.  Zantzinger  secured  permission  from  the  Fair- 
mount  Park  Commission  for  all  enlisted  men  to  swim  and  play  baseball,  etc.,  in 
Fairmount  Park.  The  following  month,  the  Athletic  Association  of  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  at  the  request  of  Paul  Thompson,  agreed  to  admit  all  men  in 
uniform,  without  charge,  to  the  Pennsylvania  football  games. 

The  Magazine  Distribution  Department  got  in  touch  with  the  circulation 
managers  of  several  periodicals,  and  thousands  of  up-to-date  magazines  were  sent 
to  the  yard  for  distribution.  Through  the  courtesy  of  F.  C.  Stiefel,  the  unit  was 
provided  with  ample  quarters  for  the  receipt  and  distribution  of  these  publications. 
To  serve  a  similar  end,  thirty  portable  traveling  library  cases  were  designed 
by  the  unit  for  use  overseas  and  filled  by  the  Free  Library  of  Philadelphia. 

There  was  increasing  need  for  instruction  in  training  enlisted  men  for  pro- 
motion as  commissioned  or  non-commissioned  officers,  or  for  greater  efficiency  in 
their  immediate  duties.  Regular  classes  were  established  in  the  Navy  Yard  and 
at  other  outside  points.  At  some  of  these  classes  the  attendance  was  over  two 
hundred  at  each  session. 

Professor  Vincent  B.  Brecht  was  in  charge  of  the  Educational  Department. 
He  had  about  thirty  coworkers  as  members  of  his  faculty  and  first  established  a 
series  of  classes  at  the  marine  barracks  in  the  Navy  Yard.  Courses  were  arranged 
in  automobile  mechanics,  surveying,  typewriting,  conversational  French,  science 
of  telephoning,  building  roads  and  railroads,  engineering  structures,  electricity  as 
applied  to  military  training,  filtration,  etc.  For  the  technical  subjects  of  engi- 
neering, the  cooperation  of  the  Engineers'  Club  of  Philadelphia  was  secured  and 
C.  F.  Puff,  Jr.,  obtained,  largely  from  the  Club,  a  competent  staff  of  teachers. 

Classes  in  navigation  were  held  in  the  seamen's  barracks  of  the  Supply  and 
Receiving  Ship,  at  Pier  19,  North  Wharves,  at  the  United  Service  Club,  at  the 
Rotary  Army  and  Navy  Club,  at  the  Radio  School,  and  at  Essington,  Pa.  In- 
struction in  navigation  at  Pier  19,  and  the  Rotary  Army  and  Navy  Club  was 
supplemented  by  courses  in  seamanship.  Largely  from  instruction  and  training 
received  in  one  series  of  these  classes  in  navigation  and  seamanship,  150  enlisted 
men  subsequently  secured  their  commissions  as  officers. 

Classes  of  instruction  for  prospective  pay  clerks  and  assistant  paymasters 
were  conducted  at  the  Rotary  Army  and  Navy  Club,  and  a  course  in  steam  and 
marine  engineering  instituted  at  the  Fuel  Oil  School  in  the  Navy  Yard. 

669 


One  of  the  most  interesting  navigation  and  French  classes  was  made  up  of 
officers  and  men  stationed  on  mine  sweepers,  off  Camden,  N.  J.  Opportunities  for 
learning  French,  through  conversational  methods,  were  likewise  offered  at  the 
Spring  Garden  Institute  to  soldiers  qualifying  for  drivers  and  chauffeurs  over- 
seas and  at  the  Frankford  Arsenal. 

The  Representation  Department,  which  kept  in  personal  touch  with  hundreds 
of  officers  and  men  in  all  branches  of  the  service  and  transmitted  their  ideas  and 
suggestions  to  those  in  charge  of  the  various  departments  of  the  unit.  In  this  way, 
the  unit  was  enabled  to  cooperate  constantly  with  the  War  Camp  Community 
Service,  the  Representation  Department  taking  entire  charge  of  the  Sunday  evening 
entertainments  given  by  them,  in  connection  with  the  Theatrical  Managers' 
Association  of  Philadelphia.  An  average  of  three  thousand  soldiers,  sailors  and 
marines  were  entertained  in  this  way  every  Sunday  evening.  The  thanks  of 
everyone  concerned  are  due  Fred.  G.  Nixon-Nirdlinger  and  Harry  T.  Jordan. 

At  the  suggestion  of  Lieutenant  Commander  F.  R.  Payne,  U.  S.  N.  (retired), 
the  unit  secured  the  services  of  R.  R.  Evans  and  R.  0.  Frick,  for  free  legal  advice 
to  the  marines  stationed  at  the  Navy  Yard  and  for  consultation,  at  their  law  offices, 
for  all  enlisted  men.  Joseph  W.  Shannon  helped  to  continue  this  service  with  great 
efficiency. 

At  its  early  meeting  the  War  Emergency  Unit  took  steps  toward  studying 
the  problem  of  the  re-education  of  those  men  who  were  incapacitated  through 
service  to  their  country.  A  survey  and  bibliography  of  this  subject,  prepared 
by  William  H.  Hussie,  was  used  by  societies  and  organizations  nationally.  D.  C. 
McMurtrie,  Director  of  the  Red  Cross  Institute  for  Crippled  and  Disabled  Men, 
valued  Mr.  Hussie's  knowledge  and  broad  vision  so  highly  that  he  made  him  a 
member  of  his  staff.  0.  F.  McCormick,  who  was  active  in  the  work  of  securing 
entertainment  for  the  men  at  the  Navy  Yard,  later  became  Director  of  the  Phila- 
delphia activities  of  the  War  Camp  Community  Service. 

Until  June,  1918,  the  work  of  the  unit  had  been  financed  partly  by  individual 
subscriptions  and  partly  by  the  War  Camp  Community  Service  of  the  Commission 
on  Training  Camp  Activities.  It  seemed  advisable  to  turn  to  other  sources  for 
support,  and  therefore  an  appeal  was  made  to  the  War  Welfare  Council  of 
Philadelphia  and  an  appropriation  from  the  War  Chest  was  paid  monthly  from 
July,  1918,  to  the  unit. 

The  work  continued  with  increased  efficiency  until  November,  when,  after 
the  signing  of  the  armistice  it  was  seen  that  the  emergency  was  over,  the  Roard  of 
Governors  voted  to  discontinue  activities  after  the  31st  of  December,  1918. 

From  the  highest  officials  of  the  Navy  and  of  the  Marine  Corps  to  the  blue- 
jacket and  private,  only  words  of  commendation  have  been  received  for  the  work 
of  the  unit.  This  unique  organization,  held  together  by  the  unselfish  efforts  of 
its  founder  and  his  pioneer  associates,  assisted  by  the  cooperation  of  the  members 
and  conscientious  instructors,  accomplished  an  important  task.  It  trained  innumer- 
able men  to  better  their  positions  in  the  service  and  by  maintaining  an  opportunity 
for  intellectual  activity,  it  enabled  these  men  to  return  better  equipped  to  civil  life. 

The  officers  of  the  War  Emergency  Unit  were: 

Honorary  President,  Major  General  Littleton  W.  T.  Waller,  U.  S.  M.  C; 

Honorary  Vice-Presidents,  John  Gribbel,  Edward  T.  Stotesbury,  Chaplain  Curtis  H. 
Dickins,  U.  S.  N. 

670 


Board  of  Governors 

President,  Cornelius  Bodine;  Vice-President,  Harry  T.  Jordan;  Treasurer,  Edward  Ilsley; 
Secretary,  E.  Earl  Daniell;  Publicity,  George  I.  Bodine,  Jr.;  Bepresentation,  Frank  C.  Stiefel; 
Advisory,  Olin  F.  McCormick;  Executive  Manager,  Frank  C.  Brodhead. 

THE  WAR  SERVICE  COMMITTEE  OF  THE  HISTORICAL 
SOCIETY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA* 

No  local  organization  gave  greater  pleasure  to  the  men  in  service  than  "The 
Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania."  Thirty-three  Saturday  evening  receptions, 
free  to  soldiers,  sailors  and  marines,  were  held  at  the  building  of  the  Society,  1300 
Locust  Street,  between  May  1918-19.  Over  32,000  men  were  entertained.  The 
largest  attendance  was  1,400  and  the  average  was  1,000.  Thanks  for  the  good 
work  done  were  expressed  in  person  by  both  the  Secretary  of  War  and  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Albert  Cook  Myers,  a  member  of  the  Society,  suggested  these  receptions,  and, 
together  with  Ernest  Spofford,  Assistant  Librarian  of  the  Society,  organized  and 
directed  the  work  in  connection  with  them  without  compensation.  The  Council 
of  the  Society,  in  April,  1918,  agreed  to  open  the  building  one  night  a  week  in  order 
that  the  men  stationed  in  Philadelphia  or  in  the  city  on  leave  might  examine  the 
remarkable  collections  of  historic  interest.  A  War  Service  Committee  was  ap- 
pointed, consisting  of  Charlemagne  Tower,  John  Frederick  Lewis  and  John  Gribbel, 
to  represent  the  Council  of  the  Society.  Having  power  to  add  to  its  numbers, 
it  made  Mr.  Myers  and  Mr.  Spofford,  Chairman  and  Secretary,  respectively,  of  the 
Executive  Committee.  The  late  John  W.  Jordan,  Librarian  of  the  Society,  was 
also  for  a  time,  a  member  of  the  Executive  Committee,  and  took  much  interest  in 
rearranging  the  Museum  collections  for  the  opening  night.  Francis  Howard 
Williams,  Treasurer  of  the  Society,  acted  in  like  capacity  for  the  Committee. 

During  the  later  period  of  the  receptions,  Francis  Rawle,  the  late  William 
Drayton,  Edward  Robins  and  Harrold  E.  Gillingham,  also  served  on  the  War 
Service  Committee. 

The  first  of  the  receptions  was  held  on  Saturday  evening,  May  18,  1918.  It 
was  for  officers  only.  The  building  was  beautifully  decorated  with  flags  and  flowers. 
A  Guard  of  Honor,  of  soldiers  and  marines,  was  present.  The  Secretary  of  War, 
the  Hon.  Newton  D.  Baker,  was  the  speaker  of  the  evening.  Orville  Harrold, 
the  American  tenor,  sang.    All  of  the  later  receptions  were  for  enlisted  men. 

No  pains  were  spared  to  bring  these  receptions  to  the  attention  of  the  enlisted 
service  men.  Neat  signs  of  welcome  were  placed  on  the  exterior  of  the  building. 
A  special  poster  was  printed  and  widely  distributed,  giving  a  list  of  some  of  the  star 
exhibits  displayed,  viz. :  The  Wampum  belt  given  to  William  Penn  by  the  Indians, 
"Mad"  Anthony  Wayne's  sword  and  camp  kettle,  Robert  Morris'  great  money 
chest,  Franklin's  punch  keg,  Washington's  desk,  John  Paul  Jones'  sword  given 
to  him  by  King  Louis  XVI  of  France,  Lincoln's  law  books  and  furniture,  the  auto- 
graph manuscripts  of  "The  Star  Spangled  Banner,"  "Home,  Sweet  Home,"  and 
"Hail  Columbia."  Each  week,  moreover,  12,000  printed  announcement  cards, 
cut  to  fit  a  sailor's  pocket,  were  distributed  in  over  one  hundred  camps  and 

*Suramarized  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Philadelphia  War  History  Committee  from  the 
records  of  Albert  Cook  Myers. 

671 


672 


like  places.  In  this  distribution,  as  well  as  in  many  other  ways,  War  Camp  Com- 
munity Service  greatly  aided.  The  Boy  Scouts  also  were  willing  helpers.  The 
hours  for  the  reception  were  from  7  to  11  o'clock.  The  uniform  admitted  the 
service  men,  but  cards  of  admission  were  strictly  required  for  all  civilians.  The 
officers  and  members  of  the  committees  had  their  appointed  places  and  functions 
to  perform.  The  five  great  rooms  of  the  building  and  all  the  special  facilities  for 
such  functions  were  made  freely  available.  The  stately  entrance  hall  was  hung 
with  flags  of  the  Allies,  and  from  the  galleries  of  the  Assembly  Hall,  intertwined 
with  bunting,  were  suspended  the  standards  of  the  city,  state  and  nation,  along 
with  the  beautiful  and  costly  historic  flags  and  banners  of  the  Pennsylvania  Society 
of  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution  and  other  patriotic  organizations. 

A  band  or  orchestra,  stationed  in  the  Assembly  Hall,  enlivened  the  evening. 
The  tables  in  the  main  reading  room  were  covered  with  magazines,  which,  after 
the  receptions,  the  men  were  permitted  to  take  with  them.  Cigars  and  cigarettes 
were  provided,  and  many  of  the  men  lingered  in  this  room  to  read,  smoke  or  chat 
with  one  another  or  with  those  chosen  to  assist  in  entertaining. 

A  catalog  of  the  Society's  collection  of  relics,  manuscripts  and  paintings  was 
prepared  by  Mr.  Myers.  Competent  guides  described  the  collections,  particularly 
those  in  the  two  museum  rooms  on  the  second  floor. 

At  8  p.m.,  the  exercises  proper  began  in  the  Assembly  Hall,  the  Chairman  of 
the  Executive  Committee  presiding.  A  Liberty  Sing  was  led  by  Albert  N.  Hoxie, 
Director  of  Music  at  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard. 

About  8:30  o'clock,  an  eight-minute  address  was  delivered  on  some  topic 
of  historic  interest.  The  speakers  were:  Hampton  L.  Carson,  S.  Davis  Page, 
Charles  Wadsworth,  Jr.,  W.  Herbert  Burk,  Ex-Governor  Edwin  S.  Stuart,  John 
Cadwalader,  Major  General  Littleton  W.  T.  Waller,  William  W.  Porter,  Calvin  L. 
Lewis,  Charles  Francis  Jenkins,  Hollis  Godfrey,  Cheesman  A.  Herrick,  Charlemagne 
Tower,  Mrs.  Charles  Roberts,  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea,  Thomas  Willing  Balch,  the 
late  Thomas  Skelton  Harrison,  Thomas  Lynch  Montgomery,  Ellis  Paxson  Ober- 
holtzer,  the  late  John  W.  Jordan,  W.  W.  Keen,  William  E.  Lingelbach,  Russell 
Duane,  Major  General  Charles  H.  Muir,  and  Albert  Cook  Myers. 

Following  the  address  were  special  musical  features.  Among  those  who, 
as  volunteers,  delightfully  assisted  in  this  way  were:  May  Ebrey  Hotz,  Lewis  L. 
Howell,  Elizabeth  H.  Latta,  Harry  T.  Jordan,  of  Keith's  Theatre,  Mrs.  Phillips 
Jenkins  and  her  students,  Aline  van  Barentzen,  the  Orpheus  Club  of  Philadelphia, 
and  Henry  Gordon  Thunder.  A  special  dramatic  entertainment  was  given  on  one 
occasion  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Otis  Skinner.  At  another  time  a  quaint  Indian  game 
was  played  by  a  group  of  red  men  impersonated  by  students  of  the  School  of  Indus- 
trial Art,  costumed  under  the  direction  of  the  artist  and  Indian  authority,  Charles 
H.  Stephens. 

At  9  o'clock  dancing  began,  under  the  oversight  of  certain  ladies  of  the  Com- 
mittees. Each  week  about  200  girls  were  invited  as  dance  partners  and  to  assist 
in  entertaining.  The  dance  in  progress,  supper  was  served  under  the  direction 
of  Miss  Helen  K.  Morton  and  Miss  E.  Mae  Myers.  Among  others  who  assisted 
them  were  the  Emergency  Aid  Aides  in  their  attractive  uniforms,  usually  under 
the  command  of  Miss  Marys  B.  Clark  (now  Mrs.  George  Harrison  Frazier,  Jr.). 
At  the  coffee  urns  presided  Miss  Lydia  T.  Morris  and  Mrs.  Charles  Roberts,  or 
other  efficient  helpers. 

673 


Rau  Art  Studios,   Inc. 


A  Later  Reception  to  Soldiers,  Sailors  and  Marines. 


Many  wounded  men  were  entertained,  and  given  special  care  and  attention. 
Frequently,  men  convalescing  in  city  hospitals,  were  brought  in  motors  to  the 
receptions  through  the  kindness  of  Mrs.  George  W.  Childs  and  others. 

The  visitors  came  from  every  State  in  the  Union,  the  territorial  possessions 
and  the  Allied  countries.  All  branches  of  the  service  were  represented.  On  the 
whole  they  were  splendid  young  men,  many  of  them  of  the  keenest  intelligence 
and  finest  sensibility. 

The  expenses  of  the  receptions,  amounting  to  about  $18,000,  were  met  by 
a  special  fund  contributed  on  appeal  by  a  long  list  of  members  of  the  Society. 
Individual  members  and  organizations  who  defrayed  the  cost  of  specific  evenings 
were  Mrs.  J.  Bertram  Lippincott,  Walter  J.  Lippincott,  the  Pennsylvania  Society 
of  Colonial  Dames  of  America,  the  Colonial  Society  of  Pennsylvania,  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Society  Sons  of  the  Revolution,  Thomas  DeWitt  Cuyler,  the  late 
Mrs.  James  Mifflin,  the  Transatlantic  Society  of  America,  Miss  Anna  J.  Magee, 
Mrs.  William  Brooke  Rawle,  Alexander  Van  Rensselaer,  Misses  Emily  and  Laura 
Bell,  Miss  Lydia  T.  Morris,  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea,  Thomas  Willing  Balch,  the  late 
Thomas  Skelton  Harrison,  Miss  Nina  Lea,  and  groups  of  men  and  women. 

This  generous  financial  support  would  have  been  wholly  inadequate  but  for 
the  voluntary  services  of  a  devoted  and  self-sacrificing  band  of  workers  who  gave 
themselves  personally  to  the  cause.  Among  the  most  active  members  of  the 
sub-committees  on  reception,  entertainment,  etc.,  beyond  those  previously  men- 
tioned, were:  Charles  S.  Bradford,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howard  F.  Brinton,  Misses  Kezia 
R.  and  Martha  Bunting,  Miss  Jane  Campbell,  Miss  Helen  Louise  Coates,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  James  de  W.  Cookman,  the  late  Miss  Anne  H.  Cresson,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Leonard  H.  Dudman,  Mrs.  Walter  J.  Freeman,  Miss  Jean  E.  Graffen,  Mrs.  William 
S.  Hallowell,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  W.  Jordan,  Wilfred  Jordan,  Bevan  Jordan,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Alfred  R.  Justice,  Mrs.  Nathaniel  Seaver  Keay,  Gregory  B.  Keen,  Mrs. 
A.  H.  Lane,  Miss  Mary  B.  Latta,  Miss  M.  Atherton  Leach,  Howard  W.  Lewis, 

674 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  P.  McGeehan,  Miss  Elizabeth  D.  McMahon,  Mrs.  Sara  P.  S. 
Mitchell,  Mrs.  Alvin  A.  Parker,  Miss  Ella  Parsons,  Mrs.  Henry  Pemberton,  Jr., 
Mrs.  Edward  Robins,  Mrs.  Ernest  Spofford,  Mrs.  James  Starr,  Jr.,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Spencer  Trotter,  Miss  Anne  Hollingsworth  Wharton,  Miss  Bertha  S.  Wetzell, 
Miss  Mary  E.  Wood,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  E.  Wood. 

At  the  outset,  the  entire  staff  of  the  Society  volunteered  to  do  their  part  in  the 
work,  and  their  willing  services  greatly  helped  the  undertaking.  In  addition  to 
those  already  mentioned,  they  were:  Miss  Jane  C.  Wylie,  Albert  J.  Edmunds, 
Miss  Mary  M.  Townsend,  James  W.  Pawson,  Miss  Lilian  T.  McMahon,  George 
H.  Fairchild,  Miss  Martha  F.  Grant  and  Miss  Martha  B.  Thompson.  Further- 
more, the  helpful  suggestions  and  the  hard  work  and  late  hours  required  from  the 
faithful  guardian  and  caretaker  of  the  building,  R.  Albert  Stenberg,  were  indis- 
pensable to  the  success  attained. 

It  is  impossible  here  to  chronicle  all  the  kindly  assistance  and  encouragement 
from  outside  sources,  but  mention  must  be  made  of  that  received  from  the  city 
press,  which  was  ever  friendly  and  appreciative. 

The  final  reception,  on  May  17,  1919,  was  in  honor  of  the  men  of  the  28th 
Division.  Major  General  Charles  H.  Muir,  who  was  present,  together  with  his 
staff,  made  the  address  of  the  evening. 

The  receptions  became  famous  all  over  the  country  and  were  the  theme 
of  letters  to  the  home-folks  and  of  pleasant  reminiscence  on  ships  at  sea  and  in 
the  camps  of  France. 

They  will  ever  be  held  in  appreciative  and  grateful  remembrance  by  an  im- 
portant element  of  our  young  citizenship,  and  will  redound  to  the  credit  of  the 
Historical  Society  and  to  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 

THE  YOUNG  MEN'S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION 
Walter  M.  Wood,  General  Secretary 

The  war  work  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  of  Philadelphia  should 
be  divided  into  two  classes:  First,  that  done  by  the  Metropolitan  Y.  M.  C.  A.; 
and,  second,  that  which  was  directed  by  the  National  War  Work  Council. 

Of  the  three  national  campaigns  conducted  by  the  National  War  Work 
Council  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  for  $3,000,000,  $35,000,000  and  $100,000,000,  respect- 
ively (each  quota  was  exceeded),  the  Philadelphia  district  contributed  approxi- 
mately $10,000,000  for  the  three  campaigns. 

WORK  OF  THE  METROPOLITAN  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

The  general  statement  issued  by  the  Metropolitan  Association  covering  the 
period  from  April,  1919,  is  prefaced  by  figures  giving  the  names  of  secretaries  and 
members  who  enlisted  in  the  service  of  their  country.  The  Honor  Roll  of  the 
Central  Branch  alone  includes  twelve  secretaries  and  1,700  members.  An  unusually 
high  percentage  of  members  and  secretaries  also  engaged  in  war  welfare  work 
in  the  city  and  in  the  camps  and  overseas,  William  O.  Easton,  Executive  Secre- 
tary of  the  Central  Branch  serving  as  Associate  National  Educational  Secre- 
tary. 

As  soon  as  Camp  Meade  was  organized,  a  number  of  the  directors  of  the  Phila- 

675 


Class  in  Trigonometry. 


delphia  Association,  including  some  of  the  leading  business  men  of  the  city,  vol- 
unteered their  services  as  Y.  M.  C.  A.  secretaries  for  stated  periods  of  time  on  such 
a  basis  as  would  permit  of  an  adjustment  with  their  business  schedules.  Among  the 
men  who  served  at  Camp  Meade  may  be  mentioned  the  following:  Edward  H. 
Bonsall,  William  M.  Longstreth,  Edward  W.  Nicholson,  John  W.  Dorris,  and 
J.  Willison  Smith. 

The  services  rendered  by  the  Metropolitan  Association,  under  the  direction 
of  President  Joseph  M.  Steele,  and  General  Secretary  Walter  M.  Wood,  were 
largely  with  service  men  at  the  regular  branches.  That  work  is  best  shown  by 
the  use  of  a  few  figures  and  in  presenting  them  the  Metropolitan  Association 
stresses  the  fact  that  these  figures  do  not  include  the  work  done  under  the  War 
Work  Council  in  and  near  Philadelphia. 

Over  547,000  men  made  use  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  buildings  in  Philadelphia,  of 
which  number  175,000  secured  sleeping  accommodation  and  115,000  used  the  baths, 
lockers,  swimming  pools  and  gymnasium.  A  total  of  over  91,000  attended  regular 
meetings  and  11,700  were  entertained  in  homes,  churches,  and  theaters  under  the 
direction  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 

Owing  to  the  proximity  of  Camp  Dix,  the  Washington  Barracks  at  Cape  May, 
and  the  increased  number  of  men  at  League  Island,  the  Metropolitan  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
was  confronted  with  a  number  of  problems.  Not  only  did  it  have  the  men  in  the 
service  to  consider  but  also,  on  account  of  the  great  increase  of  industrial  workers 

676 


in  munition  factories  of  Philadelphia  and  at  Hog  Island,  its  general  activities  were, 
of  necessity,  greatly  expanded. 

Special  educational  classes  were  established  in  which  340  took  the  courses  in 
aeroplane  work;  103  studied  in  the  courses  in  wireless;  181  took  up  ship  blueprint 
reading,  while  sixty-three  enrolled  in  the  courses  in  navigation  and  seventy-five  in 
ship  fitting. 

So  great  was  the  demand  upon  the  various  branches  of  the  association  that  it 
became  imperative  to  find  larger  and  more  suitable  accommodations.  Therefore, 
the  First  Regiment  Army  at  Broad  and  Callowhill  streets  was  fitted  up  as  a  club- 
house. The  chairman  of  the  committee  in  charge  was  Richard  L.  Austin,  and  the 
executive  secretary  was  L.  W.  Fountain.  During  January,  1919,  and  the  nine 
months  following  over  27,000  men  were  cared  for  at  the  armory.  Entertainments 
for  9,000  were  provided  there  and  each  man  received  a  gift  package  from  the 
department.  Not  only  were  the  men  provided  with  sleeping  accommodations  and 
entertained,  but  3,000  relief  cases  were  also  handled,  and  over  one  hundred  posi- 
tions secured  for  returned  men.  The  total  number  visiting  the  armory  and  making 
use  of  its  equipment  was  over  55,000. 

In  the  spring  and  summer  of  1919  thousands  of  returning  troops  came  to  the 
port  of  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Keeler  the  Transportation  Secretary  arranged  for  the 
reception  of  nineteen  troopships  and  the  proper  care  of  the  men  who  were  trans- 
ported from  the  pier  to  Camp  Dix  on  fifty-eight  troop  trains.  In  practically  every 
case  all  returning  troops  were  served  with  a  gift  box  and  thousands  of  postal  cards 
were  distributed  and  many  telegrams  to  relatives  sent  free  of  charge.  The  gift 
boxes  were  packed  by  a  voluntary  committee  of  ladies  under  the  chairmanship  of 


Library  at  League  Island. 
677 


Miss  Warren  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Branch.  Equipment  for  cargo  boats 
was  supplied,  consisting  of  a  phonograph  and  records,  testaments,  song  sheets, 
pamphlets,  books,  games  and  stationery.  This  equipment  was  also  furnished  to 
eleven  coast-guard  stations  through  Mr.  Welch  of  the  War  Camp  Community 
Service. 

The  return  of  troops  to  the  port  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  very  large  number  of 
demobilized  men  coming  to  this  city  from  many  camps,  necessitated  the  assign- 
ment of  nine  special  secretaries,  and  four  members  of  the  regular  staff  to  help  dis- 
charged service  men  to  find  themselves  in  civil  life.  Nor  was  this  work  confined 
to  men  of  American  birth  only.  Thousands  of  men  who  were  born  in  other  lands, 
or  whose  parents  had  come  as  immigrants  to  this  country  served  with  the  American 
forces.  Special  attention  was  given  to  those  men  whose  limited  knowledge  of  the 
English  language  and  lack  of  understanding  of  American  ways  often  caused  ap- 
parent injustice.  This  special  work  was  under  the  direction  of  G.  T.  Demberg.  In 
connection  with  the  work  for  demobilized  men,  special  service  was  organized  for 
the  colored  men  of  the  city.  This  work  was  largely  personal  in  character;  the  men 
being  helped  to  secure  allotments,  insurance,  lost  discharges,  etc.  Three  hundred 
and  forty-four  colored  men  were  placed  in  positions. 

In  the  second  place,  the  work  of  the  National  Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  the  service  of  the 
troops  is  of  special  interest  to  Philadelphians,  for  during  the  Civil  War  two  secre- 
taries from  this  city  served  with  the  Union  forces.  Work  was  carried  on  by  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  during  the  Spanish  and  Russo-Japanese  wars  and  when  the  National 
Guard  regiments  were  called  to  the  Mexican  border,  it  had  its  secretaries  with  the 
troops. 

At  Camps  Hancock  and  Meade,  and  wherever  Philadelphia  men  were  sent, 
they  found  the  Y.  M.  C.  A,  ready  to  serve.  The  Red  Triangle  workers  were  on  the 
piers  to  greet  them,  and  bid  them  "God  Speed."  In  many  cases  they  went  with 
them  on  the  transports  and  continued  their  activities  in  places  of  danger  and  need, 
in  the  front  line. 

Doctor  Cornelius  T.  McCarthy,  the  first  American  medical  officer  to  receive 
the  British  Military  Cross,  and  subsequently  the  Bar,  was  with  American  Engineers 
at  Cambrai  in  the  fall  of  1917.  Doctor  McCarthy,  in  letters  to  friends,  paid  high 
tribute  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  In  closing  one  of  these  letters,  Doctor  McCarthy  said: 
"Thank  God  for  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  For  three  days  we  were  unable  to  get  supplies 
to  the  front  because  of  heavy  fire,  and  we  were  sustained  by  the  supplies  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut,  whose  workers  were  with  us  at  the  time." 

Three  hundred  and  thirty-three  Philadelphians,  of  which  number  253  were  men 
and  eighty  were  women — served  with  the  "Y."  One  hundred  and  twenty-five 
worked  overseas  and  208  in  the  various  camps  at  home. 

WORK  CONDUCTED  BY  THE  NATIONAL  WAR  WORK  COUNCIL 

The  statement  issued  by  J.  D.  Sutherland,  Philadelphia  representative  of  the 
National  War  Work  Council,  covered  the  period  from  September,  1917,  to  Decem- 
ber, 1919,  a  total  of  27  months. 

The  work  of  the  Navy  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  including  two  buildings,  one  in  the  city 
at  13th  and  Shunk  streets  and  the  other,  the  Navy  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building  at  the 
League  Island  Navy  Yard,  were  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  War  Work  Council. 
During  the  war  period  over  600,000  Navy  men  secured  sleeping  accommodations 

678 


and  used  .the  general  club  facilities,  including  baths,  lockers,  game  rooms,  reading 
and  writing  rooms.  Thousands  of  men  desiring  accommodations  were  turned 
away,  every  available  inch  of  space  in  the  city  Navy  building  being  packed  to 
capacity. 

The  building  at  the  Navy  Yard  proved  inadequate  to  meet  the  demands  of  war 
time,  and  on  September  20,  1917,  a  type  "E"  building,  including  an  auditorium 
and  social  room,  was  dedicated.  A  staff  of  five  secretaries  consisting  of  one  building 
secretary,  two  religious  work  secretaries,  one  social  and  one  educational  secretary 
were  placed  in  charge. 

Under  the  chairmanship  of  Mrs.  Robert  E.  Strawbridge,  a  committee  of 
Philadelphia  women  was  organized  to  conduct  a  canteen  for  the  sale  of  ice  cream, 
cake  and  soft  drinks.  Mrs.  John  W.  Geary,  a  member  of  this  committee,  furnished 
the  social  wing  of  the  building. 

Edward  Bok  presented  a  swimming  pool  at  League  Island,  75  feet  long 
and  25  feet  wide,  with  a  depth  of  4  feet  at  the  shallow  end  and  9  feet  at  the  deep 
end. 

The  Commandant  at  the  Navy  Yard  was  so  pleased  with  the  pool  and  the 
possibility  that  his  men  could  be  given  instruction  in  swimming,  that  he  issued  a 
schedule  of  hours  for  the  different  detachments  stationed  at  the  yard. 

In  the  second  "  Y"  financial  drive  for  $35,000,000  a  troop  of  nine  Boy  Scouts 
of  Merion,  Pa.,  raised  $32,000.  This  troop  decided  to  present  this  entire  amount 
to  the  National  War  Work  Council  for  "Y"  work  and  requested  that  $15,000  go 
to  France  to  provide  a  hut  for  the  Army  and  the  balance  of  $17,000  to  provide  a 
modern  gymnasium  for  the  men  of  the  Navy  and  Marine  Corps  at  League  Island 
Navy  Yard.  This  building  with  full  equipment,  including  apparatus,  wrestling 
mats,  hand  ball  and  basket  ball  courts  and  full  gym  equipment,  had  a  seating  capac- 
ity for  1,500  men.  It  was  dedicated  June  5,  1918.  The  association  in  this  dis- 
trict was  particularly  fortunate  in  having  such  a  complete  physical  equipment 
and  the  men  of  the  service  took  advantage  of  the  entire  plant  to  its  fullest  capacity. 

In  September,  1918,  the  influenza  epidemic  which  swept  the  country  reached 
League  Island  Navy  Yard  and  on  September  11th  the  use  of  the  buildings  was 
offered  to  the  medical  authorities  and  on  September  12th  they  were  taken  over. 
The  auditorium  and  social  room  were  taken  by  the  Navy  and  provided  quarters 
for  200  patients;  the  gymnasium  was  taken  by  the  U.  S.  M.  C.  and  also  provided 
quarters  for  200  men.  The  staff  of  secretaries  volunteered  to  care  for  these  men, 
and  during  a  period  of  three  weeks  rendered  remarkable  service  in  caring  for  the 
sick  and  ministering  to  the  parents  and  relatives  of  the  men  who  died.  The 
entire  yard  was  quarantined  for  a  period  of  six  weeks  and  when  conditions  improved 
at  League  Island,  members  of  the  staff  gave  their  services  in  city  hospitals  where 
the  epidemic  had  made  particularly  hard  inroads  among  the  population  of  the 
city. 

Figures  summarizing  the  work  from  September  20,  1917,  to  July  1,  1919, 
show  that  the  attendance  at  the  building  totaled  2,103,920  and  that  544,400 
letters  were  written.  The  secretaries  sold  money  orders  totaling  $53,998.26  and 
cashed  checks  on  a  daily  average  of  $250,  amounting  in  all  to  $150,000. 

The  secretaries  in  charge  of  religious  work  conducted  205  meetings  with  a 
total  attendance  of  44,206.  Three  hundred  and  twenty-one  Bible  classes  were 
organized  with  a  membership  of  5,461;  over  8,000  copies  of  Scriptures  were  dis- 

679 


tributed  and  4,000  personal  interviews  held  with  the  men  for  the  discussion  of  moral 
and  religious  subjects. 

In  the  Educational  Department  13,896  men  attended  39  lectures.  There  were 
361  educational  classes  with  a  total  attendance  of  5,328. 

The  library  was  operated  under  the  Educational  Department  and  11,392 
books  were  put  in  circulation.  The  swimming  pool  was  used  by  48,679  men, 
and  108,385  took  advantage  of  the  facilities  offered  by  the  gymnasium  and  its 
equipment.  Motion-picture  entertainments  proved  popular,  as  usual,  and  the 
Social  Department  reported  that  127,025  men  enjoyed  the  films. 

Besides  the  work  at  League  Island,  the  Philadelphia  district  organized  and 
developed  activities  in  seven  other  places: 

Paoli — Camp  Edward  C.  Fuller,  for  Signal  Battalion,  U.  S.  M.  C,  operated 
from  June  to  September,  1918. 

Fort  Mifflin — Ammunition  base,  three  miles  below  League  Island  on  the 
Delaware  River.     Extension  program  from  Navy  Yard  for  300  marines. 

Frankford  Arsenal — The  government  prepared  a  room  inside  the  arsenal 
for  association  purposes  and  the  "Y"  secretary  also  had  charge  of  a  community 
house  outside  of  the  arsenal  for  recreation  purposes.  This  work  was  carried  on 
from  September,  1918,  to  January,  1919,  for  the  600  Army  men  at  this 
place. 

Greenwich  Point — The  association  equipped  a  building  which  the  Govern- 
ment provided  and  detailed  a  secretary  on  full  time  for  work  with  800  men  of  the 
United  States  Army  and  Motor  Transport  Corps  for  a  period  covering  January, 
1919,  to  July,  1919. 

United  States  Army  Hospital  No.  22  (Blockley),  Philadelphia — From 
February  to  May,  1919,  the  Government  provided  a  room  in  the  hospital  for 
association  work  and  during  the  months  of  May  and  June  the  activities  were 
continued  in  a  large  tent.  A  secretary  on  full  time  looked  after  the  needs  of  600 
wounded  overseas  men  and  400  detachment  men. 

Besides  the  above  camps,  etc.,  the  Philadelphia  district  included  the  very  ex- 
tensive work  at  Wissahickon  Barracks,  Cape  May,  N.  J.,  and  work  at  the  sub- 
marine base,  Sewells  Point,  N.  J. 

The  war  work  of  the  association  in  this  district  was  taken  over  by  the  Govern- 
ment on  January  1,  1920,  the  activities  being  confined  now,  as  before  the  war, 
to  the  permanent  work  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  the  League  Island  Navy  Yard, 
at  the  Navy  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Building,  at  13th  and  Shunk  streets,  and  in  the 
various  branches  of  the  Association  in  and  near  the  city. 

A  large  number  of  Philadelphians  enlisted  for  overseas  service  with  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.,  and  some  of  them  were  placed  in  executive  positions  of  considerable  impor- 
tance. Among  these  may  be  mentioned  Franklin  S.  Edmonds,  who  organized 
the  first  Leave  Area  of  the  A.  E.  F.  at  Aix-les-Bains,  and  later  was  head  of  the 
Soldiers'  Leave  Department  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  A.  E.  F.,  and  also  head  of  the  Legal 
Department  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Liaison  Commissioner  with  the  American  Red 
Cross. 

John  L.  Clarkson,  of  the  Philadelphia  Association,  was  placed  in  charge  of 
the  pioneer  educational  work  with  the  A.  E.  F.  overseas  and  later  was  commis- 
sioned a  Major.  George  W.  Braden  was  first  the  Physical  Instructor  at  the  Leave 
Area  at  Aix-les-Bains,  and  later  was  in  entire  charge  of  the  physical  work  of  the 

680 


Y.  M.  C.  A.  with  the  Italian  Army  (Caso  del  Soldato).  He  was  made  an  Honorary 
Major  of  the  Italian  Army. 

0.  Howard  Wolfe  was  head  of  the  Personnel  Department  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
A.  E.  F.,  during  the  last  six  months  of  the  war.  Howard  Butcher,  was  Treasurer 
and  Assistant  Chairman  of  the  Finance  Committee.  Charles  Carver,  Jr.,  was  Divi- 
sional Secretary  of  the  Auvergne  Leave  Area.  Later  he  was  in  charge  of  the  Leave 
Area  of  the  Riviera,  the  largest  in  the  A.  E.  F.,  where  150,000  men  were  entertained 
for  seven-day  vacations. 

Miss  Gertrude  Ely  was  one  of  the  pioneer  women  secretaries,  and  served  with 
the  1st  Division  until  after  it  had  marched  into  the  Rhine  Valley.  Mrs.  D.  Braden 
Kyle  was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  organizing  the  First  Officers'  Club  at  Cannes. 
Miss  Lulu  Duhring  was  in  charge  of  the  women's  work  in  the  Auvergne  Leave 
Area. 

There  were  many  others  in  this  service  whose  work  was  of  equal  merit,  so 
that  Philadelphians  may  recall,  with  proper  pride,  their  part  in  this  notable  work. 

THE  YOUNG  WOMEN'S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION 

By  Dorothy  Bauer 

'  To  stand  behind  the  girl  behind  the  man  behind  the  gun" — this  was  the  task 
undertaken  by  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association  of  America  when  the 
country  faced  the  possibility  of  taking  part  in  the  European  war. 

The  immediate  tasks  lay  in  safeguarding  the  moral  conditions  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Army  and  Navy  training  camps,  and  welfare  work  among  women  who  en- 
tered Dew  industries  in  the  unusual  conditions  created  by  war. 

Officers  of  the  Army  and  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  centered 
their  activities  on  men  in  camp,  and  it  was  essential  in  safeguarding  the  men 
in  camps  that  there  be  established  cooperative  work  of  women  for  women  in  the 
communities  where  men  were  quartered. 

The  organization  which  in  times  of  peace  and  under  ordinary  circumstances 
is  able  to  carry  out  a  program  is  naturally  the  one  to  which  the  community  turns 
in  time  of  emergency.  The  Young  Women's  Christian  Association  had  the 
machinery,  the  equipment  and  the  motive  to  do  such  work  effectively. 

Added  impetus  was  given  to  the  plans  of  the  National  Board  by  telegrams 
from  the  War  Department  Commission  on  Training  Camp  Activities,  and  from 
the  general  secretary  of  the  International  Committee  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  which 
set  forth  the  need  for  expert  women  workers. 

The  acceptance  of  this  sudden  challenge  to  prove  their  ability  to  help  in  the 
social,  industrial  and  economic  readjustment  of  the  lives  of  thousands  of  women 
and  girls  in  our  country  culminated  in  two  war  meetings  on  June  6  and  7,  1917, 
at  which  a  War  Work  Council  was  organized. 

The  National  Board  authorized  the  creation  of  a  War  Work  Council  con- 
sisting of  one  hundred  women.  Some  were  National  Board  members  and  field 
work  representatives;  others  were  women  of  varied  interests  who  were  not,  at  the 
time,  connected  with  the  association. 

The  function  of  the  council  was  to  act  as  a  committee  of  the  National  Board, 
and  use  the  resources  of  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  in  meeting  the  special  needs  of  girls  and 
young  women  of  all  countries  affected  by  the  war. 

681 


The  council  included  women  of  all  classes,  of  all  denominations,  everywhere. 
Philadelphia  members  were:  Mrs.  Edwin  C.  Grice,  Mrs.  William  L.  McLean,  Mrs. 
John  Markoe  and  Mrs.  Edward  T.  Stotesbury. 

All  the  activities  of  the  council  were  directed  by  special  committees  which 
operated  in  sections  of  the  country  where  the  need  was  greatest.  The  Hostess 
House  Committee,  for  instance,  planned  to  erect  such  buildings  at  points  where 
they  would  be  easily  accessible  to  the  soldiers  of  the  United  States  Army  and  their 
women  relatives. 

Other  committees  directed  the  work  of  social  morality;  supervised  bureaus  for 
training  volunteers  for  special  service;  undertook  to  solve  housing  problems; 
launched  work  among  colored  women  and  girls  and  outlined  plans  for  work  over- 
seas. 

In  the  various  localities  the  type  of  activity  was  adapted  of  necessity  to  the 
local  conditions.  Patriotism  was  stimulated  by  the  organization  of  patriotic 
leagues  among  girls  who  were  lured  by  the  novelty  of  the  uniform;  Americanization 
work  was  started  among  foreigners  and  interpreters  sent  into  their  homes  to  ex- 
plain the  object  of  the  war;  and  social  community  centers  were  established. 

All  these  activities  were  carried  forward  under  the  insignia  of  the  Blue  Tri- 
angle, which  was  recognized  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  as  the  symbol  under  which 
America's  womanhood  rendered  service. 

In  approaching  the  war  problems  at  home,  the  War  Work  Council  was  enabled 
to  facilitate  its  work  by  the  existing  geographical  units  of  the  national  organization, 
which  is  subdivided  geographically  into  eleven  fields.  Philadelphia  contains  the 
executive  office  of  the  East  Central  Field,  which  comprises  the  states  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, Delaware,  Maryland  and  the  District  of  Columbia. 

In  this  field  the  first  Hostess  House  in  America  was  erected.  At  Allentown,  Pa., 
where  the  ambulance  corps  was  stationed  at  Camp  Crane,  the  building  was 
erected  with  Miss  Mary  Truman  in  charge.  Ultimately  the  need  of  a  permanent 
Y.  W.  C.  A.  became  apparent,  and  in  August,  1918,  the  National  War  Work  Council 
rented  a  building,  where  the  membership  mounted  rapidly  to  2,500. 

Mrs.  H.  S.  Prentiss  Nichols  was  appointed  Chairman  of  the  War  Work  Council 
in  the  East  Central  Field. 

Members  of  the  committee  included  Mrs.  Frederic  M.  Paist,  Mrs.  Frank  T. 
Griswold,  Mrs.  John  White  Geary,  Mrs.  William  C.  Ferguson,  Dr.  Ella  B.  Everitt, 
Mrs.  Charles  J.  String  and  Miss  Isabel  Gest. 

The  erection  of  a  hostess  house  at  Camp  Meade,  Maryland,  followed  soon 
after  the  opening  of  the  camp. 

Apart  from  these  two  centers,  however,  the  main  problem  of  the  field  during 
war  days  was  the  industrial  woman.  Hundreds  of  foreign-born  and  colored  women 
were  brought  into  the  State  to  work  in  the  munition  factories.  The  influx  was  so 
great  that  Philadelphia  is  rated  now  as  the  third  largest  city  of  colored  population 
in  the  United  States. 

These  facts,  as  they  emerged  from  the  chaos  and  confusion  of  the  war,  neces- 
sitated many  radical  changes  in  the  usual  association  program,  and  the  activities 
subdivided  broadly  into  four  phases: 

I.  The  establishment  of  Industrial  Service  Centers  to  furnish  living  accom- 
modations and  recreation  facilities  for  industrial  women. 

II.  The  introduction  of  an  Americanization  program   among  foreign-born 

682 


women  to  acquaint  them  with  the  causes  of  the  war;  to  read  and  translate  to  them 
the  letters  sent  from  husbands  or  sons  who  were  drafted;  and  finally  to  teach  them 
the  language  of  America — their  adopted  country;  its  customs,  and  the  methods 
of  preparing  food  that  help  in  food  conservation. 

III.  The  introduction  of  a  program  of  social  morality  by  a  series  of  lectures 
given  by  women  physicians — an  undertaking  that  was  financed  jointly  by  the 
Y.  W.  C.  A.  and  the  Women's  Council  of  National  Defense. 

IV.  Special  work  among  colored  women. 

One  of  the  chief  centers  for  Y.  W.  C.  A.  work  among  industrial  workers  was 
the  Frankford  Arsenal  at  Bridesburg,  where  thousands  of  additional  girls  were 
employed  to  meet  the  pressure  of  war  conditions.  In  October,  1918,  an  Industrial 
Women's  Service  Center  was  established.  The  recreation  and  club  rooms  were 
immediately  crowded  to  capacity  and  the  demand  for  a  cafeteria  was  so  instan- 
taneous that  one  was  installed.  The  establishment  of  clubs  in  the  center  led  in- 
directly to  Americanization  work,  owing  to  the  fact  that  there  is  a  large  Polish 
settlement  near  by  numbering  6,000.  This  led  to  the  addition  of  a  Polish  worker 
to  the  staff;  English  classes  were  started  for  mothers  and  the  school  principals  of 
the  district  gladly  welcomed  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  in  coping  with  a  situation  which  one 
of  them  described  as  "serious." 

Here  is  a  quick  glance  at  the  activities  of  the  Arsenal  Club  girls,  who  on  March 
17th  gave  a  Saint  Patrick's  dance  with  sailors  and  marines  from  the  Navy  Yard  as 
guests.  After  developing  the  recreational  facilities  of  the  center  to  the  greatest 
possible  degree,  the  girls  expressed  a  wish  for  talks  on  personal  appearance  and 
hygiene  and  these  were  started  under  Doctor  Rachel  Williams  of  Philadelphia. 
The  association  workers  rejoiced  to  find  that  there  were  tangible  results  almost 
instantly;  the  talks  were  followed  by  the  disappearance  of  those  large-sized  ear- 
buns  that  had  been  filled  formerly  with  "me  aunt's  hair." 

A  big  factor  in  this  phase  of  the  work  was  emergency  housing  for  the  employed 
girls  who,  in  many  instances,  came  to  Philadelphia  from  other  cities.  Of  the  many 
centers  either  built  or  rented  for  the  purpose,  the  National  War  Work  Council  ob- 
tained one  of  the  most  pleasant  in  a  residential  down-town  district  in  Philadelphia, 
where  forty  girls  could  be  accommodated.  This  was  known  as  the  Rosemont  House 
and  it  has  been  continued  as  a  permanent  living  place  for  girls.  The  majority  of 
the  original  occupants  were  employed  at  Hog  Island  and  the  applicants  from  the 
near-by  offices  were  so  numerous  that  a  long  waiting  list  was  started. 

Business  English  and  business  arithmetic  were  thoroughly  taught  and  for 
diversion  the  girls  exercised  in  the  gymnasiums,  held  club  suppers  and  minstrel 
shows  and  invited  their  men  friends  to  popularity  parties  on  Saturday  nights  when 
there  was  dancing,  and  games  were  played. 

Such  programs  as  these  did  much  to  alleviate  the  irresponsibility  bred  among 
many  younger  women  by  the  sense  of  uncertainty  and  disaster  that  accompanies 
war.  Moreover,  it  prepared  them  to  some  extent  to  grapple  with  the  changed 
conditions  of  the  reconstruction  period  when  the  slackened  war  industries  dropped 
the  unskilled  workers  from  their  jobs. 

Wherever  the  American  woman  went,  no  matter  what  her  mission,  the  Blue 
Triangle  went  with  her.  One  of  the  most  humanitarian  dwellings  it  adorned  was 
the  Players'  House  which  ultimately  was  erected  in  all  the  camps  for  the 
actresses  and  singers  who  volunteered  their  services  in  amusing  the  men.     The 

683 


other  camp  facilities  offered  the  women  no  opportunity  to  assume  their  make-up ; 
to  snatch  occasional  periods  of  rest,  or  to  stay  over  night,  if  irregular  train 
service  prevented  their  return  to  town.  All  the  Blue  Triangle  Players'  Houses 
were  operated  as  hotels  for  transients  and  were  planned  usually  to  accommodate 
about  thirty-five  guests. 

The  contemplation  of  the  industrial  girl's  war-time  problems  led  almost  in- 
evitably to  the  Americanization  work  which  was  such  a  vital  part  of  the  associa- 
tion's program  at  that  time. 

The  influx  of  foreign  workers  and  the  circumstances  that  caused  America's 
entrance  into  the  war,  made  the  machinery  of  the  association  doubly  valuable.  It 
is  the  one  organization  that  deals  with  alien-born  groups  in  their  own  language.  The 
workers  whom  the  organization  employed  to  carry  the  creed  of  Americanization 
into  every  foreign  household,  included :  Italians,  Hungarians,  Spaniards,  Russians, 
Poles,  Syrians,  Lithuanians,  Portuguese,  Serbians,  Mexicans,  Japanese  and  Chinese. 

These  Y.  W.  C.  A.  workers  translated  the  newspaper  articles  to  the  women 
whose  husbands  or  sons  had  been  drafted  into  service  and  who  could  not  under- 
stand the  purpose  of  the  war.  They  explained  the  food  saving  regime  of  the 
administration;  assisted  in  writing  letters  to  the  men  in  the  camps  and  explained 
the  modern  principles  of  child  welfare,  homekeeping  and  cooking. 

The  purpose  of  the  social  morality  program  was  to  obviate  the  grave  situation 
which  confronted  the  communities  adjoining  the  camps  where  thousands  of  men 
were  concentrated.  The  lonely  soldier,  bored,  indolent,  homesick  and  craving 
diversion,  was  confronted  by  the  young  girl  whose  truly  unselfish  desire  to  serve 
her  country,  was  too  often,  mistakenly  directed  toward  the  individual  wearer  of 
the  United  States  Army  uniform. 

The  girls'  ignorance  of  life  and  war  conditions  was  a  menace,  and  the  Bureau 
of  Social  Morality  which  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  had  established  when  troops  were  ordered 
to  the  Mexican  border  supplied  the  ground  work  for  the  continuation  of  such  lec- 
tures. The  government,  recognizing  the  urgent  need  for  such  education,  took 
advantage  of  the  experience  accumulated  by  women  pioneers  already  enrolled  in 
the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  and  jointly  with  the  association,  financed  the  work  carried  out  along 
these  lines,  under  the  Women's  Council  of  National  Defense.  Women  physician? 
lectured  in  the  high  schools  and  colleges.  They  talked  to  church  groups,  house 
maids,  department  store  girls,  welfare  workers  and  war  workers.  In  all,  there 
were  more  than  2,000  lectures  given  in  225  communities  of  thirty-eight  states  and 
the  total  attendance  is  estimated  at  350,000  of  which  Pennsylvania  had  a  large  share. 

When  the  association  confronted  the  problem  of  the  colored  women  who  had 
come  north  in  great  numbers,  as  their  men  were  utilized  for  war  industries,  the 
center  of  activity  shifted  to  Philadelphia.  Here,  the  field  workers  made  a  pioneer 
effort  to  supply  education  and  wholesome  amusement  for  the  colored  girls  who 
were  employed  in  such  industries  as  tobacco  stripping,  shirtwaist  factories,  steam 
laundries  and  in  domestic  service.  There  were  more  than  a  thousand  so  employed, 
and  to  reach  them  four  clubs  were  organized  with  volunteer  colored  teachers 
who  were  graduates  of  high  and  normal  schools.  Soon  the  need  of  larger  and  more 
extensive  quarters  was  apparent,  and  a  house  in  the  down-town  section  was  utilized 
as  a  club. 

The  association  attempted  to  supply  new  needs  as  quickly  as  they  arose.  The 
war  created  a  demand  for  women  as  employment  managers  and  industrial  specialists. 

681 


The  National  War  Work  Council,  on  the  advice  of  the  Industrial  Department, 
financed  ah  industrial  training  course  at  Bryn  Mawr  College  where  it  operated 
under  the  Carola  Woerishoffer  Foundation.  This  course  started  in  June,  1917, 
when  Doctor  Susan  M.  Kingsbury  enrolled  twelve  students.  Miss  Anna  Bezanson, 
the  Instructor,  selected  the  class  from  a  large  number  of  applicants  and  permitted 
none  to  enter  the  course,  she  would  not  hire,  were  she  the  employment 
manager  of  a  factory.  Miss  Bezanson  herself  had  practical  experience  in  one  of 
the  largest  razor  manufacturing  concerns  in  the  country.  The  course  was  con- 
ducted in  the  closest  cooperation  with  the  government  and  with  large  employers 
of  labor  who  recognized  it  as  the  preliminary  change  in  a  sweeping  reconstruction  of 
the  industrial  educational  system  of  the  country. 

The  students  spent  two  days  of  each  week  in  large  plants,  usually  in  Phila- 
delphia. Two  days  were  spent  in  the  service  departments  of  various  concerns 
learning  the  details  of  organization  and  personnel  work.  Then  the  students  entered 
the  factories  as  actual  workers  in  the  different  processes  where  they  learned  machine 
and  hand  work  from  direct  experience.  They  acquired,  also,  the  viewpoint  of  the 
industrial  worker,  and  it  is  related  of  the  first  group  that "  they  established  a  splendid 
record  for  reliability  and  although  they  had  to  leave  for  work  at  5.50  a.m.  not 
one  was  ever  late  for  her  factory." 

When  graduation  came,  the  employers  who  had  helped  train  the  students, 
asked  for  their  services  in  employment  work.  The  course  was  a  splendid  pre- 
liminary for  all  attempts  at  intelligent  legislation  on  the  woman-in-industry  situa- 
tion. The  experiment  was  so  successful  that  after  hearing  the  report,  the  War 
Work  Council  voted  for  the  continuance  of  the  course  and  appropriated  $8,000 
to  be  given  in  the  form  of  scholarships. 

Another  interesting  innovation  which  was  introducted,  with  the  happiest 
results,  at  the  Germantown  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  5820  Germantown  Avenue,  was  the  course 
to  teach  leaders  of  recreation  the  gentle  art  of  "breaking  the  ice."  Miss  Edna 
Geister,  who  has  a  peculiar  genius  for  entertaining  was  guiding  genius  of  the  course 
and  under  her  tutelage  the  girls  were  taught  to  keep  "things  going"  at  those  mixed 
parties  where  reserve  hangs  like  a  thick  mist  upon  the  men  and  girls  who  are  un- 
acquainted with  one  another.  As  a  result,  many  hundreds  of  service  men  have  had 
their  evenings  turned  to  riots  of  fun,  instead  of  enduring  dreary  ice-cream  festivals. 

The  colorful  chapter  of  association  work,  however,  is  summed  up  in  the  word 
"overseas."  With  the  exodus  of  American  women  to  France,  the  Y.  W.  C.  A. 
went  also,  for  the  Triangle  stands  as  the  eternal  symbol  of  spiritual,  physical  and 
mental  welfare. 

American  women  served  as  telephonists,  telegraphists  with  the  Expeditionary 
Forces.  The  Y.  W.  C.  A.  housed  them  and  provided  them  with  such  comforts  as 
the  war-ravaged  countries  might  permit.  Work  was  also  started  for  the  nurses, 
and  at  the  request  of  the  French  Government,  fifteen  recreational  and  educational 
centers  were  established  for  the  "Midinettes." 

Philadelphia  gave  its  quota  to  the  workers  overseas.  Among  the  workers  was 
Miss  Marjorie  Persons,  a  former  secretary  with  the  East  Central  Field,  who  served 
as  Secretary  for  the  Hostess  House  at  Tours  and  later  went  to  Treves,  Germany. 
Miss  Agnes  Winters,  a  volunteer  worker  at  the  Lighthouse,  worked  with  the  French 
Industrial  Women  at  Bristol.  Miss  Ethel  Johnson,  of  Germantown,  was  transferred 
from  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  in  Palermo  to  another  station. 

685 


Other  Philadelphians  who  are  listed  as  having  done  war  work  service  for  the 
Y.  W.  C.  A.  before  May,  1919,  are  Miss  Eleanor  B.  Barker,  Miss  Gertrude  Bingham, 
Mrs.  Florence  Burt,  Miss  Eva  Chadwick,  Miss  Faith  Clark,  Miss  Ethel  Erskine, 
Miss  Clare  Evans,  Miss  Charlotte  Foster,  Miss  Vera  Freeman,  Miss  Emily  S. 
Galbreath,  Miss  Helen  Gillette,  Miss  Mary  Goodhue,  Miss  Grace  Hamill,  Miss  Eva 
Hartman,  Miss  Genevieve  W.  James,  Miss  Beulah  E.  Knauer,  Miss  Edith  G. 
Knowles,  Miss  Marguerite  Lautenbach,  Miss  Eleanor  P.  Monroe,  Miss  Harriet 
E.  Norris,  Miss  Marion  0.  Perkins,  Germantown,  Miss  Margaret  Riegel,  German- 
town,  Miss  Ruth  P.  Ring,  Miss  Anna  M.  Scott,  Mount  Airy,  Miss  Louise  Sauter, 
Germantown,  Miss  Grace  Sheppard,  Germantown,  Mrs.  Nancy  M.  Wilson,  Miss 
Helen  Williams,  Germantown,  and  Mrs.  Selina  Wispetal. 

THE  WOMAN  SUFFRAGE  PARTY  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

COUNTY* 

The  Woman  Suffrage  Party  was  one  of  the  first  organizations  to  recognize 
the  need  for  a  properly  chaperoned  place  of  pleasure  for  the  soldiers,  sailors  and 
marines  who  were  strangers  in  this  city,  and  for  the  young  women  whose  acquaint- 
ance they  sought. 

Altogether  over  300,000  men,  who  were  quartered  in  Philadelphia  or  in  the 
camps  surrounding  the  city,  were  entertained  by  a  committee  of  women  repre- 
senting the  Woman  Suffrage  Party,  under  the  chairmanship  of  Mrs.  Joseph  M. 
Gazzam. 

The  first  entertainment  was  held  in  Mrs.  Gazzam's  drawing-room,  and  later 
at  the  Suffrage  Headquarters,  1723  Chestnut  Street,  and  at  various  other  places. 
Dances  were  given  twice  a  week,  frequently  special  entertainment  was  provided 
and  refreshments  were  always  served. 

The  work  of  the  Woman  Suffrage  Party  received  widespread  commendation 
and  letters  of  appreciation  were  received  from  the  President,  Secretary  of  War 
Baker,  Secretary  of  Navy  Daniels,  General  Pershing  and  Admiral  Sims. 

Harry  T.  Jordan,  of  Keith's  Theater,  was  a  generous  contributor  and  supplied 
a  number  of  vaudeville  acts.  Colonel  Duffy  gave  the  use  of  the  ballroom  at  the 
Rittenhouse;  Mrs.  George  W.  Childs  Drexel,  the  Rev.  Carl  E.  Grammer,  the 
Rev.  Floyd  W.  Tomkins  and  the  Rev.  George  Herbert  Toop  were  also  active  in 
their  cooperation. 

Among  the  workers  on  the  original  committee  were: 

Mrs.  Joseph  M.  Gazzam,  Chairman,  Mrs.  Helen  Spooner,  Vice-Chairman. 

The  Misses  Anna  Harris  Snyder,  Edith  Smiley,  Margaret  Roberts,  Rebecca  Hunt,  Ann 
Harned  and  Miss  Shedke;  Mrs.  G.  A.  Piersol,  Mrs.  A.  Foster,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Rums,  Mrs.  G.  A.  Dunn- 
ing, Mrs.  R.  Raiguel,  Mrs.  Kohn,  Mrs.  I.  Eachue,  Dr.  I.  H.  Moore  and  Dr.  Marion  Self. 

After  the  armistice,  although  the  Suffrage  Party  thought  its  war  work  should 
come  to  an  end,  a  committee  continued  the  work  at  the  request  of  the  War 
Camp  Community  Service  and  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Mr.  Daniels,  and 
renamed  their  parties  the  "Theodore  Roosevelt  Dances  for  Enlisted  Men." 
This  committee  was  composed  of  Mrs.  Joseph  M.  Gazzam,  Chairman;  Mrs.  Helen 
Spooner,  Secretary;  and  Miss  Edith  Smiley,  Treasurer.     Assisting,  as  aides,  were 

•Summarized  by  the  Secretary,  Philadelphia  War  History  Committee,  from  various  reports. 

686 


the  Misses  Ann  Harned,  Pauline  Mitchell,  Katherine  McDonald  and  Margaret 
Roberts;  Mrs.  A.  Foster  and  Dr.  Marion  Self. 

Included  in  this  post  war  work  were  the  monthly  parties  of  girls,  properly 
chaperoned,  who  were  taken  to  the  dances  at  Camp  Dix. 

WAR  WELFARE  COUNCIL 

By  D.  S.  Blackman 

Philadelphia  anticipated  the  National  War  Chest  by  the  organization  of  a 
local  council  to  secure  funds  from  which  contributions  for  approved  war  work 
could  be  made. 

In  April,  1917,  the  city  and  four  adjacent  counties  were  called  upon  to  conduct 
a  drive  for  the  National  War  Work  Council  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  immediately  follow- 
ing which  the  American  Red  Cross  appealed  to  the  public.  Therefore,  it  was 
decided  to  organize  for  one  general  solicitation,  and  a  meeting  for  a  discussion  of 
plans  was  called  by  Samuel  T.  Bodine,  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis,  Alba  B.  Johnson,  T. 
DeWitt  Cuyler,  James  A.  Flaherty,  Rabbi  Joseph  Krauskopf,  George  H. 
McFadden,  E.  T.  Stotesbury,  John  Wanamaker. 

At  this  meeting,  held  on  December  21,  1917,  Mr.  Stotesbury  was  elected  chair- 
man and  a  permanent  organization  was  authorized  to  "Regulate  and  conduct  all 
War  Fund  Campaigns  in  the  most  effective  manner  in  order  that  all  citizens  may 
render  the  greatest  possible  support  to  the  United  States  Government." 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  further  the  plans  and  included  Horatio  G. 
Lloyd,  Chairman,  Percy  M.  Chandler,  George  H.  Frazier,  John  J.  Henderson, 
R.  Leo  Hunt,  David  Kirschbaum,  John  H.  Mason,  W.  Hinckle  Smith,  P.  C.  Staples, 
Hugh  I.  Wilson. 

On  February  6,  1918,  the  committee  rendered  its  report  and  the  following 
officers  of  the  War  Welfare  Council  for  Philadelphia  and  vicinity  were  elected: 
E.  T.  Stotesbury,  President;  Joseph  R.  Grundy,  Vice-President,  Bucks  County; 
H.  A.  Beale,  Jr.,  Vice-President,  Chester  County;  Percival  Roberts,  Vice-President, 
Montgomery  County;  Hon.  Wm.  C.  Sproul,  Vice-President,  Delaware  County; 
Hugh  I.  Wilson,  Secretary;  Drexel  &  Company,  Treasurer. 

An  executive  committee  was  appointed  consisting  of:  Horatio  G.  Lloyd, 
Chairman;  John  H.  Mason,  John  J.  Henderson,  Albert  E.  Berry,  Edward  W.  Bok, 
David  Kirschbaum,  W.  Hinckle  Smith,  Percy  M.  Chandler,  Hugh  I.  Wilson, 
R.  Leo  Hunt. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  John  Wanamaker,  Campaign  Headquarters  were 
established  in  the  Liberty  Building.  The  first  task  confronting  the  committee 
was  that  of  preparing  a  suitable  list  of  names  in  order  that  as  many  duplications 
as  possible  might  be  avoided,  and  that  all  interests  without  regard  to  creed,  in- 
dustry, etc.,  might  be  appealed  too.  The  second  task,  was  to  fix  a  quota,  and  the 
sum  of  $20,000,000  was  decided  upon  by  the  Budget  Committee  under  the  chair- 
manship of  Percy  M.  Chandler. 

Twenty-nine  teams,  totaling  161  workers,  were  organized.  The  following 
served  as  captains:  Albert  E.  Berry,  General  Director;  Henry  G.  Brengle,  Louis 
Wolf,  C.  C.  Harrison,  Jr.,  N.  W.  Corson,  Thos.  DeWitt  Cuyler,  Ely  K.  Selig,  Sol. 
Bacharach,  Arthur  G.  Dickson,  E.  T.  Stotesbury,  E.  W.  Clark,  Morris  L.  Clothier, 
John  F.  C.  Harvey,  Ernest  T.  Trigg,  John  P.  Connelly,  James  A.  Flaherty,  Percy 

687 


C.  Madeira,  Samuel  D.  Lit,  C.  Herman  Krumbhaar,  Calvin  M.  Smyth,  George  H. 
Frazier,  William  C.  Furber,  William  P.  Gest,  William  Gerstley,  Louis  G.  Graff, 
William  K.  Hardt,  J.  Howard  Pew,  Albert  Wolf,  William  A.  Hexamer. 

Divisional  directors  were  also  appointed  for  the  city  and  included: 

Thomas  Sballcross Divisional  Director,  West  Philadelphia 

Hon.  John  M.  Patterson Divisional  Director,  South  Philadelphia 

Thomas  F.  Armstrong *V. . ; . .  Divisional  Director,  North  Philadelphia 

J.  Howell  Cummings Divisional  Director,  Kensington 

George  D.  Porter Divisional  Director,  Germantown 

E.  J.  Lafferty Divisional  Director,  Oak  Lane 

John  Walton Divisional  Director,  Northeast  Philadelphia 

Directors  for  work  among  employes  included: 

Alba  B.  Johnson,  Chairman,  Manufacturing  Employes 
Ellis  A.  Gimbel,  Chairman,  Retail  Employes 
Joseph  J.  McLaughlin,  Chairman,  Public  Employes 
Herbert  J.  Tily,  Chairman,  General  Employes 

The  Educational  Committee,  which  was  in  reality  the  Publicity  Agency, 
directed  by  David  Kirschbaum,  prepared  comprehensive  literature  including 
posters,  etc.,  for  making  known  the  real  intent  and  purpose  of  the  project. 
About  2,500  War  Chest  Clubs  were  established  by  the  directors  of  the  Employes 
Division;  the  Board  of  Education  allowed  solicitation  in  the  schools,  and  outside 
street  car  advertising  was  permitted  by  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Company. 

In  Philadelphia  about  500,000  people  made  individual  contributions  and  in  the 
four  counties  250,000  more  persons  had  a  share  in  the  work. 

There  was  also  created  a  special  committee  on  disbursements,  of  which  Samuel 
T.  Bodine  was  Chairman.  Associated  with  Mr.  Bodine  were  Percy  M.  Chandler, 
Thomas  DeWitt  Cuyler,  Samuel  S.  Fels,  James  A.  Flaherty,  Horatio  G.  Lloyd, 
George  Wharton  Pepper,  Percival  Roberts,  W.  Hinckle  Smith. 

The  recorded  pledges  and  payments  totaled  $20,673,868.52,  of  which  sum 
$16,289,093.29  was  subscribed  in  Philadelphia  and  $4,384,775.23  was  subscribed 
in  the  four  counties.  To  March  15,  1920,  $15,502,785.70  (or  74.9%)  had  been 
paid  in.  The  disbursements  to  beneficiaries  amounted  to  $15,344,553.44,  and  the 
expenses  were  $372,330.20,  less  the  sums  of  $67,500  and  $75,000  received  from  the 
American  Red  Cross  and  the  United  War  Work  Council,  respectively,  to  facilitate 
the  collection  of  pledges. 


68a 


CIVIC  CLUB  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

Mrs.  Edward  W.  Biddle,  President 

HIS  CLUB  was  founded  in  1894  to  arouse  in  the  women  of 
Philadelphia  an  appreciation  of  their  civic  obligations. 
Recognition  of  civic  obligations  is,  however,  an  important 
foundation  stone  in  the  structure  of  patriotism,  and  with 
such  a  foundation  it  is  not  surprising  to  find  the  members 
of  the  Civic  Club  identified  with  a  large  number  of  war- 
time activities — giving  to  these  personal  service  to  the 
limit  of  physical  strength,  and  financial  aid  to  the  limit  of 
of  their  resources. 

The  Club's  roster  (which  covers  more  than  six  pages 
of  the  Civic  Club  Bulletin  issued  for  January  and  February,  1918)  shows  that  of  its 
members,  including  those  of  ward  branches,  559  worked  in  the  ranks  of  the  Emer- 
gency Aid  of  Pennsylvania,  341  rendered  service  through  the  American  Red 
Cross,  27  were  associated  with  the  work  of  the  National  League  for  Woman's 
Service,  and  17  with  that  of  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  These  are  but  four  of  the  many 
groups  with  which  members  allied  themselves.  This  service  included  public  speak- 
ing in  behalf  of  production  and  conservation  of  food  supplies,  in  behalf  of  all  the  war 
loan  drives  and  for  the  various  war  relief  emergencies  arising  from  time  to  time.  It 
included  the  gifts  for  foreign  needs,  of  three  ambulances,  of  ether  in  large  quantities, 
of  surgical  instruments  and  supplies,  of  food  for  the  children  of  a  Belgian  village,  of 
provision  for  the  salaries  of  nurses  and  helpers — all  these  through  the  generosity  of 
a  member  of  the  Club's  Board  of  Directors.  From  another  member  came  the  gift 
of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  swimming  pool  at  the  Navy  Yard. 

Another  piece  of  personal  service  took  the  form  of  the  translation  of  an  im- 
portant article  on  "The  Utilization  of  the  Maimed  for  the  Scientific  Organization 
of  Work"  and  published  in  the  bulletin  of  the  Taylor  Society.  Artist  members 
contributed  posters  for  war  relief  benefits,  singers  gave  their  voices  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  soldiers  and  for  assistance  in  emergency  drives,  devotees  of  the  drama 
interested  themselves  in  the  Stage  Women's  War  Relief,  and  those  trained  in  social 
welfare  kept  in  touch  with  the  families  of  enlisted  men  and  in  special  work  designed 
to  keep  families  and  soldiers  in  touch  with  each  other. 

The  executive  service  rendered  by  members,  outside  of  their  individual  work 
and  contributions,  forms  in  its  recital  a  long  and  impressive  list.  They  served 
as  guides  and  administrators  for  numerous  efficient  groups  and  bureaus,  both  at 
home  and  abroad.  In  this  particular  field  may  be  mentioned  direction  of  com- 
mittee work,  of  hospitality  to  enlisted  men,  of  hospital  work,  and  of  reconstruction 
work  in  devastated  countries.  Thus  much  for  the  work  of  individual  members, 
who  gave  freely  and  generously  of  time,  strength,  talent,  and  money. 

The  club  as  an  organization  made  itself  responsible  for  the  direction  from  9 
a.m.  to  1  p.m.  of  the  Information  Booth  for  Enlisted  Men,  located  on  the  east  plaza 
of  City  Hall — a  work  begun  January  28,  1918,  and  continued  daily  until  June  30, 
1919 ;  and  the  collection  of  forty  colored  lantern  slides  showing  views  of  Philadelphia, 

689 


which  were  presented  to  the  National  War  Work  Council  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  for 
use  in  its  "huts"  in  France. 

Through  such  patriotic  work  as  we  find  listed  in  its  roster  did  the  Civic 
Club  show  its  right  to  be  counted  among  those  groups  who  stood  fast  in  the  hour 
of  national  peril. 

THE  NEW  CENTURY  CLUB 

Mrs.  H.  S.  Prentiss  Nichols,  President 

On  September  30,  1914,  at  the  meeting  of  the  Executive  Board  of  the  New 
Century  Club,  Philadelphia,  the  President  spoke  of  the  outbreak  of  war  in  Europe, 
never  dreaming  that  America  would  ever  be  involved,  and  suggested  that  relief 
work  would  be  needed.  The  International  Committee  at  once  took  it  up  and  within 
a  week  the  committee  was  at  work. 

The  far  flung  battle  fine  finally  reached  these  shores  and  in  April,  1917, 
the  United  States  joined  the  Allies  against  the  cruelties  and  aggressions  of 
Germany.  What  had  been  a  philanthropic  effort  to  relieve  the  sufferings  of 
countries  across  the  seas  became  a  sublime  expression  of  love  of  this  country 
and  her  own  beloved  sons.  As  part  of  its  contribution  to  this  great  call  the  New 
Century  Club  decided  to  devote  its  energies  to  war  work.  An  appeal  to  the  club 
brought  a  swift  response  from  its  own  members  of  more  than  $5,000  to  finance  the 
undertaking.  The  plan  decided  upon  was  to  open  the  club  house  Sunday  afternoons 
and  evenings  for  the  use  of  the  men  in  the  service.  A  great  host  of  more  than 
20,000  men  in  uniform  were  guests  of  the  club  week  by  week,  until  after  the  signing 
of  the  armistice.  Summer  and  winter  the  club  house  was  open  every  Sunday. 
Writing  materials,  reading  matter,  quiet  comfort  all  Sunday  afternoon,  a  hot  supper 
served  by  the  loving  hands  of  club  members,  and  in  the  evenings  music  and  ad- 
dresses by  men  of  distinction  and  influence.  Echoes  of  gratitude  came  from  many 
mothers  in  distant  homes  for  this  friendly  mothering  of  their  sons. 

The  club  also  instituted  a  policy  of  open  meetings  for  all  women  whether  club 
members  or  not,  and  such  subjects  as  the  Council  of  Defense,  Red  Cross,  Emergency 
Aid,  International  Friendships,  War-time  Prohibition,  Education  of  Soldiers,  Need 
of  Nurses,  etc.,  were  presented.  Great  throngs  came  to  hear  eminent  speakers, 
among  them  Dr.  Anna  Howard  Shaw;  Mrs.  A.  Burnett-Smith,  sent  to  the  United 
States  by  the  British  Government;  Madame  Louis  Cazamian  who  was  sent  here 
with  the  French  Commission;  the  Contessa  Cipriani  representing  Italy,  and  many 
other  distinguished  women  and  men  whose  great  souls  kindled  an  answering  fire 
of  patriotism. 

The  first  meeting  of  women  in  Philadelphia  to  assist  in  the  Liberty  Loan  was 
held  in  the  New  Century  Club,  June,  1917,  to  which  the  presidents  of  125 
women's  clubs  were  invited.  For  the  Second,  Third,  Fourth  and  Fifth  Liberty 
Loans  $722,800  were  subscribed  through  the  club  in  the  club  house. 

The  club  house  was  given  over  to  the  use  of  the  Philadelphia  Council  of  Defense, 
under  the  chairmanship  of  Mrs.  Henry  D.  Jump,  during  the  summer  of  1917,  and 
was  a  veritable  hive  of  patriotic  industry. 

Four  members  of  the  club,  Miss  Ella  Ide  Kenney,  Miss  Marion  S.  Comly, 
Miss  Frances  M.  White  and  Miss  Jessie  R.  Wilkinson,  rendered  war  service  over- 
seas. 

690 


PHILOMUSIAN  CLUB 

By  Mrs.  Edgar  Marrurg,  President,  1916-1918 

With  thirteen  years  of  continued  progress  when  the  United  States  went  to 
war,  the  Philomusian  Club  responded  with  enthusiasm  to  every  call  to  duty. 
The  first  thing  done  was  the  purchase  of  a  large  service  tent,  which  was 
presented  to  the  League  Island  Navy  Yard.  Furnishings  and  various  supplies 
were  later  installed. 

Pianos,  victrolas,  sheet  music,  magazines,  books,  games  and  puzzles  were  sent 
to  the  battleships  Iowa,  Indiana  and  Massachusetts.  The  U.  S.  S.  Missouri  was 
furnished  with  a  library  of  700  books. 

In  the  fall  of  1917  Mrs.  Henry  D.  Jump  was  appointed  Chairman  of  the 
Patriotic  Work  Committee.  She  was  also  Chairman  of  the  Woman's  Committee 
of  the  Philadelphia  Council  of  National  Defense,  and  organized  in  the  Philo- 
musian Club,  the  West  Philadelphia  unit  of  the  Woman's  Committee,  with 
the  members  of  the  executive  board  of  the  club  as  the  directors  of  the  ten 
departments.  Existing  club  committees  were  used  as  working  units  of  these 
several  departments. 

The  Finance  Committee  secured  the  sum  of  $700,  by  means  of  two  card 
parties  at  the  club  and  two  privately  arranged  benefits,  with  which  to  begin  definite 
war  work. 

The  Liberty  Loan  Committee  of  the  club  cooperated  in  the  October,  1917, 
drive. 

The  Registration  Committee  was  composed  of  the  Club  Membership  Com- 
mittee and  used  the  club  house  as  Registration  Headquarters  for  the  December 
drive  and  the  two  succeeding  ones. 

The  West  Philadelphia  Chapter  of  the  Red  Cross  was  officered  by  members  of 
the  club.  The  Philomusian  Red  Cross  Committee  organized  an  auxiliary  and 
placed  and  manned  a  booth  in  the  club  house  during  the  December  membership 
(Red  Cross)  campaign. 

The  French  Relief  Committee,  working  under  the  Allied  Relief  Committee  of 
the  Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsylvania,  was  composed  of  junior  members  of  the 
Philomusian  Club,  and  directed  by  a  senior  committee.  Efforts  were  concentrated 
on  the  French  towns  taken  over  by  the  French  Relief  Committee  of  the  Emergency 
Aid  for  reconstruction  work.  In  October,  1917,  four  boxes  of  women's  and  chil- 
dren's clothing,  sweaters  and  underclothes  (partly  worn),  five  pounds  of  stick  candy 
and  three  dozen  jars  of  jams  and  jellies  were  sent  to  Trellequiers  Aumant  in 
charge  of  their  church.  This  shipment  was  followed  in  December  and  January 
by  larger  supplies  of  similar  character,  together  with  $125  for  the  purchase  of 
stoves.     Later,  10  large  packing  boxes  and  $450  were  sent. 

The  Knitting  Committee  made  thousands  of  knitted  garments. 

These  knitted  articles  were  distributed  among  twenty  camps  in  the  United 
States.  The  war  fund  of  the  club  appropriated  $100  for  free  wool  and  $50  was 
paid  monthly  for  the  same  purpose.  One  hundred  of  the  sweaters  listed 
above  were  finished  in  two  weeks  as  a  result  of  an  S.  O.  S.  on  behalf  of  the  men 
of  the  22d  Infantry  regiment  at  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  the  wool  being  furnished  by  a 
club  member. 

The  Committee  on  Food  Production  and  Food  Conservation  held  a  food 

691 


exhibit,  cooperating  with  the  27th  and  46th  Ward  Civic  Branches  (West  Phil- 
adelphia), Housekeepers'  Protective  Association,  West  Philadelphia  High  and 
Elementary  Schools,  Drexel  Institute,  the  Hathaway  Shakespeare  (Women's) 
Club,  and  the  West  Philadelphia  Reading  (Women's)  Club. 

The  exhibits  showed  war  bread  with  its  recipe,  meat,  fats,  butter  and  sweets 
substitutes. 

Exhibits  were  held  of  the  war-time  flour,  war-time  "at  homes,"  war-time 
socials,  and  war-time  club  teas. 

The  Library  Committee,  cooperated  with  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  providing  reading 
matter  for  camps  and  navy  yards. 

One  of  the  most  notable  achievements  was  the  club  hospitality  to  men 
in  the  service.  Beginning  in  a  small  way,  these  Sunday  night  suppers  rapidly  grew 
to  tremendous  proportions.  Over  twenty-two  thousand  men  were  given  a  taste  of 
home  life  by  the  kindly  hostesses,  served  a  delightful  hot  supper,  and  entertained 
afterwards.  Speakers,  musicians,  entertainers,  all  were  glad  to  give  their  talents  to 
cheer  "our  boys."  Writing  paper,  reading  matter,  "smokes"  were  furnished  for 
these  meetings  by  members  and  friends.  A  clergyman  in  the  neighborhood  ob- 
served that  when  he  saw  our  stalwart  guests  who  had  been  invited  for  6  o'clock 
supper  arriving  at  2,  he  realized  that  the  Philomusian  Club  was  giving  these  boys 
much  more  than  the  supper,  something  of  real  value  that  they  wanted  and  needed. 
One  of  the  sweet-faced  motherly  members  of  the  club  reported  meeting  a  group  of 
sailors  going  through  Wanamaker's.  She  noticed  they  were  smiling  at  her  in  a  very 
friendly  fashion,  and  as  she  passed  one  said,  "Hello,  lady;  I  met  you  at  the  Philo- 
musian Club." 

The  largest  number  entertained  any  one  evening  was  458.  These  represented 
forty-six  States  and  six  Allied  countries,  as  was  discovered  at  the  roll  call  of  States. 
The  service  flag  of  the  club,  representing  the  husbands,  brothers  and  sons  of  the 
members,  had  140  stars,  ranking  from  lieutenant  colonels  to  "doughboys"  and 
"devil  dogs."  Six  of  the  men  made  the  supreme  sacrifice:  Lieutenant  Knox  B. 
Birney,  6th  Engineers;  Midshipman  William  S.  Crowell,  United  States  Navy; 
Ensign  George  B.  Evans,  Jr.,  United  States  Naval  Air  Service;  Captain  Howard 
C.  McCall,  Company  G,  59th  Infantry;  Lieutenant  J.  C.  Morris  Small,  United 
States  Navy;  Lieutenant  Emanuel  R.  Wilson,  22d  Infantry. 

Lieutenant  Birney  received  the  Croix  de  Guerre  and  Captain  McCall  the 
Distinguished  Service  Cross. 

A  member  of  the  club,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Lehman,  went  to  France  to  do  war  work ; 
she  was  partly  financed  by  the  club.  The  French  Government  awarded  her  the 
Medal  of  Honor  for  her  heroic  service  during  the  typhoid  epidemic  at  Luzancy. 

The  club  planted  three  trees  on  the  Lincoln  Highway  as  memorials  to  the  six 
gold  stars.  Through  the  conservation  committee  one  hundred  fruit  trees  have  been 
planted  in  Northern  France  and  are  called  the  Philomusian  Club  Orchard. 

Through  the  Department  of  Education  three  French  orphans  are  being 
educated.  During  the  last  year  of  the  war,  meetings  were  held  at  the  club  for 
the  mothers  of  men  in  the  service.  The  realization  that  mothers  must  not  only 
stand  back  of  their  boys,  but  must  also  do  this  cheerfully,  to  preserve  their  morals 
was  the  inspiration  for  these  gatherings. 

The  report  for  one  season  of  the  philanthropic,  patriotic  and  relief  work  is  as 
follows: 

692 


Mrs.  Henry  R.  Swope  was  Chairman  of  this  committee.  With  the  exception 
of  holidays,  the  members  of  this  committee  met  every  Monday  and  Thursday  from 
9  a.m.  to  5  p.m.  to  sew  and  make  surgical  dressings.  Twenty-five  thousand  five 
hundred  and  seventy-six  of  these  dressings  were  made  and  distributed  to  the  Red 
Cross,  the  Little  House  of  Saint  Pantaleon  and  to  hospitals. 

Complete  outfits  for  four  French  orphans,  each  containing  seventeen  garments, 
were  made  and  contributed,  and  thirty-six  Christmas  packages  were  packed  and 
sent  to  soldiers.  Over  twelve  hundred  garments  were  made  by  the  committee  and 
distributed  in  various  directions,  more  than  eight  hundred  knitted  articles  were 
made  and  given  away. 

At  the  request  of  the  Government  for  help  in  the  reclamation  service,  more 
than  a  thousand  overcoats,  300  shirts,  200  blouses  and  400  pairs  of  socks  were 
mended. 

Three  hundred  and  twelve  linen  articles  were  sent  in  response  to  a  call  from 
the  Government  for  linen  for  hospitals  in  France. 

The  canteen  workers  of  the  club  supplied  over  eight  thousand  men  in  the 
service  with  cigarettes,  apples,  ice  cream  and  other  eatables. 

Beside  this  committee  that  was  organized  for  war  work,  all  of  the  club  com- 
mittees contributed  in  some  form  of  service. 

The  class  in  Current  Events  contributed  $650  for  anesthetics.  This  was 
sent  through  Dr.  Rose  of  the  Little  House  of  Saint  Pantaleon.  Through  other 
committees  French  orphans  were  supported.  Kits,  shot  bags,  magazines  and 
other  articles  were  sent. 

The  Patriotic  Finance  Committee,  under  Mrs.  Joseph  H.  Parvin,  raised  $6,172 
to  be  used  for  patriotic  purposes.  A  member  and  ex-president  of  the  club,  Mrs. 
B.  F.  Richardson,  was  Chairman  of  the  Women's  Committee  of  West  Philadelphia 
for  three  of  the  Liberty  Loan  drives.     The  club  purchased  $6,100  in  Liberty  bonds. 

Under  the  leadership  of  Mrs.  Edward  C.  Bendere,  her  Committee  on  Thrift 
Stamps  and  War  Certificates  made  a  record  unsurpassed  in  either  City  or  State 
for  Women's  Clubs — a  sale  amounting  to  $165,000. 


693 


PHILADELPHIA  CLUBS 
f  HE  CLUBS  of  Philadelphia  were  active  in  war  work. 


As 
organizations  many  of  them  carried  out  definite  war-time 
programs,  and  all  of  them  through  their  members  were 
represented  in  the  military  and  civilian  efforts  made  in  the 
prosecution  of  the  war. 

It  has  been  somewhat  difficult  to  secure  an  adequate 
statement  relative  to  the  work  of  the  clubs,  but  the  reports 
sent  in  by  a  number  of  them  are  indicative  of  their  general 
spirit. 

AERO  CLUB  OF  PENNSYLVANIA 

Taking  rank  in  the  list  of  states  according  to  the  number  of  officers  who  served 
in  the  United  States  Air  Service  during  the  World  War,  Pennsylvania  stands  fifth, 
having  furnished,  according  to  actual  official  figures,  583  flying  and  464  non-flying 
officers;  a  total  of  1,047.  Undoubtedly  a  greater  number  came  from  Philadelphia 
than  from  any  other  section  of  the  State. 

Closely  interlinked  with  the  early  history  of  mechanical  flight  is  the  aerial 
activity  of  many  Philadelphians,  and  a  brief  sketch  of  the  State's  most  active 
organization  in  connection  with  aeronautical  matters  during  the  war  follows: 

The  Aero  Club  of  Pennsylvania  was  organized  December  17,  1909.  It  stands 
for  the  encouragement  and  development  of  interest  and  activity  in  aeronautics 
and  aviation.  It  is  the  governing  body  in  its  field  in  the  Commonwealth  and 
recognized  and  authorized  by  affiliation  with  the  Aero  Club  of  America,  the 
national  body. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1916,  Philadelphia's  first  aviation  school  was  organized. 
A  number  of  the  club  members,  including  Judge  J.  Willis  Martin  and  Robert  E. 
Glendinning,  incorporated  the  Philadelphia  School  of  Aviation,  with  the  object  of 
instructing  a  volunteer  force  in  the  event  of  war.  Mr.  Glendinning  was  President 
of  the  corporation.  A  bill  was  introduced  in  City  Councils  providing  for  the  leasing 
of  the  old  Lazaretto  grounds  at  Essington  to  the  school  for  a  period  of  ten  years, 
at  a  nominal  rental  of  a  dollar  a  year.  Mr.  Glendinning,  in  outlining  the  plan, 
stated  that  the  main  purpose  of  the  school  was  to  instruct  students  in  aviation 
as  a  step  toward  preparedness.  This  school  and  its  founders  and  pupils  played 
a  most  important  part  in  the  aviation  history  of  Philadelphia,  as  more  fully 
described  in  the  accompanying  chapter.  The  school  was  formally  opened  on 
May  12th,  and  the  large  body  of  invited  guests  was  addressed  by  the  late  Admiral 
Robert  E.  Peary.     Flights  were  made  by  Chief  Instructor  Walter  Johnson. 

On  March  8,  1917,  it  was  definitely  announced  that  the  War  Department 
had  decided  to  take  over  the  Philadelphia  School  of  Aviation.  This  information 
was  conveyed  to  Robert  E.  Glendinning  in  a  telegram  from  General  George  O. 
Squier,  Chief  of  the  Signal  and  Aviation  Section  of  the  Army. 

In  response  to  a  call  for  a  loyalty  and  allegiance  meeting  sounded  to  the 
members  of  the  club  by  its  President,  Joseph  A.  Steinmetz,  in  a  circular  letter 
dated  April  6th,  the  memorable  and  historic  date  of  the  United  States  entry  into 
the  great  world's  struggle,  a  large  number  of  the  members  and  their  friends  assem- 
bled in  the  office  of  Mr.  Steinmetz  on  the  afternoon  of  April  7th. 

694 


The  members  were  honored  by  the  presence  at  the  meeting  of  Captain  A.  A. 
Cunningham  of  the  aviation  section  of  the  Marine  Corps  and  Captain  W.  C. 
Ocker,  who  had  recently  been  placed  in  charge  of  the  newly  acquired  Essington 
Aviation  Station. 

President  Steinmetz,  after  calling  the  meeting  to  order,  related  fully  the 
objects  of  the  special  meeting,  the  general  condition  confronting  the  United  States 
and  its  citizens.  He  suggested  possible  ways  and  methods  by  which  the  members 
of  the  club  could  best  serve  their  country.  The  meeting  was  addressed  by  Captain 
Ocker  and  Captain  Cunningham. 

After  a  roll  call  of  ah  persons  present  at  the  meeting,  the  assembly  was 
requested  to  pledge  a  solemn  oath  of  loyalty  and  allegiance  to  the  United  States. 
The  following  day  the  members  of  the  club,  by  permission  from  the  proper 
authorities  at  Washington,  visited  the  Government  Aviation  Station  at  Essing- 
ton to  pay  their  respects  to  Captain  Ocker  and  inspect  the  grounds  and  equip- 
ment. 

On  the  date  of  the  meeting  at  Mr.  Steinmetz's  office  it  was  publicly  announced 
that  his  office  would,  until  further  notice,  serve  as  a  military  exchange  and  head- 
quarters for  the  Aero  Club  of  Pennsylvania,  also  as  the  local  uptown  office  of 
Captain  Ocker  and  Captain  Cunningham  and  other  government  officers  of  the 
aviation  section,  whenever  they  desired  to  avail  themselves  of  its  use. 

Through  this  office  and  the  efforts  of  the  club's  president,  hundreds  of  young 
men  entered  the  aviation  service.  Many  became  pilots,  gunners  or  observers. 
Many  hundreds  were  placed  in  positions  as  industrial  war  workers  in  the  various 
aircraft  factories,  ammunition  plants  and  other  war-material  producing  plants 
of  the  country. 

In  September,  1917,  it  was  announced  that  Major  Robert  Glendinning 
had  been  placed  in  charge  of  the  task  of  constructing  the  enormous  aviation  field 
for  the  use  of  war  machines  of  the  United  States  Army  in  France.  It  was  stated 
that  this  aerodrome  would  be  one  of  the  largest  in  the  world  and  would  be  built 
close  to  the  section  of  trenches  which  the  American  troops  would  hold. 

Early  in  1918,  the  Aero  Club  of  Pennsylvania  made  the  suggestion  to  the 
Philadelphia  Y.  M.  C.  A.  that  the  association  found  a  school  of  aeroplane  con- 
struction, and  upon  invitation  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  the  club  appointed  the  follow- 
ing committee  to  meet  with  the  committee  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.:  Joseph  A.  Stein- 
metz, Dr.  Geo.  S.  Gassner,  William  D.  Harris  and  William  H.  Sheahan,  Chairman. 

That  such  a  school  was  a  necessity  was  shown  by  the  urgent  call  sent  out  by 
the  Naval  Aircraft  Factory  at  League  Island,  that  a  force  of  2,000  was  needed 
at  the  factory  to  bring  the  plant  to  quantity  production.  It  was  decided  to  admit 
women  to  the  classes  in  the  lighter  work  of  aeroplane  construction.  Competent 
instructors  were  secured  and  it  was  planned  to  open  two  courses;  one  for  the 
training  of  field  mechanics  and  one  for  shop  mechanics.  The  school  was  a  success 
from  the  start;  hundreds  of  young  men  enrolled  for  the  various  courses  and  were 
quickly  trained  for  aircraft  work.  Several  women  became  skilled  workers  and 
were  placed  in  the  Naval  Aircraft  Factory.  Until  the  close  of  the  war  the  school 
filled  a  place  occupied  by  no  other  institution  in  the  State,  by  furnishing  skilled 
workers  for  the  aircraft  industry.  The  manager  of  the  school  during  its  year  of 
existence  was  Lincoln  R.  Soule,  First  Vice-President  of  the  club.  Members  of  the 
directing  committee  were  Joseph  A.  Steinmetz,  President,  and  William  H.  Sheahan, 

695 


Director  of  the  Aero  Club.     The  school  made  a  brilliant  record  and  full  credit  for 
its  organization  must  be  given  the  Aero  Club. 

THE  ART  CLUB 

Sixty-seven  (67)  members  of  the  Art  Club  were  in  the  service.  Contribu- 
tions to  the  Tobacco  Fund  amounted  to  $237. 

Exhibitions  of  war  pictures  were  made  from  time  to  time  in  the  art  gallery, 
and  the  club  contributed  $12  per  month  to  the  American  Artists'  War  Emergency 
Fund. 

The  subscriptions  to  the  Liberty  Loans  were  as  follows: 

First  Liberty  Loan $106,000 

Second  Liberty  Loan 551,700 

Third  Liberty  Loan 607,050 

Fourth  Liberty  Loan 1,608,400 

Victory  Liberty  Loan 1,089,000 

THE  ENGINEERS'  CLUB  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

It  was  to  be  expected  that  the  members  of  the  Engineers'  Club  of  Philadelphia 
should  take  an  honorable  part  in  the  World  War.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  they  per- 
formed an  exceedingly  important  part. 

In  the  Army  were  276  men,  including  one  brigadier  general  in  charge  of  the 
transportation  system  in  France,  thirteen  colonels,  eleven  lieutenant  colonels,  thirty- 
two  majors,  sixty-one  captains,  and  over  one  hundred  lieutenants.  Naturally, 
the  largest  number,  101,  were  in  the  engineer  corps.  Ordnance  came  next  with 
fifty-five,  followed  by  artillery,  twenty-nine;  infantry,  nineteen;  quartermaster, 
eighteen;  and  air  service,  eighteen. 

In  the  Navy,  there  were  fifty-seven,  including  three  rear  admirals,  four  lieu- 
tenant commanders,  twenty-seven  lieutenants  and  twelve  ensigns. 

Many  of  these  officers  were  occupying  positions  of  great  responsibility  and 
of  an  importance  above  their  rank.  That  the  value  of  their  services  was  recognized 
is  shown  by  the  fact  that  among  the  176  Army  officers  who  returned  filled  blanks, 
there  were  180  promotions  or  an  average  of  more  than  one  for  each.  (Three 
were  promoted  four  times,  and  several  were  promoted  three  times.)  Among  the 
Navy  list,  there  were  thirty-seven  promotions  out  of  thirty-nine  officers  reporting. 

The  fourteen  citations  and  fifteen  decorations  from  foreign  governments 
awarded  in  the  two  services  add  their  testimony  to  the  ability  and  resourcefulness 
of  their  recipients.    Ten  members  were  wounded,  and  seven  gave  their  lives. 

Sergeant  Edward  Williams  Barker,  U.  S.  A.,  died  March  17,  1918,  Camp 
Meade,  Admiral,  Md.;  Lieutenant  Richard  F.  Day,  U.  S.  A.,  died  Sept.  25,  1918, 
Cermont-Farrand,  France;  Lieutenant  S.  C.  Hetherington,  U.  S.  A.,  died  Sept.  28, 
1918,  Argonne,  France;  Lieutenant  Frederick  B.  Prichett,  U.  S.  A.,  died  Sept.  6, 
1918,  France;  Lieutenant  Harry  Walter  Prince,  U.  S.  A.,  died  June  11,  1918, 
England;  Ensign  J.  R.  Zeckwer,  U.  S.  N.,  died  Oct.  15,  1918,  Philadelphia; 
Corporal  Coleman  R.  Havens,  U.  S.  A.,  died  Dec.  9,  1918,  France. 

One  hundred  and  nineteen  Army  officers  saw  foreign  service,  and  twenty  Navy 
officers.  Thirty-seven  remained  in  the  Reserve  Corps  of  the  Army  and  twenty- 
five  in  the  Navy,  while  a  considerable  number  have  remained  in  the  regular  service. 

696 


Important  as  was  the  participation  of  the  club  members  who  entered  the 
military  service,  it  was  perhaps  equalled  in  importance  by  the  work  of  those  who 
took  part  in  civilian  service,  both  governmental  and  non-governmental. 

In  governmental  work,  nine  occupied  responsible  positions  on  the  great 
advisory  boards,  such  as  war  industries,  etc.,  thirty-four  were  connected  with 
the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation,  two  of  whom  were  in  exceedingly  important 
positions,  ten  were  under  the  Fuel  Administration,  twenty-four  under  the  Navy 
Department,  twenty-seven  under  the  War  Department,  and  nineteen  under 
miscellaneous  boards  and  committees. 

In  non-governmental  work,  six  were  engaged  in  Liberty  Loan  Campaigns,  ten  in 
the  design  and  manufacture  of  munitions,  twenty-two  in  the  manufacture  of  other 
essential  war  materials,  five  in  plant  construction,  twelve  in  plant  designing, 
three  in  plant  operation  and  eight  in  shipbuilding. 

That  over  five  hundred  of  our  members  should  have  volunteered  their  services, 
for  nearly  all  were  beyond  draft  age,  is  an  impressive  proof  of  their  patriotism. 

MARKHAM   CLUB 

The  Markham  Club  as  an  organization  did  not  engage  in  any  particular 
war  work,  but  over  50  per  cent  of  its  entire  members  were  on  active  service. 

MERCANTILE  CLUB 

Beginning  with  1917,  the  club  spared  no  effort  in  assisting  numerous  enter- 
prises which  had  for  their  object  the  comfort  of  men  in  the  Army  and  Navy,  and  the 
raising  of  the  loans  for  the  prosecution  of  the  war. 

One  of  the  first  tangible  evidences  of  the  interest  of  the  club  members  was  the 
purchase  of  an  automobile  ambulance,  which  was  presented  through  the  American 
Red  Cross  to  Base  Hospital  No.  20.  The  sum  of  $676  was  given  to  the  Emergency 
Aid  of  Pennsylvania  for  its  Tobacco  Fund. 

One  of  the  most  successful  affairs  given  under  the  auspices  of  the  club  in  1917 
was  a  National  Patriotic  Bridge  Tournament.  As  a  result  of  it  $1,925  was  turned 
over  to  the  Red  Cross.  In  1918  the  club  raised,  in  the  Third  and  Fourth  Liberty 
Loan  drives,  the  sums  of  $609,200  and  $1,322,900  respectively.  The  subscription 
to  the  Third  Liberty  Loan  exceeded  that  of  all  of  the  leading  clubs  of  Philadelphia 
but  one,  while  for  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan  the  Mercantile  Club  had  the  proud 
distinction  of  being  the  only  one  to  secure  a  subscription  from  each  member.  The 
100  per  cent  flag  was  presented  and  received  with  great  enthusiasm. 

Fifty-five  members  were  in  the  active  service,  while  many  others  held  important 
positions  in  civilian  work. 

The  War  Camp  Community  Service  was  given  the  use  of  the  social  hall  for  a 
number  of  dances  for  Army  and  Navy  men.  These  and  other  entertainments  were 
largely  attended. 

During  the  period  of  demobilization  the  club  continued  its  interest  in  the  wel- 
fare of  the  troops,  and  many  soldiers  and  sailors  were  received  and  welcomed 
in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1919. 

Subscriptions  to  the  Victory  Liberty  Loan  were  the  largest  of  any  Loan  made 
by  the  club  and  amounted  to  $1,325,000.  For  the  second  time  it  received  the  100 
per  cent  flag. 

697 


THE  PENN  CLUB 

Charles  J.  Cohen,  Secretary,  reports  that  among  the  members  of  the  club 
who  served  in  the  World  War  were:  Major  Charles  J.  Biddle,  Captain  George 
Went  worth  Carr,  Major  John  Lewis  Evans,  Captain  C.  Fontaine-Maury  Leidy, 
M.D.,  Major  George  William  Miller,  M.D.,  Lieutenant  A.  Charles  Myers,  Major 
S.  P.  Wetherill,  Jr.,  Major  Benjamin  H.  Whittaker. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  club  members  in  January,  1918,  the  club,  by  formal 
resolution  pledged  its  support  to  the  Government. 

Subsequent  to  the  signing  of  the  armistice  a  reception  was  given  to  the  mem- 
bers on  the  honor  roll. 

THE  PHILADELPHIA  CLUB 

The  Philadelphia  Club  reported  that  no  direct  action  was  taken  in  relation 
to  war  service.  One  hundred  and  ninety-five  members  were  in  the  various  branches 
of  the  service  and  contributions  to  the  Liberty  Loans  were  made  by  the  club  and 
by  its  members. 

PHILADELPHIA  COUNTRY  CLUB 

The  Philadelphia  Country  Club,  in  a  very  brief  statement,  reported  that  for 
sixteen  Sundays  an  average  of  one  hundred  soldiers  and  sailors  were  entertained. 
Transportation  on  special  trolleys  was  provided. 

Dinner  was  served  at  12.30  and  a  supper  at  5.30.  During  the  afternoon  base- 
ball, football,  golf,  tennis  and  other  sports  were  indulged  in.  There  was  special 
music  provided,  and  the  guests  always  seemed  to  have  an  enjoyable  time. 

In  1918  three  acres  of  the  lawn  were  plowed  up  for  a  war  garden. 

This  club,  as  others,  participated  in  war  activities  through  its  members,  but 
its  facilities  for  organized  efforts  were  limited. 

RACQUET  CLUB 

The  Racquet  Club  began  its  war-work  activities  with  the  First  Liberty  Loan. 
Edward  H.  Nash,  Jr.,  a  member  of  the  club,  was  requested  by  the  Associated 
Clubs  Committee  to  secure  subscriptions.  He  pursued  this  work  during  the  first 
two  loans. 

When  the  preliminary  work  began  on  the  Third  Loan  a  more  vigorous  cam- 
paign was  instituted,  and  the  Board  of  Governors  of  the  club  confirmed  the  ap- 
pointment of  the  Chairman  of  the  Third  Liberty  Loan  Committee,  Henry  P. 
Baily,  and  gave  their  hearty  support,  not  only  to  this  loan,  but  to  all  the  subsequent 
loans. 

In  the  Fourth  Loan,  Mr.  Baily  associated  with  himself  a  larger  committee,  and 
the  hearty  support  of  the  entire  club  and  the  results  were  very  gratifying. 

With  the  experiences  of  the  four  loans,  work  for  the  Victory  Liberty  Loan 
was  started  by  a  very  large  committee,  whose  Chairman  was  Albert  E.  Kennedy. 
Every  active  member  of  the  club  supported  Mr.  Kennedy  and  his  associates,  and 
the  sum  of  over  $2,700,000  was  subscribed. 

The  following  amounts  were  subscribed  through  the  club  to  the  different  loans: 
First  Liberty  Loan,  $303,000;  Second  Liberty  Loan,  $323,550;  Third  Liberty 
Loan,  $541,150;  Fourth  Liberty  Loan,  $2,127,500;  Fifth  Liberty  Loan,  $2,727,500. 

698 


Of  the  780  active  members  in  the  club,  about  280  were  in  the  service,  so  that 
the  club  rendered  a  100  per  cent  service  during  the  period  of  the  war.  Besides 
the  work  on  the  Liberty  Loan,  the  members  of  the  Racquet  Club  enthusiastically 
backed  up  the  membership  drive  of  the  Red  Cross.  A  committee  was  appointed 
and  a  great  majority  of  the  members   and   nearly  every  employe  joined. 

The  Racquet  Club  also  welcomed  the  officers  of  our  Army  and  Navy  and 
officers  from  foreign  countries,  and  entertained  them  during  their  stay  in  the  city. 

THE  ROTARY  CLUB 

The  Rotary  Club  of  Philadelphia,  after  the  entrance  of  the  United  States  into 
the  World  War,  pledged  its  service  as  a  body  of  Philadelphia's  representative 
business  men  to  war  welfare  work. 

"Service"  in  war  or  in  peace  is  in  the  slogan  of  Rotary.  After  many  plans 
had  been  discussed,  the  Rotary  Club  of  Philadelphia  finally  and  unanimously 
decided  that  its  slogan  could  have  no  better  application  in  war  welfare  work  than 
in  caring  for  the  enlisted  soldiers,  sailors  and  marines  in  Philadelphia.  The  first 
Rotary  Club  house  ever  established  in  the  United  States  was  founded  in  this  city, 
and  was  dedicated  at  an  enthusiastic  meeting  of  Rotarians  on  February  9,  1918, 
and  in  keeping  with  the  service  for  which  it  was  opened  was  called  the  Rotary 
Army  and  Navy  Club. 

This  house  was  turned  over  to  the  Rotary  Club  by  the  Board  of  Directors 
of  the  Evening  Home  and  Library  Association  at  a  rental  of  $1  per  year  during 


Reception  Room,  Rotary  Army  and  Navy  Club, 
699 


the  period  of  the  war.    This  generous  act  on  the  part  of  this  association  enabled 
the  Rotary  Club  to  use  its  funds  for  the  necessary  work  at  hand. 

Charles  A.  Tyler,  Assistant  Treasurer  of  the  Public  Ledger  Company,  as  Presi- 
dent of  the  Rotary  Club  of  Philadelphia,  presided  at  the  ceremonies.  George  A. 
Henrich,  Manager  of  the  Rurroughs  Adding  Machine  Company,  was  Chairman 
of  Finance  Committee;  Leon  Reck,  of  Charles  Reck  Company,  was  Chairman  of 
Entertainment  Committee;  and  Charles  A.  Stinson,  of  Gatchel  &  Manning,  was 
Chairman  of  the  House  Committee. 

The  other  members  of  the  committee  were:  Frederic  R.  Rarnitz,  C.  Edwin 
Rartlett,  Albert  E.  Rerry,  E.  Lewis  Rurnham,  Henry  W.  Ruse,  Henry  S.  Evans, 
Guy  Gundaker,  Harris  R.  Hatch,  L.  Minford  Humrichouse,  D.  J.  Murphy,  Jr., 
G.  H.  Jackson,  George  W.  Jacobs,  Harris  J.  Latta,  Allen  M.  Matthews,  M.  W. 
Montgomery,  Foster  M.  Reeder,  Alfred  Scholes,  Charles  A.  Tyler,  Charles  J. 
Welford. 

The  Rotary  Army  and  Navy  Club  had  no  officers.  It  was  operated  by  a 
committee  of  Rotarians  comprising  the  chairmen  of  three  committees  that  were 
appointed  by  the  Roard  of  Directors  to  manage  its  affairs,  namely,  a  Finance  Com- 
mittee, an  Entertainment  Committee  and  a  House  Committee.  The  club  was  main- 
tained by  voluntary  contributions  from  the  members  of  the  Rotary  Club  of  Phila- 
delphia.   The  uniform  of  an  enlisted  man  constituted  the  membership  fee. 

The  club  house  was  a  spacious  three-story  double  building,  located  at  25  S. 
Van  Pelt  Street.  Major  General  Littleton  W.  T.  Waller,  U.  S.  M.  C,  one  of  the 
guests  at  the  dedication  ceremonies,  complimented  the  Rotary  Club  of  Philadel- 
phia for  "its  achievement  in  behalf  of  the  men  of  the  united  service  in  fitting  up 
so  splendidly  a  club  house  for  the  entertainment  and  comfort  of  soldiers,  sailors  and 
marines  during  their  hours  of  leisure." 

Colonel  Louis  J.  Magill,  U.  S.  M.  C,  Commander  S.  F.  Leiper,  U.  S.  N.,  and 
Major  Clement  M.  Pike,  U.  S.  Ordnance  Department,  were  among  the  Army  and 
Navy  guests.  Letters  of  regret  were  received  from  Rear  Admiral  Renjamin  Tap- 
pan,  Commandant  of  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard,  and  Lieutenant  Colonel  T.  R. 
Franklin,  U.  S.  A.  Roth  of  these  officers  thanked  the  club  on  behalf  of  the  enlisted 
men. 

More  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  members  of  the  Rotary  Club  attended  the 
opening.  Following  a  cafeteria  supper  on  the  third  floor  of  the  building,  the  mem- 
bers and  guests  assembled  in  a  handsomely  furnished  lounge  on  the  first  floor  to 
hear  the  reports  of  the  committees. 

The  house  had  been  empty  but  three  weeks  previously.  The  committee 
started  with  only  $1,500,  and  an  empty  building  which  needed  paint  and  repairs. 
Of  course  this  was  put  up  to  the  members  of  the  Rotary  Club  as  a  business  proposi- 
tion, and  every  one  who  handled  anything  that  was  needed  to  furnish  a  house  of 
this  character  in  the  way  of  furniture  or  building  materials,  submitted  estimates 
for  the  work.  Some  of  these  estimates  were  as  high  as  $400  or  $500.  The  work 
and  materials  were  donated  by  each  Rotarian  who  had  any  part  in  it,  and  the  com- 
mittee was  given  a  receipted  bill. 

On  the  first  floor  of  the  club  was  a  large  and  handsomely  furnished  lounge 
to  the  right  of  the  entrance  and  a  well-stocked  library  to  the  left.  Adjoining 
the  lounge  was  a  billiard  and  pool  room,  while  a  counter  cafe  was  handy  to  all  the 
rooms.    The  writing  room  and  headquarters,  office,  dormitories  and  individual 

700 


bedrooms  were  on  the  second  floor.  Shower  baths  were  on  every  floor.  A  large 
assembly  room  was  on  the  third  floor.  The  rules  and  regulations  were  issued  by 
Mr.  Stinson,  Chairman  of  the  House  Committee,  as  follows : 

"Boys,  this  house  belongs  to  you;  make  your  own  rules." 

The  club  was  equipped  with  132  beds.  It  also  had  a  well-stocked  canteen 
with  tobacco,  cigars  and  candy  on  sale.  There  was  a  charge  of  35  cents  per  night 
for  beds  and  15  cents  for  cots.  This  charge  included  washrooms  and  all  toilet 
facilities  with  towels  and  soap.  Meals  were  furnished  approximately  at  cost. 
The  total  sleeping  capacity  of  the  club  house  was  234. 

The  Navy  Department  assigned  a  chief  yeoman  and  six  second-class  yeomen 
to  operate  the  club.  The  chief  yeoman  had  charge  of  the  building,  and  his  assistants 
did  the  greater  part  of  the  work. 

The  Entertainment  Committee  established  regular  Saturday  night  dances. 
Vaudeville  entertainments,  musicales,  boxing  bouts,  etc.,  were  also  provided  on 
other  nights.  It  was  discovered  early  that  the  dances  were  the  most  popular  form 
of  entertainment;  therefore,  dancing  was  especially  featured. 

The  dances  became  so  popular  that  finally  dances  were  established  on  Wed- 
nesday and  Saturday  nights,  and  these  dances  were  attended  by  approximately 
two  hundred  boys  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  girls.  The  dances  were  absolutely 
free  and,  in  addition  to  the  music,  refreshments  in  the  way  of  ice  cream  and  cake, 
free  of  charge,  were  furnished  also. 

One  of  the  outstanding  features  of  the  work,  and  an  indication  of  the  whole- 
hearted manner  in  which  the  Rotarians  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  club,  was 
the  fact  that  the  Rotary  Club  membership  of  315  was  divided  into  thirty-one 
committees  of  ten  men  each,  thus  making  a  committee  for  every  day  in  the  month. 
Each  such  committee  was  responsible  for  the  entertainment  features  at  the  club 
on  a  given  night  in  the  month.  The  members  of  the  Rotary  Club,  therefore,  gave 
not  only  of  their  money,  but  also  of  their  time  and  interest.  Their  wives  also 
acted  as  hostesses  on  Sunday  afternoons  and  evenings,  and  musical  entertainment 
was  provided,  with  light  refreshments. 

More  than  60,000  enlisted  men  were  entertained  by  the  Rotary  Army 
and  Navy  Club  from  the  time  it  opened  until  several  months  after  the  armis- 
tice. Almost  immediately  after  the  club  was  opened,  the  Rotary  Club  of  Phila- 
delphia observed  that  while  training  camps  had  been  established  by  the  Govern- 
ment for  the  instruction  and  advancement  of  enlisted  men  in  the  Army,  no  such 
provision  had  been  made  for  the  enlisted  men  in  the  Navy.  The  problem  then 
confronted  the  club  of  providing  a  means  whereby  the  Army  and  Navy  Rotary 
Club  might  afford  the  enlisted  men  an  opportunity  to  advance  in  the  ranks  of  the 
Navy  and  thereby  be  more  useful  to  the  Government  and  achieve  greater  distinc- 
tion for  themselves  individually.  In  order  to  accomplish  this  instructive  feature, 
it  was  decided  to  consult  with  the  War  Emergency  Unit  of  Philadelphia, 
of  which  Brigadier  General  Littleton  W.  T.  Waller,  U.  S.  M.  C,  was  Honorary 
President,  with  a  view  to  having  officers  from  the  service  assigned  to  the  Rotary 
Army  and  Navy  Club  as  instructors. 

Although  the  War  Emergency  Unit  found,  owing  to  the  exigencies  of  the  war, 
that  it  was  impracticable  to  obtain  the  assignment  of  officers  for  this  purpose, 
through  the  assistance  of  that  body,  the  services  of  Dr.  J.  M.  Babb,  Professor  of 

701 


Mathematics  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  Professor  J.  E.  Saint-Seine,  a 
French  Instructor,  Charles  P.  PafT,  Jr.,  of  the  Engineers  Club,  and  John  F.  Lewis, 
a  noted  maritime  lawyer,  were  secured.  William  H.  Hay,  a  graduate  of  the  Naval 
Academy,  a  veteran  of  the  Spanish-American  War,  and  a  member  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Rotary  Club,  joined  the  ranks  of  the  instructors  furnished  by  the  War 
Emergency  Unit.  The  Assembly  Hall,  three  nights  each  week,  was  turned  into  a 
school  for  the  officers,  and  the  following  subjects  were  taught: 

Study  Instructor 

Navigation  and  mathematics Professor  J.  M.  Babb 

Seamanship  and  duties  of  an  officer William  H.  Hay 

Rules  of  the  road  at  sea John  F.  Lewis 

Engineering Charles  F.  PafT 

French J.  E.  Saint-Seine 

Gunnery William  H.  Hay 

An  intensive  course  was  adopted  with  instruction  given  in  three  distinct  studies 
each  school  night.  Eight  hundred  men  took  the  entire  course,  which  was  limited 
to  twenty-four  periods  of  instruction  in  each  subject.  Many  of  the  "boys"  were 
college  graduates.  As  a  result  of  this  training  75  per  cent  of  the  800  students  who 
took  the  course  passed  rigid  examination  at  the  hands  of  the  United  States  Naval 
Examining  Boards  and  received  commissions.  The  remaining  25  per  cent  were 
awarded  higher  ratings.  The  pupils  who  took  advantage  of  this  "training  camp" 
came  from  thirty-eight  different  states 

The  officers  of  the  Rotary  Club  of  Philadelphia  during  the  years  of  the  Rotary 
Army  and  Navy  Club  were: 

1917-1918:  Charles  A.  Tyler,  President;  Leon  Beck,  First  Vice-President; 
Charles  A.  Stinson,  Second  Vice-President;  Charles  H.  Sassaman,  Secretary- 
Treasurer;  George  M.  Painter,  Sergeant-at-Arms. 

1918-1919:  Charles  A.  Stinson,  President;  Charles  B.  Fairchild,  Jr.,  First 
Vice-President;  Benjamin  Adams,  Second  Vice-President;  Frank  C.  Harris, 
Secretary-Treasurer;  George  M.  Painter,  Sergeant-at-Arms. 

The  officers  of  the  Rotary  Army  and  Navy  Club  were: 

1917-1918:  George  A.  Henrich,  Chairman  of  Finance  Committee;  Leon 
Beck,  Chairman  of  Entertainment  Committee;  Charles  A.  Stinson,  Chairman  of 
House  Committee. 

1918-1919:  Allen  M.  Matthews,  Chairman  of  Finance  Committee;  Benjamin 
Adams,  Chairman  of  Entertainment  Committee;  M.  W.  Montgomery,  Chairman 
of  House  Committee. 

UNIVERSITY  CLUB 

From  the  very  beginning  of  the  Great  War  in  April,  1917,  to  its  close  in  Novem- 
ber, 1918,  the  University  Club  did  its  part  in  men,  and  money  and  work.  Those 
members  who  were  ineligible  for  active  service  found  ample  scope  for  their  energies 
in  the  various  fields  of  activity  which  were  presented.  Some  served  on  draft  boards, 
or  as  legal  advisers  to  such  boards.  Others  became  inspectors  of  arms  and  muni- 
tions in  the  various  factories.     Others  were  to  be  found  actively  employed  on  the 

702 


various  committees,  medical,  social  or  benevolent,  which  were  engaged  in  ministering 
to  the  wants  of  soldiers  and  sailors.  In  this  last  branch  of  the  service  which  in- 
cluded the  Red  Cross,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  all  other  agencies  except  the  Army  and 
the  Navy,  102  members,  beginning  with  the  honored  president  of  the  club,  were  to 
to  found.  One  hundred  and  sixty-eight  were  in  the  Army  in  the  various  corps, 
medical,  infantry,  artillery,  and  ordnance.  At  the  head  of  this  list  stood  the  man 
whom  all  Philadelphia  delights  to  honor,  and  who  has  been  called  the  field  marshal 
of  the  medical  profession,  Dr.  W.  W.  Keen. 

Two  hundred  and  twenty-three  were  in  active  service  in  the  Navy.  Some 
were  either  heads  or  surgeons  in  hospitals  units.  Others  were  chaplains  who  cared 
for  the  bodily  as  well  as  the  moral,  and  spiritual  welfare  of  those  to  whom  they 
were  called  to  minister.  Others  were  officers  in  the  line,  or  the  marine  corps. 
Each  man  did  his  duty  no  matter  what  sacrifices  it  entailed,  or  what  danger 
might  be  incurred.  They  left  their  professions,  medical  or  legal,  without  a  thought 
that  they  might  never  return,  or  if  they  did,  that  they  would  be  compelled  to  begin 
again  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder.  It  is  this  fact,  that  so  many  members  of  the  club 
are  professional  men  who  must  toil  assiduously  in  order  to  keep  up,  which  makes 
their  services  so  unique.  To  mention  their  names,  or  to  try  and  give  an  account 
of  what  they  did  and  where  they  went  would  be  like  reading  the  pages  of  the 
Gazette.  They  were  to  be  found  in  the  hospitals  everywhere.  They  were  in  the 
trenches  in  Flanders  and  in  France.  They  were  at  Chateau-Thierry  and  San 
Mihiel  as  well  as  at  Arras  and  Cambrai. 

Those  who  could  not  serve  in  the  Army  and  Navy  found  places  in  the 
Home  Guard,  and  cheerfully  did  the  humble  duty  of  making  the  city  safe 
and  orderly.  In  all,  493  members  of  the  club,  over  40  per  cent  of  its 
membership,  were  in  one  way  or  the  other  actively  engaged  in  serving  their 
country. 

When  the  various  loans  were  being  floated  by  the  Government  a  special  com- 
mittee was  appointed  to  have  the  oversight  in  each  instance.  The  first  loan  was 
taken  up  by  the  banks  and  other  financial  institutions,  and  so  no  particular  stress 
was  laid  upon  the  subject.  But  when  the  other  loans  were  launched  the  clubs  were 
requested  by  the  Government  to  take  the  matter  up  with  their  members.  What 
the  University  Club  did  is  shown  by  the  following  table : 

Second  Loan $105,000 

Third  Loan 585,800 

Fourth  Loan 1,042,300 

Victory  Loan 823,000 

Total $2,952,100 

In  addition  to  these  activities,  the  members  of  the  club  purchased  and 
equipped  two  ambulances.  At  the  same  time  they  were  instrumental  in  main- 
taining through  the  whole  period  of  the  war  a  fund  for  the  purchase  of  tobacco  in  its 
various  forms  for  the  soldiers  and  sailors  who  were  in  active  service. 

Magazines  and  periodicals  were  sent  to  the  hospitals  and  depots  for  the  use  of 
those  who  were  invalided. 

In  fact,  there  was  no  branch  of  the  many  lines  of  activity  which  were  neces- 
sitated by  the  war  in  which  the  members  of  the  club  were  not  prominent. 

703 


Courtesy  of  Frank   W.    Buhler,    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Slajf  of  the  28th  Division  in  front  of  the  Union  League. 

THE  UNION  LEAGUE  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

Immediately  following  the  declaration  of  war  a  special  meeting  was  held, 
February  8,  1917,  and  the  following  resolution,  presented  by  former  President 
C.  Stuart  Patterson,  was  unanimously  adopted: 

"The  Union  League  of  Philadelphia,  putting  country  above  party,  pledges  to 
the  President  of  the  United  States  its  loyal  support  in  whatever  action  may  be 
necessary  to  defend  the  United  States,  and  to  maintain  the  rights  of  its  citizens  on 
land  and  at  sea." 

The  receipt  of  this  resolution  was  formally  acknowledged  by  the  President, 
February  12,  1917. 

On  March  22,  1917,  a  letter  was  received  from  the  Mayor  of  Philadelphia 
requesting  the  appointment  of  an  advisory  committee,  available  for  immediate 
conference  should  occasion  arise.  A  special  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors  was 
called  on  March  24,  1917,  and  the  following  members  were  appointed  a  committee 
for  the  purpose  named:  Vice-President  Miers  Busch,  former  President  Edwin  S. 
Stuart,  George  W.  Elkins,  J.  S.  W.  Holton,  and  Samuel  M.  Clement,  Jr. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  held  April  10, 1917,  a  letter  was  received 
from  former  President  Edwin  S.  Stuart,  suggesting  the  appointment  of  a  special  com- 
mittee by  the  Union  League  to  take  appropriate  and  patriotic  action  in  support  of 
the  Government  of  the  United  States  during  the  war.  The  suggestion  was  approved 
by  the  board,  and  a  committee  was  authorized,  to  consist  of  the  officers  and  former 

704 


presidents,  with  power  to  the  chairman  to  add  to  the  committee  from  the  general 
membership. 

This  special  committee  consisted  of  President  John  Gribbel,  former  Presidents 
C.  Stuart  Patterson,  Edward  T.  Stotesbury,  Edwin  S.  Stuart,  and  Dimner  Beeber; 
Vice-Presidents  Miers  Busch,  Charlemagne  Tower,  William  C.  Sproul  and  William 
T.  Elliott;  Treasurer  James  E.  Mitchell,  and  Secretary  John  W.  Hamer. 

The  most  important  work  of  this  committee  was  "The  Annex,"  the  idea  and 
plan  of  which  were  developed  and  completed  by  President  John  Gribbel  and  Vice- 
President  Miers  Busch  during  the  summer  and  turned  over  to  the  board  for  oper- 
ation about  the  middle  of  September. 

At  the  same  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors  it  was  resolved  that  the  dues  of 
every  member  of  the  Union  League  engaging  in  the  military  service  of  the  United 
States  during  1917  should  be  remitted.  Similar  resolutions  were  adopted  each 
year  during  the  entire  war  period. 

On  December  9,  1917,  William  C.  Sproul  became  President  of  the  Union 
League,  and  a  general  reorganization  of  special  committees  took  place  in  order  to 
meet  changed  conditions,  therefore  at  a  meeting  of  the  Board,  held  January  8,  1918, 
the  following  resolution  was  adopted: 

Resolved,  That  a  standing  committee,  consisting  of  the  executive  officers,  the 
ex-presidents,  and  ten  members  of  the  Union  League,  to  be  known  as  the  Com- 
mittee on  National  Activities,  be  appointed  by  the  president,  the  duties  of  the  said 
committee  to  be  to  cooperate  with  the  standing  committees  in  matters  pertaining 
to  the  various  patriotic  move- 
ments in  which  the  Union 
League  may  be  engaged,  and 
other  matters  of  similar  na- 
ture which  may  be  referred 
to  it  by  the  president. 

In  accordance  with  the 
above  resolution,  the  presi- 
dent appointed  the  following 
committee:  William  C. 
Sproul,  Miers  Busch,  Alex- 
ander W.  Wister,  Jr.,  Charles 
B.  Miller,  Charles  A.  Porter, 
Jr.,  John  W.  Hamer,  James 
E.  Mitchell,  C.  Stuart  Patter- 
son, Edward  T.  Stotesbury, 
Edwin  S.  Stuart,  Dimner 
Beeber,  John  Gribbel,  George 
P.  Morgan,  J.  S.  W.  Holton, 
Bobert  P.  Hooper,  Clarence 
Bispham  Collier,  Thomas  B. 
Harper,  Bobert  M.  Stinson, 
Joseph  M.  Steele,  A.  E. 
Pfahler,   Walter    I.    Cooper, 

.  Courtesy   of   the   Philadelphia    "Press." 

Benjamin  H.  Ludlow.  ^  Members  of  the  Union  League  at  the  Liberty  Statue, 

The   chief  work  of   this  Armistice  Day,  1918. 


1 1^< 

p;-av      ^Pff-j*.viVr:  -m 

705 


committee  was  connected  with  the  various  Liberty  Loans,  and  the  greatest  energy 
was  displayed  both  in  the  publicity  campaigns  and  in  securing  subscriptions  to 
the  loans. 

The  membership  of  the  Union  League  included  many  men  of  great  importance 
in  the  corporate  and  financial  life  of  Philadelphia  who  were  making  large 
subscriptions  through  their  various  organizations,  but  in  their  loyalty  to  the  Union 
League  they  placed  through  that  institution  subscriptions  totaling  $28,878,600, 
divided  as  follows:  First  Loan,  $1,750,000;  Second  Loan,  $3,580,000;  Third  Loan, 
$3,139,400;  Fourth  Loan,  $9,191,200;  Fifth  Loan,  $11,218,000. 

These  results  far  exceeded  those  of  any  similar  organization  and  equaled  V/2 
per  cent  of  Philadelphia's  enormous  total  ($1,069,213,000). 

On  May  3,  1918,  during  the  Third  Liberty  Loan  drive,  the  Union  League  held 
a  patriotic  demonstration  culminating  in  a  parade  of  667  members  to  the  Liberty 
statue  at  Broad  and  South  Penn  Square,  where  addresses  were  made  by  former 
Presidents  Stotesbury,  Stuart  and  Beeber. 

The  records  of  the  Union  League  show  the  number  of  members  in  the  uni- 
formed service  to  have  been:  Army  and  Navy,  181;  Red  Cross,  18;  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  15. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  membership  was  disqualified,  by  age,  for  active 
uniformed  service.  An  attempt  was  made  to  keep  an  accurate  record  of  work  done 
by  members  in  various  civil  capacities,  but  this  was  abandoned  because  almost 
every  member  was  found  to  be  fully  engaged  according  to  his  ability,  means  or 
opportunity  in  some  of  the  many  charitable  or  patriotic  activities  carried  on 
throughout  the  war. 

During  the  entire  war  period,  by  most  liberal  interpretation  of  "fourteen-day 
card"  regulations,  the  officials  of  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation  and  many 
officers  of  the  Army  and  Navy  were  granted  club  privileges,  and  everything  possible 
was  done  for  their  comfort  and  to  assist  them  in  their  work. 

In  short,  to  the  limit  of  its  scope  and  resources,  the  Union  League  of  Phila- 
delphia evidenced  adherence  to  its  motto: 

"Amor  Patriae  Ducit." 

"THE  ANNEX" 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Special  Committee  of  the  Union  League,  held  on  July  24, 
1917,  it  was  brought  to  the  attention  of  those  present  that  the  large  club  houses 
were  almost  deserted  during  the  summer  months,  and  that  arrangements  might  be 
made  to  open  a  portion  of  them,  at  least  on  Sundays,  for  the  use  of  enlisted  men 
on  leave. over  the  week  end.  The  committee  carefully  considered  this  subject  with 
a  view  of  offering  Lincoln  Hall  but  as  that  did  not  seem  to  be  practicable,  it  was 
decided  with  regret  that  the  Union  League  could  not  undertake  this  work  on  its 
own  premises.  The  suggestion  was  then  made  that  a  room  or  building  might  be 
secured  in  the  neighborhood,  whereupon  President  John  Gribbel  and  Vice-President 
Miers  Busch  were  appointed  a  special  committee  to  secure  suitable  accommodations. 

Mr.  Bryant,  a  member  of  the  Union  League  for  many  years,  at  once  took  great 
interest  in  the  plan,  stated  he  was  the  owner  of  the  church  at  the  northwest  corner 
of  Broad  and  Spruce  streets ,  which  was  for  sale,  and  that  he  would  be  glad  to  offer 
the  use  of  the  property,  free  of  all  rent,  to  the  Union  League,  for  the  purpose  named, 
for  as  long  a  period  as  it  cared  to  maintain  such  a  club,  and  with  permission  to  make 

706 


such  changes  as  in  the  judgment  of  the  Union  League  officers  would  best  adapt  it 
to  the  purpose.  The  only  restriction  imposed  was  that  possession  should  be  given 
within  a  reasonable  time  in  the  event  of  a  sale  being  effected.  This  most  generous 
proposal  was  promptly  accepted,  and  President  Gribbel  and  Vice-President  Busch 
were  appointed  a  special  committee  to  make  the  necessary  changes  and  improve- 
ments. * 

On  August  20,  1917,  a  circular  was  sent  to  members  of  the  Union  League 
describing  the  work  undertaken  and  asking  for  $30,000  to  put  the  plant  in  commis- 
sion and  maintain  it  for  one  year.  On  September  24,  1917,  a  second  circular  was 
issued  stating  that  over  $15,000  had  been  subscribed  by  540  members  of  the  Union 
League,  and  asking  that  subscriptions  be  made  payable  by  monthly  charges  to  the 
members'  house  accounts.  From  that  time  the  subscriptions  were  always  suf- 
ficient to  maintain  the  plant. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  August  14,  1917,  the  committee  sub- 
mitted a  contract  for  repairs,  which  was  approved,  and  the  committee  was  also 
authorized  to  purchase  a  motion-picture  equipment. 

The  general  contractor  for  renovating  the  building  was  the  firm  of  John  B. 
Wiggins  &  Co.  In  presenting  the  final  bill  the  contractors  generously  deducted 
about  10  per  cent  of  the  amount,  making  the  total  $3,000  net,  and  asked  that  the 
amount  deducted  be  considered  as  their  contribution  to  the  cause. 

After  the  building  was  cleared  it  was  found  that  an  entire  new  floor  would 
be  required,  and  through  the  efforts  of  Edward  F.  Henson  the  lumber  necessary 
was  presented  by  members  of  the  Union  League  dealing  in  that  material. 

The  total  cost  of  equipping  the  building  up  to  the  date  of  formal  opening  was 
$5,729.88. 

The  care  of  the  building  was  made  a  part  of  the  duty  of  the  House  Committee 
of  the  Union  League,  the  members  of  which  were  Miers  Busch,  Chairman; 
James  E.  Mitchell,  Edwin  F.  Keen,  Samuel  M.  Clement,  Jr.,  Joseph  W.  Cooper. 

The  formal  opening  took  place  on  September  17,  1917,  and  addresses  were 
made  by  President  John  Gribbel;  L.  W.  T.  Waller,  Major  General  U.  S.  M.  C; 
Benjamin  Tappan,  Bear  Admiral,  U.  S.  N. ;  and  Charles  A.  P.  Hatfield,  Colonel, 
U.  S.  A. 

The  building  was  open  from  9  a.m.  to  11.30  p.m.  each  day,  including  Sunday, 
and  the  following  equipment  was  provided:  Lunch  counter,  cigar  stand,  barber 
shop,  shower  baths,  four  pool  tables,  two  shuffle  boards,  checkers,  several  large 
writing  tables,  newspapers,  magazines,  novels,  victrola,  two  pianos,  stage  with 
drop  curtain  and  set  of  scenery. 

From  the  opening  date  in  September,  1917,  until  November,  1918,  when  the 
influenza  epidemic  temporarily  interrupted  the  work,  entertainments  were  given 
each  Friday  evening,  consisting  of  motion  pictures  and  vaudeville,  arranged  by 
Harry  T.  Jordan,  Manager  of  Keith's  Theater.  After  the  performance  cigarettes, 
ice  cream  and  cake  were  provided.  The  attendance  averaged  500,  occasionally  as 
many  as  700.     Once  each  month  a  boxing  entertainment  was  arranged. 

On  March  1,  1918,  a  very  effective  drop  curtain  and  one  set  of  scenery  (land- 
scape) were  provided,  and  the  Union  League  employes  arranged  the  necessary 
electric  lighting. 

During  the  winter  of  1917-18  a  series  of  dances  was  given  on  Saturday  evenings 
under  the  auspices  of  the  following  ladies:    Mrs.  William  C.  Sproul,  Mrs.  George 

707 


H.  Earle,  Jr.,  Mrs.  William  M.  Field,  Mrs.  James  Large,  Miss  Pauline  Davis 
Bowie,  Mrs.  John  Gribbel,  Mrs.  Howard  W.  Page,  Mrs.  W.  Howard  Pancoast, 
Mrs.  Edward  M.  Jefferys,  Mrs.  John  B.  DeCoursey,  Miss  Clara  T.  Chase,  Mrs. 
W.  Morgan  Churchman,  Miss  Margaret  C.  Faulconer,  Miss  Gertrude  H.  Leidy, 
Mrs.  Clarence  C.  Zantzinger. 

During  the  same  period  another  series  of  entertainnjents  was  arranged  for 
Sunday  afternoons,  the  committee  consisting  of:  Mrs.  Franklin  McCrea  Wirgman, 
Mrs.  James  DeW.  Cookman,  Mrs.  George  Burton,  Mrs.  W.  Reynolds  Wilson,  Mrs. 
William  M.  Field,  Mrs.  Scammon  Jones. 

Beginning  July,  1918,  the  House  Committee  arranged  for  motion-picture 
shows  on  Sunday,  Monday  and  Wednesday  evenings,  and  with  a  booking  agency 
for  eight  acts  of  vaudeville  for  each  Friday  evening,  beginning  December  6,  1918. 
These  were  continued  until  the  building  was  finally  closed  on  June  23,  1919. 

The  most  important  contribution  in  the  way  of  entertainment  was  that  of  the 
motion-picture  exchanges  in  providing  practically  an  unlimited  number  of  films  for 
all  entertainments.  The  films  were  usually  new  and  were  often  shown  at  the 
Annex  weeks  in  advance  of  release  in  this  city.  This  feature  gave  the  Annex  an 
enviable  reputation  among  the  enlisted  men  and  drew  large  audiences. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  special  entertainments  were  provided  by  members 
of  the  Union  League  and  their  friends. 

On  Thursday,  February  7,  1918,  the  members  of  the  Union  League  and  their 
families  were  invited  to  inspect  the  building  between  the  hours  of  4  and  11  p.m. 
Refreshments  were  served  and  a  motion-picture  entertainment  given  in  the  evening. 

In  July,  1918,  a  special  committee  of  200  members  of  the  Union  League  was 
organized  for  the  purpose  of  giving  close  personal  attention  to  the  Annex  and 
helping  to  entertain  the  enlisted  men.  This  committee  was  organized  by  J.  S.  W. 
Holton  as  Chairman,  and  Charles  S.  Calwell,  George  H.  Grone,  William  R.  Lyman 
and  David  Halstead,  Vice-Chairmen.  Each  vice-chairman  took  charge  for  one 
week,  assigning  four  or  five  members  of  the  committee  for  duty  during  one  after- 
noon and  evening. 

The  opportunity  afforded  the  men  for  the  conduct  of  their  correspondence 
seemed  to  be  much  appreciated,  and  the  amount  of  mail  matter  sent  and  received 
was  very  large.  A  special  post-office  box  was  placed  in  the  vestibule.  Writing 
paper  was  supplied,  printed  with  special  headings,  and  a  large  quantity  was 
undoubtedly  carried  away  by  the  boys  for  use  elsewhere,  as  it  was  estimated  that 
over  a  million  sheets  of  paper  were  supplied. 

Considering  the  large  number  of  enlisted  men  present  daily,  it  was  feared 
that  there  might  be  difficulty  in  maintaining  discipline.  During  the  whole  time  the 
Annex  was  open  there  was  not  the  slightest  trouble  in  this  respect.  The  men  seemed 
to  appreciate  the  opportunities  given  them  and  were  always  well  behaved. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  enlisted  man  the  Annex 
was  a  success.  It  was  operated  as  a  man's  club,  and  the  men  came  and  went  with- 
out restriction.  The  committee  was  often  thanked  by  the  boys  individually  for 
what  was  being  done,  and  the  story  of  the  hospitality  of  the  citizens  of  Philadel- 
phia, and  especially  of  the  members  of  the  Union  League,  has  been  carried  to  many 
parts  of  the  United  States. 

To  provide  a  working  force  for  Friday  evenings  to  serve  refreshments,  the 
following  employes  of  the  Union  League  contributed  their  services  for  the  entire 

708 


period  during  which  the  building  was  open:  William  F.  Homiller,  Joseph  D. 
Gregory,  William  A.  Cloak,  William  H.  Stauffer,  Jr.,  Eli  C.  Schmidt,  Mortimer 
Skeggs. 

Appreciation  of  the  service  rendered  by  Thomas  B.  Harper  should  be  recorded. 
Having  time  at  his  disposal,  he  spent  a  large  part  of  each  day  at  the  Annex,  looking 
after  details  and  giving  personal  attention  to  the  inquiries  of  the  enlisted  men  and 
helping  them  out  of  their  troubles. 

The  House  Committee,  wishing  to  arrange  some  special  entertainment  for  the 
Christmas  seasons,  and  not  having  facilities  at  the  Annex,  decided  to  give  dinners 
on  Christmas  Eve,  1917  and  1918,  in  Lincoln  Hall.  A  notice  was  posted  on  the 
bulletin  board  in  the  Union  League  stating  that  the  cost  would  be  $2  per  plate, 
and  members  were  invited  to  entertain  as  many  guests  as  they  wished.  In  1917, 
248  boys  attended,  and  in  1918  upwards  of  250.  On  each  occasion  members  of 
the  Union  League  came  in  during  the  evening  and  made  short  addresses.  Dinner 
was  served  at  6 :30  and  the  entertainments  lasted  until  10 :30.  The  feature  of  the 
1918  dinner  was  the  attendance  of  about  twenty  Japanese,  the  crew  of  a  freighter 
then  in  the  harbor,  and  after  the  singing  of  the  Japanese  national  anthem  by  the 
men,  the  interpreter  in  charge  of  the  party  made  a  short  address. 

One  of  the  difficult  problems  was  the  lunch  counter,  and  it  was  finally  decided 
to  run  it  on  a  very  small  scale,  the  articles  sold  being  limited  to  sandwiches,  pastry, 
ice  cream,  coffee  and  soft  drinks.  A  uniform  price  of  five  cents  was  charged  for 
each  item  with  the  exception  of  ice  cream,  which  sold  for  ten  cents.  The  total 
receipts  were  $12,864.86,  a  trifle  less  than  the  cost  of  the  supplies.  This  shortage, 
together  with  the  equipment  and  wages  made  a  total  operating  loss  of  $3,189.53. 

The  House  Committee  was  unable  to  make  any  exact  statement  regarding 
attendance.     However,  it  is  fair  to  estimate  it  at  upwards  of  600,000. 

On  June  2,  1919,  the  committee  was  notified  that  the  building  had  been  sold, 
and  requested  to  vacate  the  premises  in  twenty  days.  Accordingly,  on  Monday 
evening,  June  23,  a  final  entertainment  was  given  and  addresses  made  by  the 
President  of  the  Union  League,  Edwin  S.  Stuart;  Vice-President  Miers  Busch, 
Thomas  B.  Harper  and  William  Bryant. 

On  Tuesday  morning,  June  24th,  a  force  of  men  began  to  clear  out  the  build- 
ing and  distribute  the  equipment  and  gifts.  All  gifts  were  carefully  packed  and 
returned  to  the  donors. 

While  mention  is  made  herein  of  those  who  have  been  particularly  active, 
there  has  been  no  attempt  to  include  all  who  are  entitled  to  commendation.  It 
is  the  thought  that  for  this  work  credit  is  due  to  every  member  of  the  Union 
League. 

THE  WAR  ACTIVITIES  OF  THE  FRANKLIN   INSTITUTE 
By  Major  R.  B.  Owens,  D.  S.  0.,  Secretary 

Soon  after  the  entry  of  the  United  States  into  the  World  War,  searches  were 
made  and  lists  were  prepared  for  the  National  Research  Council,  covering  such 
subjects  as  the  submarine,  the  torpedo,  etc. 

At  the  request  of  Major  General  George  0.  Squier,  Chief  Signal  Officer,  a 
recruiting  and  examination  station  was  established  at  the  Franklin  Institute  for 
applicants  for  admission  to  the  aviation  service. 

709 


Over  two  thousand  young  high  school  and  college  students  and  graduates 
were  examined  as  possible  officer  personnel  for  the  signal  corps  and  air  service, 
about  one-half  of  which  number  were  recommended  by  the  Institute  for  com- 
missions. 

The  work  of  examination  was  conducted  by  Captain  (now  Major)  R.  B.  Owens, 
D.  S.  0.,  Secretary  of  the  Institute  and  later  by  Dr.  George  F.  Stradling  of  the  North 
East  High  School,  Philadelphia,  and  Chairman  of  Department  of  Physics,  Collegiate 
Science,  A.  E.  F.  University  Beaune. 

A  school  in  wireless  telegraphy  was  conducted  during  the  winter  of  1917-18 
in  response  to  an  urgent  demand  from  the  Federal  Board  of  Vocational  Education. 
It  was  open  only  to  those  young  men  who  were  in  the  first  draft.  The  total  en- 
rolment was  210,  of  which  number  ninety-one  completed  the  course  and  were 
inducted  into  the  service  in  the  spring  of  1918. 

The  officers  of  the  institute  on  active  duty  were: 

Major  R.  B.  Owens,  D.  S.  O.,  Secretary  of  the  Institute,  who  served  as  Chief  of  Intelligence 
Division,  Signal  Corps,  and  later  as  Chief  Signal  Officer  of  American  troops  in  England; 

Charles  Day,  of  the  Board  of  Managers,  who  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Army  War 
Council; 

William  Chattin  Wetherill,  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Managers  and  Chairman  of  the 
Institute's  Committee  on  Science  and  the  Arts,  who  became  an  Ensign  in  the  Aviation 
Section  of  the  United  States  Navy,  and 

Theobald  F.  Clark,  of  the  Board  of  Managers,  who  was  commissioned  a  Captain  of  Artillery. 

Of  the  Institute's  membership,  nearly  10  per  cent  were  engaged  in  war  work. 

Eighty-four  members  held  commissions  in  the  Army,  fifty-five  of  whom  were  field 
officers  or  officers  of  higher  rank;  twenty-eight  members  of  the  Institute  were  officers 
of  the  Navy;  159  members  of  the  Institute  were  on  active  Government  service  without 
military  rank;  twenty  members  of  the  Institute  were  honored  for  their  services  by  the 
American,  British,  French,  Belgian  or  Italian  Government. 

The  officers  of  the  institute  during  the  duration  of  the  war  were: 

President Dr.  Walton  Clark 

Vice-Presidents Coleman  Sellers,  Jr.,  Henry  Howson 

and  Louis  E.  Levy 

Secretary Major  R.  B.  Owens 

Acting  Secretary Dr.  George  A.  Hoadley 

Librarian Alfred  Rigling 


710 


THE  UNIVERSITY   OF  PENNSYLVANIA 
DURING  THE  WAR 

By  George  E.  Nitzsche,  Recorder 

N  no  period  of  American  history  has  the  need  for  university 
and  college  trained  men  been  greater  than  during  these 
strenuous  times,  and  the  paucity  of  educated  men  will 
continue.  In  reconstruction  days  more  engineers., 
chemists,  doctors,  lawyers  and  other  professional  men  will 
be  needed  than  during  any  time  in  the  world's  history. 
It  was  with  the  purpose  of  preparing  just  as  many  such 
men  as  possible  that  the  university  authorities  decided  at 
the  beginning  of  the  war,  not  only  to  keep  every  one  of  its 
schools  open  the  same  as  before  the  war,  but  also  to  es- 
tablish additional  courses,  so  that  men  might  be  better  equipped  to  meet  the  prob- 
lems which  that  crisis  had  produced. 

In  this  connection  Provost  Edgar  F.  Smith,  who  has  done  so  much  to  build 
up  and  develop  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  during  the  last  ten  years,  did  much 
in  "keeping  the  home  fires  burning"  in  our  American  universities,  by  doing  every- 
thing within  his  power  to  counteract  the  pernicious  information  which  was  being 
spread  throughout  the  country  that  university  work  was  not  important,  and  that 
its  continuance  would  become  less  imperative  during  war  times — dangerous  propa- 
ganda, which  he  helped  to  contradict  absolutely,  convincing  the  public  that  the  very 
contrary  was  the  truth. 

"One  of  the  greatest  and  saddest  calamities  already  obvious  as  a  lamentable 
result  of  the  war,  for  European  nations, "  he  said  in  a  statement  which  was  pub- 
lished in  newspapers  throughout  the  entire  country,  "is  that  the  intellectual  flower 
of  their  population  is  being  destroyed.  A  great  swath  of  destruction  has  been 
cut  through  the  ranks  of  educated  young  men  who  were  to  form  the  intellectual 
leaders  of  the  coming  genera- 
tion. They  are  gone.  The 
world  has  lost  them.  And 
those  nations  in  the  coming 
years  will  be  so  much  the 
weaker  and  less  progressive, 
less  able  to  master  the  future's 
problems. 

"We  do  not  know  how 
deeply  the  fate  of  war  will 
ultimately  spread  death  in  our 
Army.  But  we  do  know  that 
the  cessation  of  one  year's  full 

quota  of  educated  men  at  our 

*  .         .  .  .  Entablature  and  Service  Flag  at  the  University 

universities  would    be    Simply  of  Pennsylvania. 

711 


Demobilization,  University  of  Pennsylvania,  S.  A.  T.  C,  December  21,  1918. 


one  whole  year  lost  in  the  onward  march  of  progress  during  the  next  generation. 
Let  us  make  sure,  then,  that  the  ranks  of  science  will  not  be  depleted." 

In  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  the  Provost's  declaration,  the  University 
opened  its  doors  in  the  fall  of  1917  as  usual,  but  necessarily  with  fewer  students. 
During  the  sessions  of  1916-17  the  total  University  enrolment  was  approximately 
9,000  students;  of  these  more  than  2,000  had  volunteered  or  entered  upon  some 
Government  service  prior  to  the  close  of  the  sessions  in  June,  1917.  About  69 
per  cent  of  the  Law  School  students  voluntarily  enlisted  prior  to  June,  1917,  as 
did  two-fifths  of  the  medical  faculty. 

The  University  contributed  liberally  of  its  resources  and  its  equipment  to 
the  cause  of  democracy  and  humanity.  Her  campus,  buildings  and  laboratories 
were  frequently  used  by  various  regiments  of  engineers,  infantry  and  other  units; 
classes  in  French  and  other  subjects  were  conducted  for  men  in  the  service;  also 
various  schools  were  opened  under  Government  auspices  for  training  army  medical 
officers  in  oral  surgery,  neurological  surgery,  general  surgery,  orthopedic  surgery, 
and  a  school  for  training  men  for  navigating  the  seas  and  commanding  our  new 
merchant  marine. 

The  first  United  States  Ordnance  School  was  established  at  the  University. 
In  the  Engineering  Department  there  were  given  special  courses  preparing  men  for 
the  signal  service,  radio,  etc.  Most  of  the  members  of  the  aviation  examining 
boards  throughout  the  United  States  were  likewise  trained  at  the  parent  unit 

712 


organized  at  the  University  at  the  beginning  of  the  war.  The  University  Hospital 
conducted  a  number  of  special  courses  for  nurses  and  nurses'  aides.  On  July  1, 
1918,  an  Officer  Material  School  was  established  in  the  Engineering  Building  of 
the  University,  under  the  auspices  of  the  United  States  Navy,  which  was  conducted 
for  enlisted  men  showing  special  ability.  Each  course  extended  over  a  period  of 
three  months,  and  was  attended  by  a  squad  of  200  sailors,  who  were  quartered  in 
the  University  dormitories. 

Besides  this,  the  University  organized  among  her  sons  three  ambulance  units, 
a  Base  Hospital,  several  Red  Cross  units  and  various  detached  units.  Its  hospital 
set  aside  250  of  its  beds  for  the  special  use  of  the  Army  and  Navy.  Many  of  the 
University  laboratories  were  turned  over  to  and  used  by  the  Government  and  its 
special  experts.  Various  laboratories  in  the  Engineering  Building  were  turned 
over  to  the  United  States  Shipping  Board,  in  which  it  carried  on  routine  work  for 
the  department  of  concrete  ship  construction  of  the  Emergency  Fleet.  The 
various  testing  laboratories  of  the  Engineering  School  also  were  used  by  the 
United  States  Signal  Corps  Instruction  Department  in  testing  airplane  tubes,  etc. 

In  all  departments  of  the  University  new  subjects  were  introduced  and  old 
subjects  modified,  so  that  the  regular  students  had  special  opportunities  to  prepare 
for  military,  naval  or  other  Government  service,  or  for  constructive  work  in 
industries  related  to  the  war.  In  the  professional  schools  many  such  courses 
were  offered.  The  College,  for  instance,  offered  to  regular  students  courses  in 
elements  of  navigation,  bacteriology,  general  inorganic  chemistry,  organic 
chemistry,  surveying  theory  and  practice,  elementary  military  French,  military 
French  reading,  composition,  conversation,  scientific  reading  and  French  insti- 
tutions, elementary,  intermediate,  and  commercial  Spanish  and  Spanish-American 
institutions,  elementary  Russian  and  Italian.  Even  German  was  included  in  five 
special  courses,  which  included  elementary  military  German  course,  one  in  military 
German  reading,  another  in  German  composition  and  conversation,  one  in  military 
German  scientific  reading,  and  finally  one  in  advanced  German  military  reading 
and  composition.  There  were  seven  courses  in  military  science,  and  courses  in 
practical  and  economic  geology,  history  of  Europe  since  1815,  history  of  Europe 
and  America  since  1870,  preventive  medicine,  various  courses  in  higher  mathemat- 
ics, general  physics  and  psychology. 

In  the  Towne  Scientific  School  the  courses  given  in  normal  times  also  prepared 
students  for  various  branches  of  the  Government  service  requiring  a  technical 
knowledge.  The  students  whose  scholastic  records  were  satisfactory  could  enlist 
in  the  Enlisted  Reserve  Corps  of  the  Army  and  finish  their  studies  at  the  Univers- 
ity. Radio  communication  and  internal  combustion  motors  as  taught  in  this 
6chool  deserve  special  mention. — November  18, 1918. 

THE  PHILADELPHIA  BUREAU  OF  MUNICIPAL  RESEARCH 

In  order  to  meet  the  demands  of  war  time,  the  Bureau  of  Municipal  Research 
extended  its  general  information  service  so  that  questions  of  war-time  interest  as 
well  as  those  of  municipal  interest  might  be  answered. 

Through  the  generosity  of  a  patriotic  supporter,  funds  were  provided  for  the 
conduct  of  a  war-information  office  in  City  Hall  courtyard.  From  early  in  the 
morning  until  8  o'clock  at  night,  a  staff  was  constantly  on  duty  to  furnish  infor- 
mation to  citizens,  soldiers,  and  sailors,  as  well  as  to  strangers  in  the  city,  about 

713 


all  kinds  of  war-time  activities,  to  sell  Liberty  bonds  and  War  Savings  Stamps, 
and  to  receive  donations  to  the  Red  Cross  and  other  war  welfare  agencies. 

During  its  latter  months,  in  addition  to  the  foregoing  activities,  the  staff  at 
the  booth  answered  an  average  of  125  inquiries  daily,  and  distributed  a  vast 
amount  of  war  literature. 

One  of  the  most  important  services  of  the  booth  was  the  answering  of  technical 
inquiries  of  soldiers,  sailors,  and  their  relatives  regarding  allotments  and  war  risk 
insurances.  Coupled  with  this  was  the  furnishing  of  prompt  and  accurate  informa- 
tion to  needy  dependents  regarding  the  appropriate  war  relief  agency  in  each  case. 

The  posting  of  the  official  casualty  lists,  the  advising  of  prospective  soldiers 
about  selecting  a  branch  of  the  service,  the  furnishing  of  information  about  war 
gardens,  canning,  etc.,  and  the  guidance  to  entertainment  and  lodgings  for 
strangers  in  uniform  were  among  the  many  other  useful  services  of  this  booth. 
The  office  was  maintained  from  March  20,  1918,  until  January  1,  1919.  It  left 
behind  it  a  memorable  record,  having  answered  over  22,500  questions  on  a  great 
variety  of  subjects. 

Another  interesting  war  service  rendered  by  the  Bureau  of  Municipal  Research 
was  a  rapid  man-power  survey  of  Philadelphia  made  in  June,  1918,  for  the  United 
States  Employment  Service.  This  survey  consisted  of  ascertaining  the  number 
of  men  in  Philadelphia  who  were  employed  as  civilians  in  all  branches  of  the 
public  service — federal,  state,  county  and  municipal. 

NORTH  AMERICAN  CIVIC  LEAGUE  FOR  IMMIGRANTS 

Philadelphia's  alien  population  is  a  large  one  and  rumors  of  war  brought 
increased  activity  to  the  Philadelphia  office  of  the  North  American  Civic  League 
for  Immigrants,  which  had  for  years  attempted  to  keep  open  channels  of  com- 
munication between  the  citizens  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  great  foreign-speaking 
population  of  the  commonwealth. 

Prominent  Philadelphians,  who  had  long  sympathized  with  the  pioneer 
league  movement  to  instruct  and  protect  immigrants  to  this  country,  found  that 
their  influence  in  the  foreign  colonies  had  become  a  national  asset.  As  a  con- 
sequence their  secretaries  in  Philadelphia,  as  in  other  parts  of  the  United  States, 
became  particularly  useful  in  explaining  the  draft,  and  assisting  the  Government 
in  its  Liberty  Loan  and  War  Stamp  drives. 

Before  the  declaration  of  war  the  President  of  the  League,  who  had  the  coopera- 
tion of  the  Settlement  Houses  in  Pennsylvania  and  other  industrial  states,  had  been 
able  to  secure  a  large  staff  of  volunteer  foreign-speaking  workers.  These  were  at 
once  offered  to  the  Government  for  the  purpose  of  offsetting  German  propaganda 
and  stimulating  interest  and  patriotism.  The  list  included  numerous  residents 
of  Philadelphia  and  the  industrial  counties  of  the  State. 

While  no  advantage  was  taken  of  these  overtures  league  officers  mobilized 
the  volunteer  material  at  their  command  and  prepared  for  any  contingency,  after 
impressing  upon  the  Government  in  Washington  the  necessity  of  putting  Presiden- 
tial proclamations  into  the  foreign  languages  spoken  by  a  large  proportion  of  the 
population. 

In  Philadelphia,  Casimir  A.  Sienkiewicz,  the  Executive  Secretary,  strengthened 
his  connections  with  the  various  foreign  groups  in  the  State  with  which  he  was 
already  in  touch. 

714 


Shortly  before  hostilities  opened  there  had  been  much  unrest  among  the 
working-people  of  the  State,  and  the  league,  on  the  representation  of  its  Philadel- 
phia members,  had  hastened  several  agents  to  the  city  in  order  to  offset  the  work 
of  disloyal  orators.  In  doing  this  it  had  become  acquainted  with  many  high- 
minded  men  and  women  of  foreign  parentage,  who  were  deeply  interested  in  the 
cause  of  the  Allies.  These  people,  too  numerous  to  name,  performed  a  war  ser- 
vice to  the  community  which  is  deserving  of  the  highest  praise.  Surrounded 
by  German  sympathizers  and  enemy  agents,  open  to  the  appeals  which  reached 
them  through  revolutionary  channels,  they  were  not  only  prudent  and  discreet, 
but  also,  in  their  intercourse  with  the  racial  groups  to  which  they  belonged,  directly 
cooperated  in  bringing  about  the  objects  which  the  Government  and  the  patriotic 
populace  had  at  heart. 

Hardly  had  the  draft  become  operative  before  the  President  of  the  League — 
informed  of  the  fact  that  residents  of  Philadelphia  and  Pennsylvania  would  be 
assigned  to  Camp  Meade,  arranged  to  give  the  commanding  officer  such  coopera- 
tion as  the  latter  should  find  convenient.  It  at  once  developed  that  the  Army 
authorities  were  in  need  of  the  kind  of  assistance  that  the  League  was  qualified  to 
give.  A  secretary  at  once  reported  to  the  Chief  of  Staff  and  assisted  in  completing 
arrangements  which  continued  to  be  of  value  to  incoming  recruits  with  foreign 
connections. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  draft — so  in  the  matter  of  the  mobilization  of  funds  and 
War  Victory  workers — the  League  was  not  only  instant  in  its  offers  of  service  to 
various  boards  and  committees  which  had  these  affairs  in  charge,  but  also  was  in  a 
position  to  indicate  the  best  approach  to  men  and  women  whose  European  connec- 
tions found  them  ignorant  of  American  processes.  This  work  was  so  well  organ- 
ized that  before  the  Liberty  Loan  campaign  was  well  under  way  the  representa- 
tives of  the  Federal  Reserve  Bank  of  the  Third  District  commandeered  the  services 
of  Mr.  Sienkiewicz,  and  placed  him  in  charge  of  the  campaign  among  the  foreign 
people  of  Philadelphia. 

Mr.  Sienkiewicz,  as  has  been  seen,  was  in  a  position  at  once  to  secure  the 
support  of  the  different  groups  of  foreigners  which  included  Poles,  Italians,  Rus- 
sians, Hungarians,  Jugo-Slavs,  Lithuanians,  Jews,  etc.  An  instance  of  the  manner 
in  which  he  reached  foreign  residents  appears  in  the  great  meeting  of  the  Poles 
held  at  the  Opera  House  where  Mr.  Sienkiewicz  presided.  Enthusiasm  ran  high 
and  a  large  sum  of  money  was  subscribed. 

While  foreigners,  who  wished  well  for  the  Republic,  undertook,  under  the 
guidance  of  men  trained  by  the  League,  to  swell  the  available  war  funds  in  the 
treasury,  other  agents  like  Mrs.  Suzanne  Baranowska,  long  identified  with  the 
League,  continued  to  work  among  the  groups  of  people  suspected  of  foreign 
allegiance — transmitting  to  headquarters  copies  of  literature  circulated  among 
the  foreign  people,  and  becoming  the  medium  through  which  false  reports,  dis- 
tributed by  enemy  activity,  were  corrected.  In  this  work  Mrs.  Baranowska  had 
the  assistance  not  only  of  paid  agents  of  the  League,  but  of  many  volunteers. 

In  November,  1918,  the  President  of  the  North  American  Civic  League  for 
Immigrants,  at  the  request  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  took  up  his  residence  in 
Washington,  becoming  identified  with  the  Military  Intelligence  Section  of  the 
General  Staff.  The  activities  of  the  League  thus  became  coordinated  with  those 
of  the  military  authorities. 

715 


Interesting  events  followed.  An  immediate  call  was  sent  out  to  foreigners 
loyal  to  the  Allies,  in  all  industrial  centers.  No  communities  were  quicker  in 
their  response  than  those  in  Philadelphia.  A  large  and  willing  staff  of  men  and 
women,  who  fully  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  communities  from  Pittsburgh  to  Phila- 
delphia, was  immediately  formed.  This  group  continued  to  report  to  the 
President  of  the  League,  for  the  information  of  the  Army,  until  the  end  of 
the  war. 

Meanwhile  serious  difficulties  commenced  to  develop  throughout  the  country 
because  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  non-English-speaking  men  drafted  for  military 
purposes.  These  were  reached  by  the  foreign-speaking  section  of  the  general 
staff,  which,  subject  to  Army  domination,  directed  League  effort  in  the  Army. 

Pennsylvanians  should  note  with  pleasure  that  among  the  most  valuable  of 
civil  foreign-speaking  agents  directly  attached  to  this  bureau,  were  several  resi- 
dents of  the  State.  The  task  committed  to  their  charge  was  an  exceedingly  diffi- 
cult one,  it  being  their  duty  not  only  to  assist  headquarters  in  removing  cause  for 
complaint  in  the  Army,  but  to  instruct  the  authorities  as  to  enemy  propaganda, 
and  provide  reliable  foreign-speaking  persons  as  interpreters  and  lecturers. 

Working  under  exceeding  difficulties,  these  people  were  deserving  of  the 
highest  praise. 

BOY  SCOUTS  OF  AMERICA 

Philadelphia  Council 

Dr.  Charles  D.  Hart,  Chairman 
Charles  Edwin  Fox,  Scout  Commissioner 
E.  Urner  Goodman,  Scout  Executive 

After  the  declaration  of  war  with  Germany,  the  following  message,  in  sub- 
stance, was  sent  to  the  government  at  Washington: 

"The  Boy  Scouts  of  America  can  be  depended  upon 
for  all  service  of  the  character  for  which  they  have  been 
trained  and  which  they  are  qualified  to  render." 

Out  of  a  total  membership  of  5,300,  of  which  the  large  majority  was  under 
eighteen  years  of  age,  500  answered  the  call  of  their  country  for  active  military 
or  naval  service.  This  proportion  of  enlistment  caused  a  scarcity  of  leaders, 
which  in  normal  times  would  have  been  a  big  problem,  but  which,  under  war 
conditions,  made  the  work  of  the  Boy  Scouts  even  more  difficult. 

In  the  work  of  the  Liberty  Loans  the  Scouts  acted  as  messengers  and  clerks, 
and  established  an  enviable  record. 

In  the  first  Liberty  Loan  $317,000  worth  of  bonds  were  sold,  while  in  the 
Victory  Liberty  Loan  the  Scouts  secured  36,100  individual  subscriptions,  totaling 
in  bonds,  $10,100,200,  an  average  of  over  $2,000  for  each  Scout. 

In  order  to  meet  the  food  crisis  which  became  more  and  more  apparent, 
war  gardens  were  urged  upon  the  Scouts,  and  the  result  was  that  in  1917,  548 
individual  gardens  were  planted  at  an  average  cost  of  $13  per  garden  and  an 
average  profit  of  $19  per  garden.  In  1918,  while  the  number  of  gardens  was 
one-third  less  and  the  cost  one-third  more,  there  was  a  corresponding  increase  in 
profit. 

716 


Upon  the  launching  of  the  War  Savings  Stamp  campaign,  the  Scouts  im- 
mediately sold  these  securities  by  means  of  a  special  postal-card  scheme,  and 
during  the  year  of  1918  purchased  or  sold  stamps  to  the  value  of  $950,000. 

The  Scouts,  as  noted  above,  served  many  organizations  in  the  capacity  of 
messengers.  Among  the  larger  campaigns  in  which  this  service  was  rendered  were 
the  War  Chest  drive,  in  which  thirteen  organizations  were  included,  the  Christmas 
roll  call  of  American  Red  Cross,  and  during  the  influenza  epidemic,  in  many 
sections  of  the  city,  Scouts  were  drafted  as  lamp  lighters  in  districts  not  covered 
by  the  regular  workmen,  and  in  some  cases  they  acted  as  emergency  letter 
carriers. 

At  the  request  of  the  government,  a  nation-wide  drive  for  the  census  of  all 
black  walnut  trees  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  was  undertaken.  The  local 
troops  assisted  in  this  work,  and  the  grand  total  throughout  the  United 
States  was  900,000  feet  of  black  walnut  which  filled  two  hundred  lumber  cars. 
The  development  of  the  use  of  poison  gas  during  the  war  necessitated  an  unusual 
amount  of  high  grade  carbon  for  gas  masks.  At  the  request  of  the  Gas  Defensive 
Division,  they  assisted  in  the  collection  of  peach  stones  and  nut  kernels. 

As  distributors  of  war  placards  the  Scouts  covered  the  entire  city.  As  a  matter 
of  record,  approximately  two  million  four  hundred  thousand  pieces  of  government 
literature  were  carefully  delivered. 

During  the  influenza  outbreak  40,000  placards  were  distributed  for  the 
Department  of  Public  Health.  It  was  during  this  epidemic  that  the  Scouts 
were  called  upon  for  a  variety  of  special  services  in  the  cleaning  up  of  houses  and 
institutions;  the  setting  up  of  cots;  the  distribution  of  medical  supplies,  and  in  one 
instance  cutting  wood  for  an  institution  where  no  coal  could  be  had. 

The  week  of  January  20-25,  1919,  was  set  aside  as  Scout  Book  Week,  when 
books,  victrola  records,  etc.,  were  collected  and  placed  at  the  disposal  of  wounded 
soldiers  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Philadelphia  libraries. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  give  an  exact  resume  of  all  of  the  activities  of  this 
organization  during  the  critical  period  of  the  war  and  the  serious  days  which  fol- 
lowed the  signing  of  the  armistice.  When  the  call  came,  individually  and  as  an 
organization,  the  Philadelphia  Council  of  the  Boy  Scouts  proved  itself  true  to 
its  motto: 

"BE  PREPARED." 


GIRL  SCOUTS  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

Ellen  Mary  Cassatt,  Commissioner 
E.  Gwen  Martin,  Assistant  Commissioner 
Katherine  Hutchison,  Chairman  Local  Council 
Mrs.  Victor  L.  Lavell,  Director 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  war  the  services  of  the  Girl  Scouts  of  Philadelphia 
were  offered  to  the  American  Red  Cross  and  the  Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsylvania. 
Through  these  two  organizations  and  through  other  war  agencies  the  Girl  Scouts 
aided  materially  in  the  work  in  Philadelphia. 

Five  thousand  surgical  dressings  were  made  for  the  Red  Cross,  usually  at  the 
church  where  the  particular  troop  was  organized. 

717 


To  the  Red  Cross  were  delivered  over  five  hundred  wool  outfits  and  several 
thousand  sweaters  and  pairs  of  socks. 

During  the  Liberty  Loan  Drives  over  $3,000,000  worth  of  bonds  were  sold, 
as  well  as  $300,000  or  more  of  Thrift  Stamps  and  War  Saving  Stamps. 

In  the  various  community  canteen  centers,  the  Girl  Scouts  canned  more 
than  5,000  quarts  of  fruits  and  vegetables  during  the  time  when  food  conservation 
was  necessary.  A  large  quantity  of  the  material  used  for  canning  was  raised  by 
the  Scouts  themselves  in  the  150  war  gardens  which  they  maintained.  These 
war  gardens  were  developed  in  various  playgrounds  and  in  a  number  of  the 
yards  of  the  houses  of  the  girls'  parents.  Many  of  the  Scouts  gave  special  time 
to  work  in  those  gardens  belonging  to  the  National  League  for  Woman's  Service. 

As  messengers,  the  Girl  Scouts  of  Philadelphia  rendered  a  great  service. 
They  were  in  constant  demand  both  by  the  governmental  bureaus  and  local  or- 
ganizations. They  distributed  7,500  posters  for  the  Food  Administration  and 
delivered  many  times  that  number  of  other  posters,  placards,  and  letters  and  other 
forms  of  printed  material  for  scores  of  war-time  committees  and  societies. 

They  brought  a  touch  of  home  life  to  the  men  in  service  by  arranging  many 
entertainments  in  their  own  homes,  and  by  cooperating  with  the  various  canteens, 
clubs  and  other  social  organizations  for  the  entertainment  of  soldiers,  sailors  and 
marines. 

The  plight  of  the  children  in  the  Allied  countries  touched  the  hearts  of  the 
girls,  and  several  of  the  troops  adopted  one  or  more  war  orphans. 

Organized  for  service,  the  Girl  Scouts  of  Philadelphia  played  their  part  during 
the  entire  period  of  the  war,  many  of  them  assuming  larger  home  duties  in  order 
to  relieve  mothers  and  older  sisters  for  Red  Cross  Work. 

At  the  time  of  the  influenza  epidemic  daily  requests  came  in  to  headquarters 
from  Scouts  desirous  of  joining  the  hospital  workers  corps.  No  work  was  too 
difficult  or  menial  for  them  to  do.  They  scrubbed  floors,  acted  as  porters,  washed 
dishes,  made  beds,  served  as  messengers  and  nurses'  aids,  and  performed  willingly 
any  task  assigned  them.  "They  labored  with  a  cheerfulness  that  was  all  but 
inspired,"  said  the  matron  of  one  of  the  larger  hospitals  in  the  northeast  section 
of  the  city.  They  were  stationed  at  the  Methodist,  Stetson,  St.  Mary's,  Roosevelt, 
Frankford  and  Northeast  Hospitals.  This  work  was  all  done  after  their  school 
hours. 


71» 


THE  BRITISH  AND  CANADIAN  RECRUITING  MISSION 

By  S.  C.  Simonski 

HEN  the  Great  War  broke  out  in  1914,  there  were  in  the 
United  States  a  large  number  of  British  subjects  who, 
feeling  impelled  by  love  of  country,  or  love  of  adventure, 
were  keenly  desirous  of  entering  the  ranks  of  regiments 
fighting  under  the  British  flag. 

Unless  they  had  resources  of  their  own  to  go  to  Canada 
or  to  England,  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  get  into  uni- 
form, for  America,  jealous  of  her  neutrality,  could  not  al- 
low recruiting  for  the  Allies  in  the  United  States. 

When,  however,  America  threw  her  enormous  resources 
on  the  side  of  the  Allies  and  entered  the  war,  Brigadier  General  W.  A.  White, 
C.  M.  G.,  and  a  staff  of  veterans  of  the  Great  War  were  sent  to  New  York  to  organize 
the  British  and  Canadian  Becruiting  Mission,  and  on  June  7,  1917,  recruiting  for 
the  British  and  Canadian  Armies  was  opened  to  British  subjects  in  the  United 
States. 

Previous  to  this,  large  numbers  of  young  Americans  fired  by  the  desire  to 
fight  for  the  right,  had  made  their  way  to  Canada  and  to  Europe  entering  the 
ranks  of  the  Allies,  and  it  is  a  curious  fact  that  when  the  armistice  was  signed  almost 
one-half  of  the  cadet  aviators  in  training  in  and  about  Toronto,  Canada,  were 
young  Americans  who,  to  get  into  the  great  game,  insisted  that  they  were  the  off- 
spring of  British  subjects,  or  were  in  fact  British  subjects,  when  enlisting. 

The  United  States  was  divided  into  sections,  and  the  Philadelphia  section  was 
organized  under  Lieutenant  Colonel  F.  C.  Jamieson,  with  headquarters  in  New  York. 
The  officer  in  charge  of  the  Philadelphia  district  was  Colonel  St.  George  L.  Steele, 
C.  B.,  a  British  staff  officer.  For  many  years  Colonel  Steele  saw  active  service  in 
India;  and  in  1900,  during  the  Boxer  Bebellion  in  China,  he  again  distinguished 
himself  and  was  decorated  by  his  sovereign. 

On  his  staff  in  Philadelphia  were  the  following  officers  and  non-commissioned 
officers.  Major  C.  P.  R.  Dugmore,  B.  A.,  Captain  W.  P.  F.  Latham,  B.  A.,  Captain 
W.  D.  Powell,  C.  E.  F.,  Captain  R.  H.  Sheard,  M.  0.,  C.  A.  M.  C,  P.  E.  Faed, 
M.  0.,  C.  A.  M.  S.,  Lieutenant  L.  D.  Gibbs,  B.  A.,  Lieutenants  J.  Newson,  A.  I.  F., 
T.  E.  Allen,  B.  A.,  J.  W.  P.  Skidmore,  C.  E.  F.,  Begimental  Sergeants  Major  J.  D. 
McCullough,  C.E. F.,  F.W.Wells,  C.  E.  F.,  Sergeants  McLeod,  B.  A.,  M.  McFarlane, 
B.  A.,  E.  C.  White,  B.  A.,  K.  P.  Fletcher,  C.  E.  F.,  A.  D.  MacKenzie,  C.  E.  F., 
E.  Dunk,  B.  A.,  G.  B.  L.  Porter,  C.  E.  F.,  H.  Brown,  C.  E.  F.,  Pte.  Boyd,  C.  E.  F. 
The  Philadelphia  division  took  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  Southern  New  Jersey, 
Delaware,  Maryland  and  the  District  of  Columbia  and  had  branches  in  the 
principal  cities  in  these  states. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  Messrs.  Gimbel  Brothers,  the  second  story  of  23 
S.  9th  Street  was  turned  over  to  Colonel  Steele  and  staff  gratis  until  July  27,  1917, 
when  Colonel  John  S.  Muckle  procured,  without  rent,  from  Hon.  Hampton  L. 
Carson,  representing  the  Weightman  Estate,  the  use  of  the  first  floor  of  the  build- 

719 


WW                                             Br  *  SJBpi'  - 

F.   ^SJ    H            Br       ~"**V 

*■»'                       -7T»    "^fl             ^f^Jj  j    •    ,  _ 

.  .        -,'-..-J_ 

I    •**•*'    Vk 

Courtesy  of  N.   T.   Shipbuilding  Corp. 


British-Canadian  Recruiting  Campaign. 


ing  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Juniper  and  Chestnut  streets. 

When  the  great  registration  of  males  between  the  ages  of  twenty-one  and 
thirty-one  took  place  in  United  States,  it  was  found  there  were  here  a  trifle  over 
350,000  British  and  Canadian  subjects.  In  the  Philadelphia  section  alone  there 
were  over  10,000  British  subjects,  men  of  draft  age. 

The  large  industrial  institutions  of  the  city  were  visited  by  officers  of  the 
Recruiting  Mission  and  at  the  noon-hour  meetings  were  held  which  resulted  in  large 
numbers  of  Britishers  joining  the  colors.  Parading  through  the  streets  headed 
by  Scottish  pipers  and  drummers  also  aroused  enthusiasm.  A  number  of  British 
veterans  of  former  wars  promptly  came  forward  to  offer  their  service.  Late  in 
July,  1917,  Colonel  Steele  organized  a  civilian  committee  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
in  actual  personal  touch  with  the  large  number  of  men  whose  names  were  on  the 
draft  list,  but  who  could  not  be  drafted  into  the  American  service  on  account  of 
being  British  subjects.    The  head  committee  was  made  up  as  follows: 

Colonel  John  S.  Muckle,  Honorary  Chairman;  S.  C.  Simonski  (who  was  with 
the  Royal  Canadians  in  the  Boer  War  in  South  Africa),  Active  Chairman;  Colonel  St. 
George  L.  Steele,  C.  B.,  and  M.  Edwards,  a  young  Canadian  newspaper  man  attached 
to  the  mission,  as  Secretary.  These  gentlemen  organized  sub-committees  whose 
duties  were  to  call  upon  the  British  subjects  and  present  to  them  the  necessity  of 
their  coming  forward  and  joining  the  colors. 

A  plan,  afterwards  called  the  "Philadelphia  Plan,"  originated  and  put  into 
effect  by  Mr.  Simonski,  with  the  aid  of  the  local  draft  boards,  was  used  throughout 
the  whole  United  States.  Various  draft  boards  lent  their  offices  to  the  British  and 
Canadian  Recruiting  Mission  and  the  British  subjects  whose  names  were  on  the 
list  were  asked  by  post-card  to  report  at  different  times  at  these  draft  board  rooms 

720 


where  they  were  interviewed  by  officers  of  the  British  and  Canadian  Recruiting 
Mission.  Men  without  dependents  were  urged  to  enlist.  Men  with  dependents 
were  also  urged  to  enlist  with  the  knowledge  that  the  British  Patriotic  Funds  and 
the  American  Red  Cross  would  take  care  of  their  dependents  with  the  help  of  the 
various  Army  allowances.  As  the  men  volunteered  for  enlistment,  they  were  sent 
to  Canada  to  report  at  the  various  training  quarters.  All  volunteers  had  the  privi- 
lege of  choosing  the  branch  of  the  Army  or  even  the  particular  regiment  in  which  they 
wished  to  serve.  Of  the  first  12,000  British  subjects  who  responded  to  the  call  for 
volunteers,  so  strict  was  the  medical  examination  that  only  one  in  three  was  taken. 

On  July  18,  1917,  a  meeting  of  Philadelphia  citizens  was  called  at  the  Union 
League  to  make  arrangements  to  bring  a  regiment  from  Canada  to  aid  recruiting. 
Colonel  Muckle  was  made  Chairman  of  the  Citizens'  Committee  and  as  a  result  of 
his  subsequent  visit  to  Ottawa,  the  5th  Canadian  Highlanders  of  Montreal,  the 
Canadian  Recruiting  Regiment  for  the  famous  42d  "Black  Watch, "  commanded  by 
Colonel  Burstall,  arrived  in  Philadelphia  on  Sunday  morning,  September  30,  1917, 
and  remained  three  glorious  and  busy  days.  On  the  evening  of  September  30th, 
the  officers  of  the  regiment  were  the  guests  of  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Muckle  at  the 
Bellevue-Stratford  Hotel. 

The  officers  were  quartered  at  the  Adelphia  Hotel  on  Chestnut  Street,  and  the 
men  and  non-commissioned  officers  were  quartered  at  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  on  Arch 
Street.  Great  mass  meetings  were  held  at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House  on 
Broad  Street,  also  at  the  Academy  of  Music  and  at  the  Forest  Theatre. 

Early  in  October,  General  White,  Chief  of  the  British  and  Canadian  Recruiting 
Mission  in  America,  and  a  group  of  famous  Great  War  veterans  addressed  the 
citizens  of  Philadelphia  from  the  stage  of  the  Academy  of  Music.  So  great  was  the 
enthusiasm  for  recruiting  aroused  at  that  meeting,  that  men  actually  climbed 
from  topmost  galleries  to  the  stage  to  present  themselves  for  enlistment.  One 
British  veteran  of  the  famous  Lanchester  Regiment,  sixty-two  years  old,  with  a 
war  record  of  twenty-three  years,  pleaded  to  be  taken.  On  Saturday,  January  5, 
1918,  the  British  official  war  exhibit  was  opened  in  the  armory  at  Broad  and  Callow- 
hill  streets.  Here  were  shown  captured  German  guns,  uniforms,  rifles,  helmets, 
gas-masks,  bombs,  torpedoes  and  even  a  great  Austrian  Skoda  gun — guns  taken 
from  some  of  the  celebrated  German  commerce  raiders  were  also  shown.  Opening 
addresses  were  made  by  Major  General  L.  W.  T.  Waller,  U.  S.  M.  C,  and 
Brigadier  General  W.  A.  White,  C.  M.  G. 

In  January,  1918,  the  British  official  war  pictures  were  shown  in  the  Hale 
Building.  One  of  the  most  striking  pictures  showed  the  Canadians  at  the  "zero 
hour"  leaving  their  trenches  at  Ypres  to  attack  the  Germans. 

In  the  mean  time  wonderful  stories  of  fearful  battles  in  the  air  were  astonish- 
ing the  nation,  and  at  the  invitation  of  the  Recruiting  Mission,  Lieutenant  E. 
Flaschere,  a  famous  French  Ace,  whose  uniform  showed  the  Military  Medal,  Mili- 
tary Cross,  the  Legion  of  Honor,  the  British  Military  medal  and  other  famous 
decorations  gave  an  exhibition  of  aeroplane  work  on  Sunday,  April  14,  1918,  that 
thrilled  a  crowd  of  40,000  people  at  Belmont  Plateau.  A  few  weeks  after  this, 
Philadelphia  had  the  opportunity  of  witnessing  the  first  British  tank,  the  Britannia 
rolling  through  its  streets.  This  armored  car  driven  by  powerful  gasoline  engines 
was  commanded  by  Captain  Haig  and  crew,  all  of  whom  had  been  wounded  at  the 
Battle  of  Arras,  the  first  battle  in  which  tanks  were  employed  and  when  tanks  were 

721 


Courtesy  of  the  Philadelphia  "Inquirer.' 


British  Tank  on  the  Parkwav. 


a  complete  surprise  for  the  Germans.  At  this  time  the  Parkway  in  Philadelphia 
was  being  cleared  of  buildings,  and  to  show  the  wonderful  work  of  the  tank  it  was 
run  over  ditches,  hills  and  rubble,  and  ended  up  with  battering  down  a  two-foot 
brick  wall  of  a  house  that  was  being  demolished. 

A  few  days  later,  assisted  by  several  companies  of  the  United  States  Marines, 
and  with  Lieutenant  Flaschere's  fighting  SPAD  aeroplane  overhead,  the  tank  gave 
an  exhibition  of  the  new  method  of  attack  before  a  very  large  number  of  the  citizens 
of  Philadelphia  and  Army  and  Naval  officers  at  League  Island. 

After  seeing  its  great  power,  people  did  not  wonder  that  the  Germans  took  to 
building  concrete  and  steel  shelters  as  the  only  means  of  protecting  themselves 
from  the  power  of  this  terrible  instrument  of  war. 

Meanwhile  the  property  at  Juniper  and  Chestnut  streets  was  no  longer  avail- 
able, and  on  January  16,  1918,  Colonel  Muckle  secured  gratis  from  the  Lea  Estate 
the  use  of  the  second  floor  of  the  building  at  the  northeast  corner  of  17th  and 
Chestnut  streets.  On  March  4,  1918,  the  Mission  again  moved,  going  to  the  second 
floor  of  the  building  at  the  southwest  corner  of  16th  and  Chestnut  streets. 

When  the  problem  of  taking  care  of  the  dependents  of  enlisted  men  came 
up,  Colonel  Steele  called  together  public-minded  citizens  and  organized  a  British 
and  Canadian  Patriotic  Fund,  of  which  the  British  Consul  General,  T.  R.  Porter 
of  Philadelphia  was  the  official  head. 

In  British  Societies  and  the  Canadian  Society  of  Philadelphia,  large  sums  of 
money  were  raised  to  alleviate  the  distress  of  dependents  and  to  take  care  of 

722 


returned  soldiers  incapacitated  for  further  work.  In  May  of  1918,  Captain  Rad- 
cliffe  Dugmore,  famous  as  a  newspaper  correspondent,  soldier,  author  and  lecturer, 
gave  a  very  interesting  talk  on  African  wild  animals  at  the  Academy  of  Music, 
illustrated  with  lantern  slides  and  colored  moving  pictures,  in  aid  of  the  British 
Patriotic  Fund,  the  lecture  having  been  arranged  by  Major  C.  P.  R.  Dugmore, 
B.  A.,  second  in  command  of  the  Mission  in  Philadelphia. 

The  officers  and  non-commissioned  officers  of  the  Mission  rendered  various 
valuable  services  to  the  United  States  during  the  flotation  of  the  Liberty  and 
Victory  Loans  by  showing  the  people  that  there  were  various  ways  of  fighting  the 
enemy  as  well  as  by  shouldering  a  gun  and  marching  to  the  trenches. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  every  time  the  enemy  gained  a  victory,  the  rush  of 
recruits  to  the  Mission  was  greatly  augmented ;  in  fact,  one  looking  over  the  record 
could  tell  just  when  the  Allies  were  gaining  their  successes  and  when  they  were 
meeting  with  reverses  from  the  number  of  recruits  presenting  themselves.  The 
high  water-mark  of  recruiting  was  during  the  week  of  March  2,  1918,  when 
1,089  men  were  recruited  in  the  United  States  for  the  British  or  Canadian  Army. 
In  the  mean  time  the  British  had  been  forming  what  is  known  as  the  Jewish 
Battalion  and  recruits  came  freely  from  the  United  States  to  join  that  section  of 
the  Army.  Two  thousand  three  hundred  and  twenty-nine  were  recruited;  great 
impetus  for  this  was  given  by  the  news  of  the  capture  of  Jerusalem  by  General 
Allenby. 

In  the  mean  time,  diplomats  in  Washington  and  in  Downing  Street  and  on 
"the  hill"  at  Ottawa  had  entered  into  an  agreement  whereby  American  citizens 
in  Canada  or  Great  Britain  of  draft  age  could  be  drafted  into  the  Canadian  or 
British  Army  and  British  or  Canadian  subjects  (exclusive  of  Irishmen)  residing  in 
the  United  States  and  of  draft  age  could  be  drafted  into  the  American  Army; 
thus  all  British  subjects  in  the  United  States  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and 
twenty-one,  and  thirty-one  and  forty-five  were  required  to  register,  as  the  British 
Army  took  in,  subject  to  draft,  all  males  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  forty- 
five,  while  in  the  United  States  the  draft  age  was  from  twenty-one  to  thirty-one. 

This  arrangement  rendered  the  work  of  the  British  and  Canadian  Recruiting 
Mission  in  the  United  States  unnecessary  and  on  October  14,  1918,  the  Mission 
closed  its  work  in  the  United  States.  The  total  number  of  recruits  gained  through- 
out in  the  United  States  was  62,000.  Philadelphia  district  had  time  after  time 
the  enviable  record  of  gaining  more  recruits  in  a  week  than  any  other  section  of 
the  country  excepting  the  headquarters  section.  Over  4,000  recruits  were  sent 
to  Canada  or  Great  Britain  from  the  Philadelphia  district. 

In  July,  1918,  Colonel  Steele  was  sent  to  Russia  and  took  as  a  member  of  his 
staff  Lieutenant  Skidmore,  C.  E.  F.,  who,  during  his  stay  in  this  city,  had  become 
popular  with  its  citizens. 

The  first  British  soldier  to  be  buried  in  the  United  States  in  over  one  hundred 
years  was  Sergeant  Malcolm  MacFarlane  of  the  Recruiting  Mission,  a  veteran 
of  a  number  of  battles  in  Flanders  who,  stricken  with  pneumonia,  died  and  was 
buried  at  Mt.  Moriah  Cemetery,  where  a  beautiful  tombstone  marks  his  last 
resting-place. 

Colonel  Steele  was  succeeded  by  Major  C.  P.  R.  Dugmore,  who  in  turn  was 
succeeded  during  the  last  few  months  of  the  Recruiting  Mission's  existence  by 
Captain  W.  P.  F.  Latham. 

723 


Courtesy   of   the   Philadelphia    "Press." 

U.  S.  S.  "Haverford"  brings  first  troops  returning  to  Philadelphia. 


724 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  TROOPS 

>^^ELCOMED  by  gaily  decorated  committee  boats,  greeted 
by  bands  of  music  and  acclaimed  by  thousands  of  people 
lining  the  Philadelphia  and  New  Jersey  banks  of  the  Dela- 
ware, the  U.  S.  S.  Haverford  arrived  at  Pier  53  on  January 
30,  1919.  The  2,100  troops  on  board,  of  which  fifteen 
were  Philadelphians,  composed  the  65th  Coast  Artillery,  a 
number  of  wounded  officers  and  men,  and  a  Casual  Com- 
pany of  negroes. 

Far  down  the  river  the  welcome  began.  The  City  of 
Camden,  chartered  by  the  Citizens'  Committee  of  Phila- 
delphia, The  Fearless,  crowded  with  men  and  women  from  New  Jersey,  the  tug 
Adriatic  with  a  Committee  of  the  Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsylvania  on  board,  and  a 
score  or  more  of  other  craft  heralded  the  Haverford  on  her  triumphal  trip  up  the  river. 
Two  thousand  school  children,  each  with  an  American  flag,  were  massed  on 
the  Government  pier  at  Gloucester  and  sang  a  welcome  as  the  Haverford  approached. 
At  Hog  Island  and  at  other  large  plants  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  work  temporarily 
ceased  while  the  thousands  of  employes  occupied  every  vantage  point  and  hurled 


Courtesy  of  Frank   W.   Buhler,    Stanley   Co.    of   America. 

Red  Cross  and  other  organizations  waiting  to  greet  the  returning  troops. 

725 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley  Co.   of   America. 

First  Regiment  of  Marines  parading  on  Broad  Street. 

their  cheers  across  the  water.  As  the  transport  passed  League  Island,  the  guns 
there  boomed  in  salute. 

At  the  pier,  representatives  of  the  Red  Cross,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Knights  of  Colum- 
bus, Jewish  Welfare  Board,  and  Salvation  Army  had  everything  in  readiness  to 
make  the  men  feel  at  home.  Sandwiches  and  coffee,  "smokes,"  candy  and  other 
gifts  were  provided. 

Following  these  interesting  ceremonies,  the  men  marched  from  the  pier  west 
on  Washington  Avenue  to  Broad  Street  between  densely  packed  lines  of  cheering 
relatives  and  friends.  At  Broad  Street  they  entrained  for  Camp  Dix,  where  after 
submitting  to  another  process  of  fumigation,  they  received  their  families  or  returned 
to  Philadelphia  on  leave. 

The  successful  handling  of  the  Haverford  at  the  municipal  pier  and  the  ease 
with  which  the  men  were  taken  from  the  dock  to  camp  received  favorable  comment 
from  the  embarkation  officers  at  Hoboken,  and  resulted  in  additional  transports 
being  sent  to  this  port  throughout  the  spring  and  summer. 

On  February  8th  the  city  witnessed  a  parade  of  500  marines,  veterans  of 
Verdun,  Belleau  Wood,  Chateau-Thierry,  the  St.  Mihiel  salient,  Champaigne  and 
the  Argonne.  These  men,  under  command  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  H.  D.  South, 
with  Major  A.  J.  Drexel  Biddle  as  aide,  marched  from  Broad  and  South  streets 
around  the  east  side  of  City  Hall  and  west  on  the  Parkway  to  Logan  Square. 
The  reviewing  stand,  erected  on  the  north  plaza  of  City  Hall,  was  occupied  by  city 
officials  and  distinguished  guests.  At  Logan  Square  the  members  of  the  various 
women's  relief  organizations  welcomed  the  men.  An  escort  of  honor  was  com- 
posed of  marines  and  sailors  from  the  Navy  Yard.  The  music  was  furnished  by 
the  celebrated  Marine  Band  from  Washington,  which  led  the  column. 

726 


In  the  evening  the  men  were  entertained  at  Keith's  Theatre.  So  great  was 
the  throng  that  in  an  endeavor  to  attend  this  celebration  over  2,000  were  unable 
to  get  nearer  than  the  doors  of  the  theatre. 

With  the  report  that  a  large  number  of  troops  would  soon  come  to  this  city, 
Mayor  Smith  requested  Judge  J.  Willis  Martin,  Chairman  of  the  Philadelphia 
Council  of  National  Defense,  to  appoint  a  special  committee  to  make  all  arrange- 
ments for  welcoming  returning  transports  to  this  city,  and  to  serve  as  its  chairman. 
On  the  committee  thus  appointed  were  the  Presidents  of  Select  and  Common 
Councils,  the  Chairman  and  Secretary  of  the  Councilmanic  Committee  on  the  Care, 
Sustenance  and  Relief  of  those  in  the  military  and  naval  service  of  the  United  States, 
and  the  Executive  Manager  of  the  Philadelphia  Council  of  National  Defense,  who 
acted  as  secretary  of  the  committee.  Representatives  of  the  various  welfare 
organizations  were  members  of  the  committee  and  a  review  of  its  work  is  in- 
corporated in  the  report  of  the  Philadelphia  Council  of  National  Defense. 

The  preliminary  work  of  the  committee  prepared  it  for  the  far  larger  task  of 
welcoming  back  the  men  of  the  28th  Division. 

WELCOME  TO  THE  28TH  DIVISION 

When  the  morning  papers  of  the  city  carried  an  announcement  early  in  April 
that  the  28th  Division  was  ready  for  its  return  to  the  United  States  and  that  the 
War  Department  was  in  a  receptive  mood  for  a  request  that  the  Division  be  paraded 
before  demobilization,  the  Secretary  of  the  Welcome  Home  Committee  telephoned 
to  the  Adjutant  General  at  Harrisburg,  and  arranged  to  leave  at  once  with  him 
for  Washington,  to  ask,  in  the  name  of  the  State  and  City,  a  divisional  review  in 
Philadelphia.  The  following  day,  General  Reary  and  Mr.  Guenther  visited  Rrigadier 
General  Edward  D.  Anderson  and  Colonel  Joseph  R.  Mc Andrews  and  received 
the  assurance  that  the  War  Department  would  make  every  effort  to  accede  to  their 
request.  From  the  very  beginning  the 
War  Department  gave  its  most  cordial 
and  effective  cooperation. 

It  soon  became  apparent  that, 
owing  to  the  unexpectedly  rapid 
movement  of  the  troops,  only  a  part 
of  the  Division  would  arrive  together 
and  it  was  finally  arranged  that  those 
units  which  were  distinctively  Phila- 
delphian  in  personnel,  or  whose  men 
came  from  the  eastern  part  of  Pennsyl- 
vania should  be  held  at  Camp  Dix  for 
parade.  All  other  units  were  immedi- 
ately demobilized  or,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  western  Pennsylvania  troops, 
were  sent  to  Camp  Sherman  for  a 
parade  in  Pittsburgh. 

Meanwhile  the  city  of  Philadelphia 
planned  for  that  day  when  it  should 
honor  its  own  sons.  Mayor  Smith,  who 


Courtesv    of   the   Philadelphia    "Press." 

Men  on  the  U.  S.  S.  "Northland." 


727 


was  ill  at  the  time,  called  a  meeting  at  his  Glenside  home  and  appointed  additional 
members  to  the  Welcome  Home  Committee. 

The  committee  in  charge  of  arranging  for  the  parade  of  the  Keystone  Division 
was  as  follows:  Hon.  Chairman,  Hon.  Thomas  B.  Smith;  Hon.  Vice-Chairman, 
Hon.  J.  Willis  Martin;  Chairman,  Joseph  Widener;  Secretary,  J.  Jarden  Guenther; 
James  E.  Lennon,  Dr.  E.  B.  Gleason,  George  Wharton  Pepper,  Isaac  D.  Hetzel, 
Col.  Richard  E.  Holz,  W.  J.  Dorsey,  Leon  J.  Obermayer,  J.  D.  Sutherland,  Dr.  C.  J. 
Hatfield,  Calvin  L.  Lewis,  John  T.  Windrim,  Emanuel  Furth,  W.  Freeland  Ken- 
drick,  Hon.  John  M.  Patterson,  Wilfred  Jordan,  Joseph  P.  GafFney,  Charles  B.  Hall, 
Adjutant-General  Frank  B.  Beary,  George  S.  Webster,  Dr.  Wilmer  Krusen,  W.  H. 
Wilson,  Hon.  Edwin  S.  Stuart,  Alfred  E.  Burk,  Robert  E.  Lamberton,  James  A. 
Flaherty,  John  F.  Dugan,  Dr.  W.  W.  Trinkle,  James  Willard,  Mrs.  Barclay  H. 
Warburton,  James  F.  Herron,  George  W.  B.  Hicks,  James  B.  Corneal,  Richard  J. 
Beamish,  E.  J.  Clive. 

The  offices  of  the  committee  and  of  the  various  sub-committees  were  established 
in  the  Liberty  Building  and  additional  members  added  to  the  executive  and  clerical 
staffs  of  the  Philadelphia  Council  of  National  Defense.  John  Saeger  Bradway, 
Lieutenant  (j.  g.)  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  who  had  recently  returned  from  overseas  duty, 
was  appointed  assistant  to  the  Secretary  and  acted  as  liaison  officer  between  the 
"G.  H.  Q.",  the  Port  of  Debarkation  and  Camp  Dix. 

In  order  that  some  record  may  be  kept  of  the  preparations  made  to  honor 
General  Muir  and  his  men,  a  rapid  review  of  the  work  of  the  committees  will  show 
how  the  city  was  literally  transformed  and  how  every  effort  was  made  to  give  a 
welcome  worthy  of  the  occasion. 


Photo   by   L.    R.    Snrnv. 


Pylons  and  Decorations  on  Chestnut  Street. 
728 


The  Committee  on  Decorations  received  a  number  of  suggestions  and  finally 
developed  plans  which  gave  to  Philadelphia  a  colorful  effect  never  before  equaled. 
A  request  to  all  citizens  was  made  in  the  newspapers  for  general  decorations  through- 
out the  city  and  every  thoroughfare  was  festooned  with  flags  and  banners. 

The  Chestnut  Street  Business  Men's  Association  arranged  for  special  decora- 
tions on  that  street  from  river  to  river.  The  trolley  poles  were  gilded,  and  suspended 
from  each  were  blue  silk  banners  edged  with  gold  giving  the  names  of  the  important 
engagements  in  which  the  28th  Division  participated.  The  various  stores  and 
office  buildings  were  draped  in  bunting  and  the  entire  scheme  culminated  in  the 
magnificent  decorations  on  Chestnut  Street  in  front  of  Independence  Hall.  At 
the  corners  of  5th  and  6th  streets  were  erected  great  pylons  upon  which  were  super- 
imposed heraldic  figures.  From  these  pylons  to  the  buildings  were  suspended 
silken  canopies  in  the  city  colors. 

The  entire  north  side  of  Chestnut  Street  between  5th  and  6th  streets  was 
banked  with  grandstands  for  special  guests  and  on  the  south  side  of  the  street, 
flanking  the  entrance  to  Independence  Hall,  were  the  reviewing  stands  occupied 
by  the  Governor  of  the  State,  the  Mayor  of  the  City  and  other  official  guests. 

In  front  of  Independence  Hall,  where  the  Statue  of  Washington  usually  stands, 
but  which  had  been  removed  for  repairs,  the  Liberty  Bell  was  placed  on  a  special 
pedestal,  behind  which,  and  forming  a  picturesque  setting  for  the  bell,  were  standards 
of  Allied  flags,  banners  with  symbolic  devices  and  a  semicircle  of  evergreens. 

By  courtesy  of  the  Liberty  Loan  committees,  the  decorations  of  the  5th  Liberty 
Loan  campaign  were  left  standing  on  Broad  Street,  north  and  south,  and  presented 
a  picture  to  the  marching  host  that  will  never  be  forgotten.  The  Stars  and  Stripes 
blended  with  the  flags  of  the  Allies  and  streamers  and  banners  flanked  the  Victory 
Statue,  the  dazzling  whiteness  of  which  was  even  more  effective  with  a  temporary 
back-ground  of  blazing  scarlet. 

The  plazas  of  City  Hall  were  appropriately  decorated,  while  from  each  window 
of  that  huge  structure  the  American  flag  fluttered  in  the  soft  May  breezes. 

The  Parkway  from  Broad  Street  to  Spring  Garden  presented  an  ever  changing 
spectacle.  The  circle  at  Logan  Square  was  marked  by  a  series  of  flagpoles  with  the 
American  colors.  The  grandstands,  artistic  as  they  were  in  design,  were  made 
more  so  by  the  fluttering  pennants  which  were  placed  behind  the  topmost  seats. 

The  Committee  in  Charge  of  Boats  and  Stands  arranged  for  the  steamers 
which  took  the  relatives  down  the  river  to  meet  the  incoming  transports.  Its 
greatest  service,  however,  was  the  erection  of  the  grandstands,  a  work  which  was 
complicated  by  the  shortness  of  time.  For  two  weeks  previous  to  the  day  of  the 
parade,  the  Parkway,  and  Chestnut  Street  at  Independence  Hall,  were  ablaze  with 
lights,  for  shifts  of  men  worked  day  and  night  to  provide  accommodations  for  the 
thousands  who  desired  tickets  to  the  stands. 

On  the  Parkway  from  Logan  Square  to  Spring  Garden  Street,  were  a  series  of 
stands  accommodating  17,000  people.  These,  with  the  exception  of  a  limited 
number  of  sections  reserved  for  the  State  Legislature,  were  occupied  by  the  next 
of  kin  of  the  men  of  the  28th  Division. 

The  Councilmanic  stand  was  erected  on  the  east  side  of  City  Hall.  On  the 
west  side  of  Broad  Street  and  south  of  Arch  the  members  of  the  Draft  Boards  of 
Philadelphia  reviewed  the  parade,  while  at  the  end  of  the  Parkway  the  members 
of  the  Park  Commission  occupied  a  special  stand. 

729 


Courtesy    of    the    Philadelphia    "Inquirer." 

The  parade  on  the  Parkway  passing  in  review  before  18,000  "next  of  kin." 

730 


The  way  in  which  the  members  of  this  committee  sought  to  take  care  of  all 
who  had  any  claim  is  exemplified  by  the  fact  that  when  the  Mayor  of  a  neighboring 
city,  who  had  misunderstood  the  directions  by  which  tickets  could  be  secured,  came 
down  with  a  request  for  750  seats  twenty-four  hours  before  the  parade,  the  com- 
mittee erected  a  special  stand  overnight  and  thus  took  care  of  the  entire  delegation. 

The  Parade  Committee  had  charge  of  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  military 
side  of  the  parade,  the  route  over  which  it  was  to  go,  etc.  The  Adjutant 
General,  Frank  D.  Beary,  was  Chairman  of  this  Committee.  He  and  his  fellow 
members,  after  a  series  of  conferences,  also  arranged  for  the  transportation  of  troops 
from  Camp  Dix  to  Philadelphia  and  return.  E.  J.  Clive,  Terminal  Manager  of  the 
Federal  Railroad  Administration,  and  his  associates  were  indefatigable  in  their 
efforts  and  made  possible  the  movement  of  troops  with  the  least  delay. 

The  Reception  Committee  arranged  for  the  reception  of  General  Muir, 
and  the  members  of  his  staff,  by  Mayor  Smith  on  the  morning  of  May  14th,  and  for 
the  banquet  tendered  by  the  Mayor  in  the  name  of  the  city  in  the  ballroom  of  the 
Bellevue-Stratford  Hotel  on  the  same  evening. 

The  Entertainment  Committee  had  one  of  the  most  difficult  problems  of  all, 
but  its  work  was  greatly  simplified  by  the  cooperation  of  Frank  W.  Buhler,  repre- 
senting the  Stanley  Corporation,  and  Harry  T.  Jordan,  of  Keith's  Theatre.  These 
gentlemen  arranged  with  the  theatrical  interests  of  the  city  to  admit  the  men  of 
the  28th  Division  to  their  theatres  on  the  evening  of  the  14th  without  charge  and 
also  provided  other  forms  of  special  entertainment. 

The  Committee  in  Charge  of  Hotel  Accommodations  arranged  for  a  suite 
of  rooms  at  the  Bellevue-Stratford  Hotel  for  General  Muir  and  the  members  of 
his  staff,  and  the  Committee  in  Charge  of  Quarters  for  the  enlisted  men 
rented  a  number  of  buildings  in  the  city  and  provided  them  with  cots,  etc.,  for 
the  enlisted  men.  A  box  breakfast  was  served  on  May  15th  to  the  men  who 
reported  to  their  quarters. 

The  Committee  on  Music  arranged  for  the  placing  of  song  leaders  and  cheer 
leaders  along  the  entire  route  of  the  parade.  These  men,  trained  by  experience 
during  the  entire  period  of  the  war,  kept  the  expectant  throngs  in  a  songful  mood 
and  made  possible  a  continuous  applause  as  the  troops  marched  by.  This  latter 
effort  was  important  not  because  the  crowds  became  weary  with  passing  troops  but 
because,  as  was  so  clearly  shown  at  the  parading  for  the  27th  Division  in  New  York 
City,  it  was  the  head  of  the  column  that  received  a  tremendous  greeting,  while  the 
last  companies  of  the  various  regiments  marched  between  silent  spectators. 

The  Automorile  Committee,  cooperating  with  Captain  (Mrs.  Thomas)  Elwyn 
and  the  Red  Cross,  arranged  for  the  transportation  of  officers  and  men  on  the  day 
preceding  the  parade  and  also  on  May  15th. 

WOMEN'S  WELCOME  HOME  COMMITTEE 

At  a  meeting  called  by  Judge  Martin  in  his  chambers  on  April  11,  1919, 
representatives  were  present  from  the  following  organizations:  American  Red 
Cross;  Council  of  National  Defense;  Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsylvania;  National 
League  for  Woman's  Service;  Navy  League;  Pennsylvania  R.R.  Women's  Divi- 
sion for  War  Relief. 

The  following  officers  and  committees  were  appointed:  Mrs.  William  C. 
Sproul,  Honorary  Chairman;  Mrs.  Thomas  B.  Smith,  Honorary  Vice-Chairman ; 

731 


Mrs.  Frank  D.  Beary,  Honorary  Vice-Chairman ;  Mrs.  Barclay  H.  Warburton, 
Chairman;  Miss  Mary  L.  Selden,  Secretary. 

Executive  Committee:  Mrs.  Dobson  Altemus,  Mrs.  Edgar  W.  Baird,  Mrs. 
Henry  C.  Boyer,  Mrs.  Henry  B.  Coxe,  Mrs.  George  Dallas  Dixon,  Mrs.  Geo.  W. 
Childs  Drexel,  Mrs.  Thomas  L.  Elwyn,  Mrs.  John  White  Geary,  Mrs.  John  C. 
Groome,  Mrs.  Henry  D.  Jump,  Mrs.  Ernest  Law,  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea,  Mrs.  Nor- 
man McLeod,  Mrs.  Louis  C.  Madeira,  Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin,  Mrs.  Eugene 
Newbold,  Mrs.  H.  S.  Prentiss  Nichols,  Mrs.  Louis  R.  Page,  Mrs.  James  Starr,  Jr., 
Mrs.  Edward  T.  Stotesbury,  Mrs  William  G.  Warden. 

Sub-committees  were  appointed  which  subsequently  made  and  perfected  ar- 
rangements for  the  reception,  care  and  feeding  of  the  officers  and  men  of  the  28th 
Division,  during  their  stay  in  Philadelphia  on  May  14th  and  15th. 

Headquarters  were  established  in  the  offices  of  the  Philadelphia  Council  of 
National  Defense,  Liberty  Building,  and  at  the  final  meeting  of  the  Executive 
Committee  on  May  23,  1919,  the  various  chairmen  reported  on  their  work. 

For  the  Executive  Committee,  Mrs.  Warburton,  Chairman,  stated  that  Mr. 
GafFney  had  sent  to  the  Women's  Committee,  for  distribution  among  the  women's 
war  relief  organizations,  500  tickets  for  the  grand  stands,  most  of  which  were 
returned  to  the  Women's  Welcome  Home  Committee  for  distribution  among  the 
families  of  the  soldiers  who  were  unable  to  procure  seats. 

All  overhead  expenses,  including  printing  and  postage,  were  met  by  the 
Women's  Committee. 

Canteen  Committee 

Mrs.  George  W.  Childs  Drexel,  Chairman 
Mrs.  George  W.  Boyd,  Vice-Chairman 
Mrs.  George  B.  Evans,  Asst.  Vice-Chairman 

The  Canteen  Committee  reported  that  as  a  part  of  the  reception  given  to  the 
men  of  the  28th  Division  on  the  15th  of  May  the  Canteen  Department  of  the 
American  Red  Cross  supplied  19,000  hot  meals. 

Thanks  to  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Shibe,  the  ball  park  and  its  facilities  were  most 
graciously  given  to  the  City  for  this  use.  Here  the  canteen  with  its  300  officers 
and  workers  had  a  long,  canvas-covered  mess  shack,  through  which  the  men  passed 
in  companies.  First  getting  plates,  cups,  knives  and  forks,  the  men  passed  through 
at  the  rate  of  146  per  minute  in  cafeteria  style,  and  each  received  his  share  of 
12,000  lbs.  of  beef,  8,000  lbs.  of  mashed  potatoes,  2,500  gallons  of  hot  coffee,  38,000 
slices  of  bread  with  butter,  and  2,000  large  sponge  cakes.  Each  company  had 
an  allotted  section  of  the  grand  stand  in  which  canteen  women  passed  the  chocolate 
donated  by  the  Wilbur  Company  and  served  water  or  filled  canteens  from  the 
large  ice  water  barrels. 

A  first  aid  dressing  station  under  a  doctor,  a  nurse  and  three  assistants  from 
Army  Base  Hospital  No.  22  was  kept  very  busy,  and  over  150  patients,  chiefly 
footsore  ones,  were  treated.  Ambulance,  bandages,  pillows,  blankets,  etc.,  were 
also  at  hand  for  any  emergencies. 

Large  numbers  of  box  lunches  were  delivered  to  Shibe  Park,  presumably  by 
the  generosity  of  the  city.  These  boxes,  along  with  the  coffee  and  food  left  over, 
were  sent  to  North  Philadelphia  and  other  stations  and  given  to  the  departing  men 
for  their  suppers. 

732 


At  the  request  of  General  Muir,  his  Adjutant,  Colonel  Clement,  spoke  to  the 
canteen  workers  and,  congratulating  and  thanking  them  on  behalf  of  the  officers 
and  men  of  the  Iron  Division,  said  that  he  had  never  seen,  in  America  or  overseas, 
any  branch  of  the  Army  function  more  efficiently  than  did  the  Philadelphia  Red 
Cross  in  its  feat  of  serving  16,000  men  in  110  minutes. 

The  men,  after  enjoying  a  good  meal,  were  bodily  rested,  and  left  the  field 
with  much  cheering. 

Information  Booths  at  Stations 
Mrs.  George  Dallas  Dixon,  Chairman 

The  members  of  the  Pennsylvania  R.R.  Women's  Division  for  War  Relief 
were  in  the  booths  at  the  seven  stations,  including  Market  and  Chestnut  Street 
Ferries,  from  7  a.  m.  until  10  p.  m.  on  Wednesday  and  Thursday,  May  14th  and  15th. 
Hundreds  of  visitors  came  to  the  booths  with  requests  for  all  kinds  of  information 
and  the  members  of  the  committee  were  supplied  with  a  brief  statement  covering 
the  general  facts  relative  to  the  parade. 

People  were  directed  to  rest  rooms  for  families  of  enlisted  men  from  out  of 
town  to  the  Emergency  Aid  at  1428  Walnut  Street,  and  to  the  National  League 
for  Woman's  Service,  at  1703  Walnut  Street,  while  for  officers'  families  the  Acorn 
Club,  1618  Walnut  Street,  and  Officers'  Club  House  of  the  Emergency  Aid,  221 
S.  18th  Street,  were  open. 

Persons  with  children  were  sent  to  a  nursery  at  4th  and  Green  Streets  (Friends' 
Neighborhood  House),  where  children  were  cared  for  and  given  lunch  for  25  cents. 

Committee  For  Reception  of  Nurses 

Mrs.  Henry  B.  Coxe,  Chairman;  Mrs.  J.  Barton,  Miss  Florence  Caldwell, 
Mrs.  Wm.  B.  Campbell,  Mrs.  J.  Gardner  Cassatt,  Mrs.  E.  Walter  Clark,  Mrs. 
Wm.  J.  Clothier,  Mrs.  Theo.  W.  Cramp,  Mrs.  Charles  Da  Costa,  Mrs.  Thomas 
J.  Dolan,  Mrs.  Norton  Downs,  Miss  Helen  Fleischer,  Miss  Susan  C.  Francis, 
Miss  Josephine  Frazier,  Mrs.  George  H.  Frazier,  Mrs.  John  H.  Gibbon,  Miss 
Mary  K.  Gibson,  Miss  Mary  Girvin,  Mrs.  Jos.  L.  Hoppin,  Mrs.  Charles  E.  Inger- 
soll,  Mrs.  Sydney  W.  Keith,  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea,  Mrs.  Jos.  L.  Leidy,  Mrs.  Norman 
MacLeod,  Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin,  Mrs.  Wm.  R.  Mercer,  Mrs.  J.  Kearsley  Mitchell, 
Mrs.  R.  L.  Montgomery,  Mrs.  Randal  Morgan,  Mrs.  Wm.  Norris,  Mrs.  Frank  T. 
Patterson,  Mrs.  Wm.  Potter,  Jr.,  Mrs.  Philip  M.  Rhinelander,  Miss  Anna  Rogers, 
Mrs.  Benjamin  Rush,  Mrs  Charles  Scott,  Jr.,  Mrs.  Charles  H.  Scott,  Mrs.  Jos.  N. 
Snellenburg,  Mrs.  Edward  T.  Stotesbury,  Mrs.  Rowland  Taylor,  Mrs.  G.  W. 
Urquhart,  Mrs.  Alexander  Van  Rensselaer,  Mrs.  Henry  P.  Vaux,  Mrs.  Charlton 
Yarnall,  Miss  Roberta  M.  West. 

The  nurses  were  taken  in  motors  by  the  National  League  Motor  Corps,  and 
immediately  after  the  parade  they  were  taken  to  the  Bellevue-Stratford  Hotel, 
where  a  luncheon  was  served,  which  was  very  much  enjoyed.  The  committee 
and  the  nurses  gratefully  acknowledged  the  courtesy  of  the  State  in  providing 
transportation  for  the  nurses  to  and  from  their  homes  in  different  parts  of  the 
State. 

The  committee's  expenses  amounted  to  nearly  eight  hundred  dollars,  which 
was  entirely  subscribed  by  members  of  the  Reception  of  Nurses'  Committee. 

733 


Photo  by  L.  R.   Snow. 


Overseas  Nurses. 
Committee  for  Reception  of  Officers 

Mrs.  Edward  T.  Stotesbury,  Chairman 
Mrs.  Dobson  Altemus,  Vice-Chairman 

At  the  Army  and  Navy  Officers'  Club  House  of  the  Emergency  Aid,  the  day 
before  the  parade,  100  extra  cots  and  200  blankets,  which  were  loaned  by  the  Marine 
Barracks  and  Ordnance  Department,  were  placed  in  the  ballroom  to  accommodate 
the  officers  of  the  28th  Division  who  availed  themselves  of  the  privilege  of  stop- 
ping at  the  club.  Meals  were  also  served  the  officers  for  two  days,  and  the  dance 
held  Wednesday  evening,  May  14th,  for  their  entertainment  was  largely  attended. 


Transportation  Committee 

Mrs.  Thomas  L.  Elwyn,  Chairman 
Mrs.  Norman  MacLeod,  Vice-Chairman 
Mrs.  John  White  Geary,  Vice-Chairman 

With  the  help  of  the  American  Red  Cross,  Emergency  Aid,  and  Junior  Service 
Corps  of  the  National  League  for  Woman's  Service,  transportation  was  furnished 
for  582  wounded  men  and  225  overseas  nurses.  The  motors  were  crowded  owing 
to  the  fact  that  preparations  were  made  for  only  half  the  number,  but  reserve 
motors  were  brought  into  use,  and  the  cars  carried  double  the  original  number  of 
persons. 

734 


Photo  by  Ii.   R.    Snow. 


Wounded  men  of  the  Division. 

Committee  for  Visiting  Families 

Mrs.  John  C.  Groome,  Chairman;  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Lea,  Vice-Chairman; 
Mrs.  J.  Willis  Martin,  Vice-Chairman;  Mrs.  Henry  C.  Boyer,  Mrs.  James  Starr, 
Jr.,  Mrs.  Louis  C.  Madeira,  Mrs.  Henry  D.  Jump,  Mrs.  Ernest  Law,  Mrs.  Eugene 
Newbold,  Miss  Edith  D.  Sheldon. 

Members  of  this  committee  were  on  duty  at  headquarters  in  the  Liberty 
Building  all  day  and  evening  from  Saturday,  May  10th,  until  after  the  parade. 
The  office  force  of  the  Council  of  National  Defense  volunteered  to  assist  the  com- 
mittee during  the  evenings  and  on  Sunday. 

The  committee  made  all  arrangements  for  out-of-town  guests  to  be  accom- 
modated in  the  homes  of  members  of  the  American  Red  Cross,  Navy  League, 
National  League  for  Woman's  Service,  and  Emergency  Aid,  who  had  previously 
offered  to  be  hostesses  to  these  families.  Tickets  given  by  the  Emergency  Aid 
and  National  League  for  Woman's  Service  on  their  stands  were  also  distributed 
among  out-of-town  families,  besides  those  on  the  city  stands  donated  by  Mr. 
Gaftney  to  the  women's  war  relief  organizations. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  the  Councilmanic  Committee  the  following  informa- 
tion, on  a  slip,  was  mailed  to  all  out-of-town  families  with  the  tickets  issued  for 
the  stands  by  the  committee: 

"The  Women's  Welcome  Home  Committee,  Liberty  Building,  Broad  and 
Chestnut  streets,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  has  arranged  for  a  committee  to  meet 
trains  on  all  railroads  arriving  in  Philadelphia  on  May  14th  and  the  morning 
of  the  15th.  There  will  also  be  an  information  booth  in  each  station  and  at  the 
ferries.  Tickets  for  box  lunches  at  25  cents  each  can  be  obtained  at  station. 
These  box  lunches  will  be  supplied  at  the  information  booth  on  the  Parkway. 
Free  rest  rooms  at  1428  Walnut  Street  and  1703  Walnut  Street." 

A  letter  was  also  sent  to  all  newspapers  in  the  State  giving  the  same  information. 

735 


Lunch  for  Relatives  Committee 

Mrs.  James  Starr,  Jr.,  Chairman,  Mrs.  H.  L.  Cassard,  Mrs.  John  Mustard. 
Mrs.  Thomas  Reath,  Mrs.  Howard  Seaver,  Mrs.  W.  0.  Peobles. 

One  thousand  box  lunches  were  soldJrom  the  National  League  Booth  at  22d 
Street  and  the  Parkway  to  the  visiting  families  at  25  cents  each,  the  tickets  for  these 
lunches  having  been  procured  at  the  information  booths  at  the  railroad  stations, 
and  at  the  headquarters  of  the  Women's  Committee. 

Reception  at  Stations  Committee 
Mrs.  Eugene  Newbold,  Chairman 

Seventy-five  women  on  this  committee  worked  in  three  shifts.  At  North 
Philadelphia  Station  families  were  sent  to  lodgings,  and  wounded  men  sent  in  taxis 
to  Second  Regiment  Armory.  Five  taxis  were  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  Com- 
mittee by  an  anonymous  donor.  At  Broad  Street  Station  and  Reading  Terminal 
visiting  relatives  were  met  by  a  reception  committee  and  directed  to  lodgings.  One 
wounded  man  was  sent  to  the  hospital.  Many  people  met  at  the  gates  were  advised 
as  to  car  routes,  rest  rooms,  theatres,  etc.  The  West  Philadelphia  and  B.  &  O. 
Stations  were  also  covered  by  this  committee. 

Philadelphia  Room  Registry 
Miss  Edith  D.  Sheldon,  Chairman 

The  occupants  of  175  houses  registered  rooms  for  visitors,  of  which  number 
140  were  inspected,  through  the  kindness  of  the  Emergency  Aid  and  the  National 
League  for  Woman's  Service,  who  provided  motor  transportation  for  the  visitors. 
Altogether  150  accommodations  were  procured  and  prices  per  night  per  person 
averaged  75  cents  to  $2.00. 

First  Aid  Stations 

Mrs.  Hutton  Kennedy,  Chairman 

These  stations  were  authorized  by  Dr.  Wilmer  Krusen,  Director  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Health  and  Charities,  and  Dr.  R.  Owen,  Police  Surgeon.  Five  stations 
were  established  at  the  following  points:  Academy  of  Music;  835  Chestnut  Street; 
713  Market  Street;  Gimbel's  Garage  (22d  and  Parkway)  and  the  corner  of  Broad 
and  Brown  streets.  The  use  of  these  places  was  kindly  given  by  the  owners — 
the  Directors  of  the  Academy  of  Music,  Gimbel  Brothers,  the  Dobson  Estate  and 
the  Oldsmobile  Company.  Gimbel  Brothers  also  lent  all  the  chairs  needed.  The 
Salvation  Army  lent  eight  cots  and  the  Hero  Manufacturing  Company  the  complete 
outfit  of  their  first  aid  room  and  the  use  of  a  truck  on  the  14th  and  15th  of  May. 
Two  more  stations  were  added  when  the  Disaster  Committee  of  the  Southeastern 
Pennsylvania  Chapter  of  the  Red  Cross  offered  the  use  of  a  tent  on  the  Parkway, 
and  the  Independence  Square  Auxiliary  offered  the  use  of  their  workroom. 

Purock  Water  stands  were  placed  in  those  stations  not  furnished  with  drinking 
water.  Comfort  stations  for  the  use  of  women  and  children  were  arranged  for  in 
the  Catholic  Girls'  High  School,  the  Wills  Eye  Hospital,  Spring  Garden  Street 
Market  and  Spring  Garden  Street  Methodist  Church. 

736 


Dr.  Owen  sent  a  city  doctor  to  each  station  as  well  as  a  complete  first  aid  out- 
fit. Dr.  Krusen  sent  two  city  nurses  to  each  station  and  three  warden  attendants 
of  the  Emergency  Aid  were  also  in  attendance.  Numerous  fainting  cases  were 
brought  in,  cases  of  severe  heart  collapse,  collapse  from  exhaustion,  and  one  soldier 
with  heart  trouble. 

National  League  for  Woman's  Service 
Mrs.  Edgar  W.  Baird,  Chairman 

Three  hundred  wounded  men  from  Base  Hospital  No.  22  together  with  their 
nurses  viewed  the  parade  from  special  seats  and  were  provided  with  box  lunches. 
The  headquarters  of  the  National  League  at  1703  Walnut  Street  were  equipped 
for  the  convenience  of  visiting  families  and  twenty-five  beds  were  installed  for  the 
use  of  women  relatives  of  the  troops. 

By  courtesy  of  the  Fairmount  Park  Commission,  information  booths  were 
erected  on  the  Parkway  and  were  manned  from  8.30  a.m.  until  2.15  p.m.  on  the 
day  of  the  parade.  Twenty-five  members  of  the  National  League  and  Junior 
Service  Corps  were  on  duty  at  the  booths. 

The  Emergency  A.id  of  Pennsylvania 
Headquarters  at  1428  Walnut  Street  were  used  as  a  rest  room  on  the  day  of 
the  parade,  and  one  hundred  people  from  Lancaster  were  entertained  there  at  supper 
after  the  parade. 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler, 


Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Wounded  men  watching  the  parade. 

737 


Reception  Committee  For  Wounded  Soldiers 

Mrs.  William  G.  Warden,  Chairman 
Mrs.  Louis  R.  Page,  Vice-Chairman 

This  committee  arranged  with  the  War  Camp  Community  Service  to  care  for 
some  500  wounded  soldiers  who  had  been  with  the  Division  and  who  were  coming  as 
special  guests  of  th  general  committee  from  out-of-town  hospitals.  The  plans 
provided  motor  service  at  the  station  and  sleeping  quarters  in  the  buildings  of 
various  welfare  organizations.  On  the  morning  of  the  parade  the  Women's 
Committee,  together  with  the  officers  of  the  War  Camp  Community  Service, 
took  charge  of  the  soldiers  and  provided  taxis  or  arranged  for  seats  on  the  line  of 
march  for  those  who  were  unable  to  parade. 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,    Stanley  Co.   of   America. 

Men  of  the  28th  Division  arriving  at  Philadelphia. 

THE  DIVISION  ARRIVES  HOME 

Splendid  as  were  all  welcomes  given  to  troops  returning  to  the  port  of  Phila- 
delphia, it  seemed  as  if  a  great  reserve  of  enthusiasm  had  been  saved  to  lavish  on 
the  men  of  the  28th  Division,  the  first  units  of  which,  1,383  strong,  arrived  on  the 
transport  Canandaigua  on  April  27th.  Rut  all  records  for  tumultuous  greetings 
were  broken  on  April  30th  when  the  transports  Mercury  and  Pocahontas  raced  up 
the  river  from  the  Delaware  Rreakwater.  A  score  or  more  of  river  craft,  headed 
by  the  committee  boats  and  the  steamers  chartered  by  the  City  to  carry  the  relatives 

738 


and  friends  of  the  men,  met  the  ships  almost  as  far  down  stream  as  Chester.  Neither 
transport  reduced  speed  and  few  of  the  smaller  boats  were  able  to  keep  abreast. 
The  scenes  which  greeted  the  Haverford  on  her  maiden  trip  with  troops  to  Phila- 
delphia were  reenacted  and  tens  of  thousands  of  men,  women  and  children  on  both 
banks  of  the  river  cheered  and  sang  as  the  men  passed  by. 

The  arrival  of  these  two  transports  was  so  uncertain  that  General  Beary  was 
in  Camp  Dix  when  the  word  came  that  they  had  passed  Reedy  Island  and  before 
the  General  was  found  in  camp  and  notified  the  ships  were  well  up  the  river.  How- 
ever, he  reached  the  pier  as  the  Mecury  was  docked  and  with  Mr.  Guenther  went 
on  board  and  welcomed  Major  General  Charles  S.  Muir  and  the  members  of  his 
staff. 

General  Muir,  or  "Uncle  Charlie"  as  he  was  affectionately  known  by  his  men, 
was  the  one  casual  officer  on  board.  The  General  had  commanded  the  Division 
during  its  days  of  fiercest  fighting  and  was  the  only  officer  with  two  stars  to  lead 
his  men  over  the  top.  Modest  in  the  extreme,  he  acknowledged  that  he  wore  the 
Distinguished  Service  Cross,  Croix  de  Guerre,  and  the  insignia  of  the  British  Order 
of  St.  Michael  and  St.  George.  With  the  General  were  Lieutenant  Colonel  Fred 
Taylor  Pusey,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Sidney  A.  Hagerling,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Charles 
F.  Clement,  Major  Edward  Hoopes  and  Captain  H.  M.  Gross,  all  of  the  Divisional 
staff.  Captain  Robert  Aulanier,  who  had  served  with  the  Division  as  French  liaison 
officer,  was  also  on  board. 

After  the  brief  and  informal  words  of  welcome,  General  Muir  and  his  staff 
were  escorted  to  the  Union  League  Club,  where  they  were  entertained  at  dinner. 
The  next  morning  they  went  to  Camp  Dix  in  motors  driven  by  members  of  the 
Junior  Service  Corps  of  the  National  League  for  Woman's  Service,  and  Philadelphia 
knew  that  the  plans  for  the  Divisional  parade  were  fast  drawing  to  a  successful  close. 

The  two  weeks  between  May  1st  and  15th  were  busy  ones.  General  Muir 
ordered  headquarters  established  in  the  Mayor's  reception  room  at  City  Hall,  which 
had  been  tendered  to  him,  and  in  the  offices  of  the  Philadelphia  Council  of  National 
Defense. 

While  final  preparations  were  being  made,  other  units  of  the  Division  arrived 
and  were  met  with  the  same  cordiality  and  enthusiasm  as  those  who  came  before. 
Friends  and  relatives,  officials  from  many  nearby  cities  and  towns,  haunted 
the  headquarters  in  their  eagerness  to  secure  tickets  for  the  committee  boats.  The 
City  spared  no  expense  and  in  almost  every  case  was  able  to  meet  the  demand, 
except  only  when  an  unheralded  early  or  late  arrival  of  a  transport  made  it  impos- 
sible to  secure  proper  accommodations. 

As  the  plans  matured,  it  was  deemed  wise  to  bring  the  troops  to  Philadelphia 
the  day  before  the  parade,  and  May  the  14th  dawned  clear  and  bright.  Early  in 
the  morning,  General  Muir  and  his  staff  crossed  from  Camden.  At  the  foot  of 
Market  Street  a  great  curtain  was  suspended.  As  the  General,  accompanied  by 
his  officers,  approached,  a  fanfare  of  bugles  sounded,  the  curtain  was  drawn  aside 
and  the  welcome  of  the  City  was  extended  by  Mayor  Smith.  At  the  same  time  four 
horsemen  dressed  as  colonial  cavalrymen  rode  north,  south,  east  and  west  from 
City  Hall,  accompanied  by  buglers  and  heralds,  also  mounted  and  in  colonial 
costume. 

Ferryboat  after  ferryboat  brought  the  troops.  Out  Market  Street  to  Broad 
most  of  them  marched,  and  then  turned  north  or  south  to  their  respective  barracks. 

739 


Courtesy   of  the  Philadelphia   "Press." 

Mayor  Smith,  at  foot  of  Market  Street,  welcomes  General  Muir  and  Staff. 


Troops  quartered  at  any  great  distance  from  the  ferry  were  taken  by  trolleys  and 
in  motor  trucks  to  their  several  destinations. 

As  each  unit  reached  its  barracks  the  men  went  on  leave,  and  the  center  of 
the  City  was  soon  crowded  with  eager,  home-loving  men,  each  with  a  little  Red 
Keystone  on  his  shoulder. 

A  banquet  was  given  by  the  Mayor  in  the  name  of  the  City  to  General  Muir 
and  his  staff  officers,  in  the  ballroom  of  the  Bellevue-Stratford  Hotel.  Previous  to 
the  banquet  a  reception  was  tendered  to  the  visiting  officers  in  the  Clover  Room. 
There,  surrounded  by  the  men  who  had  shared  with  him  the  vicissitudes  of  many 
campaigns,  General  Muir  was  welcomed  by  several  hundred  distinguished  Phila- 
delphians.  During  the  banquet,  and  at  the  request  of  Mayor  Smith,  the  Governor 
of  Pennsylvania,  Hon.  Wm.  C.  Sproul,  presented  to  General  Muir,  in  the 
name  of  a  grateful  City,  a  handsome  medal  of  gold,  bearing  a  replica  of  the 
Liberty  Bell. 

A  dance  for  the  junior  officers  was  given  at  the  Officers'  Club,  on  East  Ritten- 
house  Square  and  a  number  of  other  entertainments  given  in  their  honor. 

As  the  enlisted  men  were  in  large  measure  from  Philadelphia,  home  was  the 
place  to  which  most  of  them  went,  taking  with  them  their  "buddies"  who  were 
strangers  in  the  city.  The  theatres  and  moving-picture  houses  were  all  open  to 
men  in  uniform  and  special  entertainments  were  arranged  by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
K.  of  C,  J.  W.  B.  and  other  welfare  agencies. 

710 


THE  PARADE  OF  THE  28th   DIVISION 

The  parade  started  exactly  on  time.  General  Muir  and  his  staff  assembled 
at  the  Union  League  and  proceeded  to  Broad  and  Wharton  streets,  the  order  to 
march  being  given  at  10  a.m.  precisely. 

The  route  of  the  parade  was— 

From  Broad  and  Wharton  north  to  Chestnut,  east  to  Third  and  north 
to  Market.  West  on  Market  to  City  Hall,  rounding  City  Hall  to  Broad 
Street.  Then  north  to  Arch,  west  to  the  Parkway,  out  the  Parkway  to 
Spring  Garden  Street.  East  to  Broad,  north  to  Lehigh  Avenue  and  west  to 
Shibe  Park. 

From  earliest  dawn  the  crowds  had  been  collecting  along  the  line  of  march 
and  it  is  estimated  that  over  2,000,000  people  thronged  the  sidewalks,  occupied 
the  stands,  or  waved  their  greetings  from  office  buildings  and  private  homes. 

At  Independence  Hall  the  men  were  reviewed  by  the  Governor  of  the  State, 
the  Mayor  of  the  City  and  representative  men  and  women.  The  men  marched 
platoon  front,  and  as  each  platoon  approached  the  Liberty  Bell  the  order  "Eyes 
Right"  was  given,  and  officers  and  men  saluted  as  they  passed. 

When  the  head  of  the  column  swung  around  Logan  Square  17,000  men,  women 
and  children  rose  en  masse.  These,  the  next  of  kin,  were  the  ones  who  truly 
shared  in  every  sacrifice,  and  the  City  spared  no  expense  nor  effort  to  give  them 
an  opportunity  to  see  their  "boys."  From  all  over  the  State  they  came;  from 
humble  homes  and  stately  mansions.     They  knew,  as  no  one  else  knew,  what  these 


Photo  by  Ii.   R.   Snow. 


State  and  City  Officials  on  Grand  Stand  at  Independence  Hall. 
741 


steel-helmeted  men  had  done.  Perhaps  their  cheers  were  not  so  loud,  hardly  a 
throat  that  did  not  have  a  catch  in  it,  hardly  an  eye  in  that  great  throng  that  did 
not  glisten.  Even  those  who  could  not  see  the  marching  troops  were  there.  A 
father  and  mother,  both  blind,  declared  that  they  would  know  when  their  son 
passed  by. 

Some  were  there  whose  loved  ones  never  would  return.  On  their  sleeves 
was  the  "star  of  gold."  They  saw  the  Company  and  Platoon  with  which  their 
loved  ones  had  gone  away,  pass  in  review ;  they  recognized  the  officers  and  some  of 
the  comrades  in  arms.  Somewhere,  far  over  the  sea,  was  a  grave;  above  it  a  tiny 
cross;  there  all  that  was  mortal  lay  sleeping.  Such  cannot  die,  they  only  go 
before.  So,  while  eyes  were  moist  and  hearts  were  tender,  joy  and  pride,  which 
no  others  could  experience,  sustained  these  relatives.  They,  too,  had  paid  the 
price. 

Here  on  the  Parkway  were  the  wounded  from  Government  Hospital  No.  22 
at  34th  and  Pine  streets,  as  well  as  many  other  former  28th  Division  men,  too 
crippled  to  ride.  On  Spring  Garden  Street  at  23d  Street  were  the  grand  stands 
erected  by  the  Red  Cross,  Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  National  League 
for  Woman's  Service. 

At  four  points  along  the  route  of  the  parade  were  massed  some  15,000  school 
children,  each  waving  an  American  flag.  At  the  Ridgway  Library  on  South  Rroad 
Street  were  1,500  students  from  the  South  Philadelphia  High  School;  at  17th  and 
Spring  Garden  streets  there  were  1,000  students  of  the  Girls'  High  School,  and  in 
front  of  the  Central  High  School  at  Broad  and  Green  streets  2,000  scholars 
were  grouped.  The  heights  of  the  old  Reservoir  at  the  Spring  Garden  Street 
entrance  to  Fairmount  Park  were  reserved  for  10,000  children  composed  of  students 
from  Girard  College,  members  of  the  Boys'  Brigade  and  the  Boy  and  Girl  Scouts. 
The  general  public  rushed  the  guards  holding  this  place  and  many  of  the  children 
were  unable  to  reach  the  sections  assigned  to  them. 

One  feature  of  the  parade  brought  home  to  all  the  price  which  the  Division 
had  paid  in  flesh  and  blood.  A  gun  carriage  drawn  by  eight  white  horses,  each 
led  by  a  wearer  of  the  Distinguished  Service  Cross,  or  some  other  special  medal  of 
honor,  was  preceded  by  a  bugle  corps  sounding  a  funeral  dirge.  On  the  caisson 
was  a  great  wreath,  in  the  center  of  which  were  the  figures  representing  the  number 
of  28th  Division  men  who  died  in  the  service.  While  the  cortege  halted  at  Inde- 
pendence Hall,  a  detail  placed  at  the  base  of  the  Liberty  Bell  sixty-seven  smaller 
wreaths,  each  with  a  number  representing  the  major  casualties  of  the  several 
counties  of  the  State. 

At  Broad  and  Diamond  streets,  General  Muir  saw  his  "boys"  pass  in  final 
review,  and  they  in  turn  saluted  "Uncle  Charlie"  for  the  last  time.  How 
proudly  the  General  sat  his  horse  and  watched  his  men  go  by,  but  when  the 
last  khaki-clad  soldier  had  swung  past  the  Old  Warrior  turned  away  with  eyes 
unashamedly  wet. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  parade  the  men  were  dismissed  at  Shibe  Park,  which 
had  been  lent  to  the  City  by  Mr.  Shibe,  where  they  were  fed  by  the  Canteen  of  the 
American  Red  Cross. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  the  first  of  the  troop  trains  left  North  Philadelphia 
Station  for  Camp  Dix,  and  by  dark  the  last  tired  soldier  had  entrained. 

Within  a  few  days  complete  demobilization  was  affected  and  the  Division,  as 

742 


a  fighting  unit,  was  but  a  memory.  Originally  a  Division  composed  of  National 
Guard  troops  from  Pennsylvania,  its  severe  casualties  had  necessitated  over  20,000 
replacements,  so  that  when  the  Division  scattered  from  Camp  Dix,  the  men  with 
the  red  Keystone  on  their  shoulder  went  back,  not  only  to  the  sixty-seven  counties 
of  Pennsylvania,  but  also  to  practically  every  State  of  the  Union. 

The  old  Keystone  State  gave  of  her  best.  Nor  will  the  Commonwealth 
ever  forget  the  service  her  sons  rendered  to  her,  to  their  Country,  and  to  the 
world,  comrades  of  the  Iron  (28th)  Division,  in  the  grim  but  glorious  days  of 
1917-18. 

The  transport  Peerless,  with  the  108th  Field  Artillery,  was  delayed  and  did  not 
reach  Philadelphia  until  May  17th.  A  committee  went  to  Camp  Dix  and  invited 
the  men  to  parade,  but  Colonel  Frank  Lecocq  and  his  officers  decided  that  under 
the  circumstances  it  would  be  better  to  demobilize  at  once. 


RETURN  OF  THE  79TH  DIVISION 

When  the  79th  Division,  composed  of  the  National  Army  men  from  Phila- 
delphia, started  home,  preparations  were  made  to  welcome  them  with  the  same 
enthusiasm  as  was  shown  to  the  28th  Division.  Wireless  greetings  were  sent  out 
from  the  office  of  the  Welcome  Home  Committee  and  when  the  transport  Virginian 
arrived  at  Newport  News,  a  committee,  appointed  by  Mayor  Smith,  was  present 
to  tell  the  Philadelphians  on  board  how  proud  the  City  was  of  them. 

Headquarters  of  the  Welcome  Home  Committee  were  established  in  the 
Hotel  Pennsylvania,  New  York  City,  in  charge  of  Lieutenant  John  S.  Bradway, 
and  each  transport,  upon  arrival,  was  met.  Mayor  Hylan's  committee  was  most 
gracious  in  providing  tickets  for  the  boats  which  went  down  the  bay  and  hundreds 
of  Philadelphia  relatives  and  friends  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  of  cheer- 
ing and  greeting  the  troops  as  they  came  up  the  river. 

When  Major  General  Joseph  E.  Kuhn,  Commander  of  the  79th  Division, 
stepped  off  the  Kroonland  at  Hoboken,  on  Thursday,  May  29,  1919,  he  was  met 
by  Mayor  Smith  and  a  committee,  including  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Percy  C.  Madeira, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jay  Cooke,  Joseph  C.  Smith,  Secretary  to  the  Mayor,  D.  W.  Harris, 
Clerk  of  Select  Council,  and  Lieutenant  Bradway. 

In  his  brief  word  of  welcome  to  General  Kuhn,  Mayor  Smith  said:  "Phila- 
delphia and  Pennsylvania  are  proud  of  you  and  your  men.  We  want  to  do  them 
all  honor.  We  want  them  to  parade  before  us  so  that  we  may  see  them  and  that 
they  may  know  the  full  strength  of  our  admiration.  It  is  our  wish  to  entertain 
the  officers  and  men  of  the  Division  in  a  way  befitting  the  City  and  State  and  we 
ask  cooperation  in  these  plans. " 

After  the  last  of  the  79th  Division  troops  had  landed,  Philadelphia  was  caught 
in  a  heat-wave  of  great  intensity.  Letters  and  telegrams  from  officers  and  men 
poured  into  the  offices  of  the  Mayor  and  Committee  and,  reluctantly,  the  City 
yielded  to  the  reasonable  requests  for  immediate  demobilization  and  gave  up  all 
plans  for  a  parade. 

As  long  as  transports  came  to  the  City  they  were  received  with  true  hospitality, 
and  those  in  charge  of  their  reception  found  real  satisfaction  in  greeting  the  men 
and  in  making  possible  their  welcome  by  their  relatives  and  friends. 

743 


Arrival  of  Troopships,   1919 


Haverford Jan.  30th 

Skinner Feb.  1st 

Bristol Feb.  13th 

Northland Feb.  21st 

Haverford March  23d 

Canandaigua April  27th 

Pocahontas April  30th 

Mercury April  30th 

Maui May  4th 

Ed.  Luckenbach May  10th 

Santa  Oliva May  13th 

Peerless May  17th 


Calamares May  15th 

Haverford May  19th 

Matoika May  27th 

Dakotan May  29th 

Shoshone June  2d 

Texan May  30th 

Ohioan June  22d 

Dakotan June  26th 

Santa  Barbara July  23d 

Haverford Aug.  2d 

Maui Aug.  18th 

El  Oriente Aug.  25th 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler,   Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Returning  Troops  Marching  from  the  Dock  to  the  Train. 


744 


VOCATIONAL  TRAINING 

By  Robert  J.  Fuller,  District  Vocational  Officer 


^HE  WORLD  WAR  forced  upon  the  world  many  new  con- 
siderations. Never  before  was  the  need  so  great  for  human 
resources  at  the  front  in  actual  combat,  for  supporting 
forces  near  the  front,  and  supply  units  behind  the  lines. 
Never  before  was  the  need  so  great  for  producing  war  ma- 
terials in  the  manufacturing  centers.  These  vast  opera- 
tions and  the  movement  of  the  before  unheard-of  numbers 
of  men  required  utilization  of  practically  every  available 
person  in  every  country  involved.  Never  before  had  so 
many  individuals  been  injured  in  actual  combat.  It 
was  early  found  that  many  of  those  who  were  injured  could  further  participate 
in  military  activities.  To  rehabilitate  them  quickly  and  to  get  them  back  into 
some  service  where  they  could  render  real  assistance  was  the  problem  which 
confronted  all  nations.  Furener  than  that  it  was  found  that  some  of  them  could 
not  assist  directly  in  the  war,  but  could  be  utilized  in  their  own  communities 
upon  work  which  might  have  a  direct  bearing  upon  the  actual  combat.  The 
replacement  of  these  men  into  economic  civilian  channels,  brought  about  legislation 
by  the  United  States  looking  to  the  immediate  need  and  to  the  future  rehabilitation 
of  the  disabled  soldiers,  sailors  and  marines.  This  act,  known  as  the  Rehabilita- 
tion Act,  was  signed  by  the  President,  June  27,  1921. 

The  Rehabilitation  Act  placed  the  responsibility  of  retraining  the  disabled 
soldiers,  sailors  and  marines  upon  the  Federal  Board  for  Vocational  Education. 
This  board  had  previously  been  engaged  in  the  work  of  training  men  for  specific 
vocations,  and  had  assisted  in  the  war  in  training  men  for  war  production.  These 
experiences  peculiarly  fitted  this  organization  to  deal  with  the  specific  duty  of 
retraining  these  ex-service  men  and  reestablishing  them  on  a  civilian  basis.  A 
complete  plan  of  organization  apart  from  its  other  departments  was  set  up  by 
the  Federal  Board.  This  organization  was  known  as  the  Rehabilitation  Division 
of  the  Federal  Board  for  Vocational  Education. 

The  organization  included  the  establishment  of  fourteen  district  offices 
throughout  the  United  States.  The  cities  selected  for  district  offices  included 
the  largest  and  most  accessible  centers  within  the  areas  to  the  served.  The 
territory  covered  by  District  No.  3  included  the  states  of  Pennsylvania  and  Dela- 
ware, with  the  district  office  at  Philadelphia. 

Preliminary  plans  for  organization  and  securing  for  District  No.  3  proper 
offices  as  well  as  clerical  and  other  personnel  were  begun  October  16,  1918.  The 
persons  working  upon  this  preliminary  organization  were  Dr.  J.  W.  Miller,  Field 
Representative  of  the  Washington  or  Central  office,  Russell  C.  Lowell,  Dr.  Arthur 
J.  Rowland  and  Jerome  B.  Scott.  The  first  offices  for  this  work  were  in  the 
Penn  Square  Building,  where  four  rooms  were  occupied  on  the  tenth  floor  on 
October  21st.     The  organization  consisted   of  Mr.   Lowell,   district  vocational 

745 


officer,  Dr.  Rowland,  training  officer,  Mr.  Scott,  placement  officer.  Mr.  Lowell 
remained  with  the  organization  barely  three  weeks,  leaving  to  accept  an  impor- 
tant position  in  Indianapolis  on  November  9th.  Dr.  Rowland  was  then  made 
district  vocational  officer  on  November  11th,  and  served  in  that  capacity  until 
July  15,  1919. 

Prominent  men  of  the  city,  including  the  Mayor,  the  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  Dr.  John  G.  Clark,  Herman  L.  Collins,  E.  C.  Felton  and  John  Frazee,  of 
the  United  States  Employment  Service,  J.  Hampton  Moore,  M.  C,  George  Wharton 
Pepper,  C.  L.  S.  Tingley,  John  A.  Voll,  and  others  were  visited,  and  their  interest 
secured  for  the  promotion  of  this  work.  In  addition  to  individuals,  several 
prominent  welfare  and  civic  and  national  agencies  were  visited  for  the  purpose  of 
securing  their  full  cooperation  in  carrying  out  the  program.  These  agencies  in- 
cluded the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Philadelphia  War  Council,  Pennsylvania 
and  Philadelphia  Councils  of  National  Defense,  United  States  Labor  Service, 
American  Red  Cross,  War  Risk  Insurance  Rureau,  United  States  Public  Health 
Service,  various  labor  organizations,  local  educational  officers  and  State  officers  in 
charge  of  Industrial  Education,  and  Manufacturers'  and  Employing  Associations. 
Later,  cooperation  was  had  from  the  Elks,  the  Emergency  Aid  of  Pennsylvania, 
the  Salvation  Army,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  the  American  Legion,  the  National  Catholic 
War  Council  and  the  War  Camp  Community  Service. 

Several  vocational  advisers  were  secured  to  makcrcontact  with  the  men  calling 
at  the  district  office,  to  secure  data  concerning  their  disability  and  educational 
and  occupational  experience,  as  well  as  their  desire  for  a  future  occupation. 
The  advisers  not  only  interviewed  the  men  in  the  district  office,  but  endeavored 
to  interview  them  at  the  hospitals  before  the  men  were  discharged  in  an  effort  to 
make  their  training  follow  very  closely  their  discharge  from  the  hospital  and  the 
service.  The  advisers,  were  asked  to  make  contact  with  men  who  had  already 
been  discharged  in  various  towns  and  communities  throughout  the  State. 

The  number  of  cases  or  claimants  known  to  the  office  increased  from  slightly 
more  than  one  hundred  at  the  opening  of  the  office  to  more  than  eleven  thousand 
by  July  15,  1919,  the  date  when  Dr.  Rowland  severed  his  connection  with  the 
service.  Under  the  Rehabilitation  Act  of  the  Government,  it  was  not  possible  to 
provide  all  men  with  training  and  maintenance.  The  Rehabilitation  Act,  limited 
training  to  those  men  who  were  suffering  from  a  disability  which,  in  the  opinion  of 
the  Federal  Roard,  amounted  to  a  vocational  handicap.  Previous  to  July  11,  1919, 
training  could  only  be  granted  to  those  who  had  actually  received  an  award  of 
compensation  by  the  Rureau  of  War  Risk  Insurance.  This  necessitated  action 
by  that  bureau  previous  to  action  by  the  Federal  Roard  for  Vocational  Education. 
The  volume  of  work  which  the  War  Risk  Rureau  had  to  perform  made  it  impossible 
for  them  to  act  quickly.  Hence  up  to  July  15,  1919,  only  338  men  had  been  placed 
in  training  in  this  district. 

The  results  of  the  experiences  that  the  board  had  in  handling  its  work  made 
it  necessary  for  several  amendments  to  the  original  Rehabilitation  Act  to  be 
passed.  The  volume  of  work  to  be  done  made  the  Amendment  of  July  11,  1919, 
the  most  important  and  the  most  far-reaching  of  any  passed  up  to  that  date. 
This  Amendment  clarified  the  situation  and  made  it  possible  for  the  Federal 
Roard  to  act  in  the  placing  of  men  in  training  previous  to  any  decision  by  the  War 
Risk  Insurance  Rureau.    The  real  progress  of  the  board  then,  begins  as  of  that 

746 


date.  Within  six  months  from  that  time  more  than  2,500  men  had  been  ac- 
tually placed  in  training  as  of  December  30,  1919,  and  by  June  15,  1921, 10,500 
had  been  placed  in  training. 

On  July  15,  1919,  Uel  W.  Lamkin,  who  later  became  Director  of  the  Federal 
Board,  succeeded  Dr.  Rowland  as  acting  district  vocational  officer  for  a  period 
of  one  month,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  relieved  by  the  appointment  of 
Charles  E.  Cullen,  August  1,  1919,  and  he  in  turn  by  Robert  J.  Fuller,  November 
1st.  At  the  time  Mr.  Cullen  left  the  office  1,658  men  had  been  placed  in  training. 
The  number  of  persons  employed,  including  a  medical  staff  of  seven  members, 
vocational  advisers,  training  officers,  placement  officers,  and  clerical  force,  had 
increased  to  181. 

Soon  after  November  1st  certain  reorganization  plans  were  developed  for  the 
purpose  of  expediting  the  entrance  of  men  into  training  and  their  follow-up  while  in 
training.  This  resulted  in  lessening  the  amount  of  delay  in  offering  training  to 
the  men  and  the  actual  placing  of  them  in  training  and  rendering  them  full  service. 
In  fact,  the  perfecting  of  the  organization  and  of  the  plan  of  work  made  it  possible 
for  large  numbers  of  men  to  be  placed  in  training,  so  that  by  the  end  of  the  year 
1920  a  positive  advance  had  been  made  in  the  work  of  the  board. 

Certain  well-known  institutions  of  the  city  were  approached  by  the  training 
officers  of  the  board,  and  arranged  to  provide  courses  of  study  and  instruction  for 
the  trainees.  The  aim  of  all  of  the  training  was  to  make  it  possible  for 
the  man  to  return  to  civilian  employment  with  a  definite  employment  objective. 
Among  the  institutions  which  were  utilized  should  be  mentioned  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  in  practically  all  of  its  departments,  Jefferson 
Medical  College,  Temple  University,  Spring  Garden  Institute,  the  Pennsylvania 
Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts,  Pennsylvania  Museum  and  School  of  Industrial 
Art,  Pierce  Business  College,  Banks'  Business  College  and  many  other  private 
and  semi-private  institutions.  Altogether,  there  were  about  fifty  institutions 
in  the  city  which  were  utilized. 

About  25  per  cent  of  the  training  was  provided  by  industrial  establishments  in 
and  around  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  They  provided  training  on  the  job 
for  the  men  under  the  direction  of  a  counselor,  or  adviser,  who  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  concern.  Men  were  placed  with  such  firms  as  A.  B.  Kirschbaum 
Company,  John  Wanamaker,  Edward  G.  Budd  Manufacturing  Company, 
Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  and  with  about  four  or  five  hundred  other  industrial 
establishments.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  citizens  of  Philadelphia  cooperated 
very  materially  with  the  Federal  Board  for  Vocational  Education  in  making 
possible  a  program  of  training  for  the  disabled  ex-service  man  which  would  enable 
him  to  "carry  on"  successfully  in  a  given  occupation. 

The  Act  provided  very  generously  for  maintenance  while  in  training.  No 
country  up  to  this  time  had  made  such  generous  provisions  for  maintenance  as  did 
this  country,  nor  was  this  to  be  wondered  at,  because  no  country  had  entered  the 
war  with  a  sincerer  purpose  to  sustain  an  ideal.  Various  amounts  were  allotted  to 
the  man  for  his  maintenance,  with  the  first  allotment  of  $65  per  month  for  a  single 
man,  to  which  was  added  the  allowance  for  dependents,  which  amounts  varied  with 
the  number  and  relation  of  dependents.  It  was  soon  found  that  this  amount  was 
inadequate,  so  that  in  the  Amendment  to  the  Act  of  July  11,  1919,  the  sum  of 

per  month  per  single  man  was  allotted,  together  with  the  several  additions  for 

747 


dependents.  With  the  present  high  cost  of  living  in  the  large  centers  of  the  country, 
it  is  not  thought  that  even  this  sum  will  be  finally  adequate  to  provide  a  sufficient 
amount  of  money  for  the  maintenance  of  the  men  while  they  are  receiving  their 
training.  Such  provisions  as  these  indicate  the  whole-hearted  support  which  the 
people  of  the  United  States  wish  to  give  to  the  men  who  risked  their  lives  as  a 
sacrifice  to  the  furtherance  of  ideals,  as  well  as  to  the  welfare  of  the  citizens  of 
this  country. 

The  Rehabilitation  Act  made  it  necessary  to  set  up  proper  checking  to  ascertain 
the  following  facts:  (1)  Whether  or  not  the  man  was  honorably  discharged;  (2) 
Whether  or  not  the  man  had  a  disability  which  was  incurred,  increased,  or  aggra- 
vated in  the  service;  (3)  Whether  or  not  the  man  had  a  vocational  handicap;  (4) 
Whether  or  not,  in  view  or  the  extent  of  the  disability,  training  for  this  particular 
man  was  feasible.  In  other  words,  the  necessary  operation  of  the  office  was  to  inter- 
view the  man  to  ascertain  the  above  facts.  After  the  preliminary  interview,  he  was 
examined  by  a  medical  officer,  and  the  necessary  records  secured.  These  records 
were  then  submitted  to  the  eligibility  officers,  who  passed  upon  the  rights  of  the 
man  to  receive  training  under  the  Act.  Following  the  award  of  training,  the  man 
was  turned  over  to  the  proper  training  officers  and  inducted  into  institutional 
or  job  training.  The  type  of  training  selected  by  the  man,  with  the  advice  and 
assistance  of  the  training  officer,  depended  upon  the  man's  previous  educational 
and  occupational  history,  upon  his  desire,  and  upon  his  disability.  Each  case 
was  treated  individually,  and  there  was  no  attempt  to  handle  the  man  on  a  series 
of  group  decisions. 

The  work  which  Congress  placed  upon  the  Federal  Board  under  the  Rehabili- 
tation Act  was  a  pioneer  one.  Never  before  had  any  country  undertaken  a 
program  of  rehabilitation  which  involved  so  many  considerations,  and  which 
aimed  directly  to  teach  adults  an  entirely  new  occupation  from  the  one  which  they 
had  previously  known.  All  of  the  difficulties  in  the  administration  of  the  Act 
could  not  be  foreseen,  either  by  the  legislators  or  those  primarily  responsible  for 
the  functioning  of  the  work.  This  led  to  some  confusion  and  misunderstanding 
in  the  earlier  administration  of  the  service,  but  was  finally  clarified  and  readjusted 
until  there  was  a  smooth  and  harmonious  working  organization.  The  effective- 
ness of  the  work  and  its  results  cannot  be  measured  at  this  time.  It  will  remain 
for  time  alone  to  determine  whether  or  not  the  investment  for  this  task  was  wisely 
made  by  the  United  States  Government.  It  is  predicted,  however,  that  as  an 
economic  and  social  development  this  work  will  be  far  reaching  in  results.  An 
evidence  of  this  is  the  wide  consideration  by  the  various  states  of  plans  for  the 
rehabilitation  of  the  disabled  in  industry.  National  legislation  is  in  process. 
Thus  the  country  itself  is  to  be  concerned  with  the  conservation  of  human  resources. 

From  the  small  organization  of  four  or  five  people,  who  were  originally  re- 
sponsible for  the  work  in  this  district,  the  organization  has  grown  to  include  some- 
thing more  than  350  persons.  This  personnel  is  made  up  of  medical  officers  and 
nurses,  training  officers,  placement  officers,  vocational  advisers,  and  clerical  staff. 
There  are  more  than  9,500  men  in  training  in  the  district,  and  more  than  10,500 
have  been  placed  in  training  to  date.  They  are  studying  in  more  than  220  educa- 
tional institutions  in  the  State  and  in  1,100  industrial  and  commercial  es- 
tablishments. The  types  of  training  offered  and  the  employment  objectives  of  the 
men  vary  from  short  intensive  courses  in  English,  leading  to  definite  trade  occupa- 

718 


tions,  up  to  post-graduate  courses  in  medicine,  where  the  general  practitioner,  who 
has  become  disabled  through  the  war,  is  given  a  specialized  course.  Already  men 
have  actually  been  rehabilitated,  and  there  is  positive  evidence  that  their  in- 
creased earnings  as  a  result  of  the  training  will,  at  the  start,  be  from 
$300  to  $500  per  year  more  than  their  pre-war  wage,  and  that  as  in  the  case  of  all 
persons  who  have  been  trained,  these  amounts  will  be  greatly  increased  by  their 
experience.  At  this  date  applicants  and  claimants  are  requesting  admission  into 
training  courses.  Action  is  being  taken  on  all  cases  wherever  the  facts  entering 
into  eligibility  can  be  determined  in  favor  of  the  man.  Recent  legislation  and 
regulations  have  made  possible  a  closer  coordination  of  this  work  with  the  Bureau 
of  War  Risk  Insurance  and  the  Public  Health.  There  is  every  reason  to  believe 
that  the  vast  majority  of  the  men  who  are  entitled  to  training  under  the  Rehabili- 
tation Act  will  have  completed  such  training  within  a  reasonable  period  of  time. 

THE  WAR  DEPARTMENT'S  WORK  FOR  THE  RE-EMPLOYMENT 
OF  DEMOBILIZED  TROOPS* 

Philadelphia,  the  largest  city  of  the  greatest  industrial  State  in  the  Union, 
had  indeed  an  interesting  history  in  the  movement  for  the  restoration  of  its 
soldiers,  sailors  and  marines  to  civilian  occupations,  and  the  unusually  orderly 
way  in  which  this  assimilation  was  accomplished  is  noteworthy. 

Early  in  March,  1919,  Colonel  Arthur  Woods,  former  Commissioner  of  Police 
for  New  York  City,  who  had  served  with  distinction  in  the  Army's  Air  Service, 
was  appointed  Assistant  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  and  placed  in  charge  of  all  the 
War  Department's  activities  with  reference  to  the  problem  of  the  transfer  of 
soldiers,  sailors  and  marines  to  civilian  life.  Demobilization  had  been  going  on 
for  four  months.  Some  3,000,000  soldiers  were  to  be  helped  back  into  civilian 
occupations.  From  an  Army  strength  of  3,700,000  on  November  11,  1918,  when 
the  armistice  was  signed,  1,400,000  had  been  already  demobilized,  leaving 
2,300,000  still  in  the  service. 

For  the  Secretary  of  War  to  enter  the  field  of  employment  was  at  the  best  a 
delicate  proposition,  as  the  economic  situation  throughout  the  country  between 
employer  and  employe  was  more  or  less  precarious.  The  sudden  termination 
of  almost  all  war  contracts  made  general  business  abnormal  and  chaotic.  Huge 
amounts  of  capital  were  tied  up  in  these  projects,  and  it  was  the  duty  of  the  War 
Department,  in  order  to  stimulate  new  business,  to  settle  all  such  contracts 
promptly  and  fairly,  so  that  the  ordinary  business  of  the  country  might  be  taken 
up  again. 

The  Army  General  Staff  reported  the  following  summary  of  labor  conditions : 
"The  Industrial  Report  for  March  1st  shows  eighty  cities  reporting  surplus  and 
fifteen  shortage.  All  centers  in  New  York,  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  are 
shown  on  the  surplus  list,  the  estimated  surplus  in  round  figures  being  367,000." 

With  labor  conditions  already  bad  and  twice  as  many  men  to  be  demobilized 
as  had  been,  the  situation  was  uncomfortable.  The  scheme  of  demobilization 
was  almost  purely  military,  and  there  had  been  considerable  discussion  by  the 
Secretary  of  War,  and  his  associates,  as  to  whether  the  unemployment  that  ex- 
isted in  the  country  during  the  winter  months  might  not  be  avoided  by  a  different 

*Reports  of  Capt.  John  Parker  Hill  edited  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Philadelphia  War  History 
Committee. 

749 


propaganda.  Provision  was  made  that  the  men  who  had  no  employment  to  go 
to,  might  have  their  discharge  delayed  at  their  own  request;  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  men  for  whom  there  was  particular  need  in  their  homes,  either  because  of 
domestic  distress  or  industrial  demand,  might  be  released  in  advance  of  their 
fellows.  Great  Britain  had  planned  an  industrial  scheme  of  demobilization,  but 
was  forced  to  abandon  it  and  resort  to  a  purely  military  one,  for  the  reason  that 
the  latter  was  more  expeditious  and  gave  far  less  dissatisfaction  on  the  part  of 
individual  men,  who,  although  they  were  willing  to  stand  being  held  in  the 
service  along  with  other  men  of  their  organization,  would  not  submit  to  being 
held  for  industrial  reasons  while  other  members  of  their  organization  were  being 
discharged. 

However,  there  was  considerable  elasticity  given  to  the  Army  demobilization; 
it  being,  of  course,  the  desire  both  of  the  great  mass  of  people  and  of  the  men  who 
were  in  the  service  that  demobilization  proceed  as  fast  as  possible.  International 
and  industrial  conditions  weighed  very  little  beside  this  desire.  Consequently 
no  set  program  for  relieving  unemployment  by  slowing  up  demobilization  was 
feasible.  Whatever  was  to  be  done  by  the  War  Department  in  the  way  of  smooth- 
ing over  the  soldier's  return  to  private  life,  was  to  be  done  by  accommodating 
civil  conditions  to  the  exigencies  of  demobilization  and  not  conditions  of  demobili- 
zation to  the  exigencies  of  industrial  life. 

The  great  industrial  State  of  Pennsylvania  faced  the  problem  in  a  way  peculiar 
to  no  other  State.  The  Army's  largest  demobilization  camp  was  located  forty 
miles  away  at  Camp  Dix,  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey.  More  than  80  per  cent  of  the 
returning  American  Army  passed  through  the  port  of  New  York  City.  In  view 
of  this,  Pennsylvania,  with  its  tremendous  natural  resources  and  equally  gigantic 
manufacturing  enterprises,  was  destined  to  be  the  largest  field  for  this  great  work 
of  taking  care  of  the  returning  men. 

Philadelphia,  especially  because  of  its  proximity  to  demobilization  camps, 
had  difficult  problems  of  employment  to  face.  Thousands  of  men  debarked  at 
the  port  of  Philadelphia,  and  hundreds  of  thousands,  demobilized  at  Camp  Dix  or 
at  the  camps  near  New  York  City,  came  for  many  reasons  to  the  "  City  of  Brotherly 
Love. "  Therefore,  a  large  part  of  the  work  in  Pennsylvania  was  centralized  in  or 
directed  from  this  city. 

It  might  be  well  to  diagnose  what  might  be  termed  the  psychology  of  the  situa- 
tion. Return  to  civil  life  was  to  be  more  than  glad  homecoming,  hand-shaking, 
and  story  telling.  There  must  be  jobs  for  the  men.  During  the  winter,  industrial 
prospects  had  predicted  very  grave  increases  of  unemployment  by  early  summer, 
if  industrial  conditions  did  not  improve  radically.  The  natural  thing  which  followed 
immediately  upon  the  cessation  of  war  and  the  industrial  activities  devoted  directly 
to  the  war,  was  a  wave  of  uncertainty  which  confronted  the  business  world  as  to 
what  was  to  be  done  next.  From  the  employers'  standpoint  it  was  found  that, 
although  they  realized  the  services  of  our  Army  and  knew  that  the  men  who  com- 
posed it  must  be  taken  back  to  civil  life,  nevertheless,  they  had  not  adjusted  their 
obligations  in  this  quarter  to  their  policy  of  conservatism  in  another.  It  was 
perfectly  human  for  them  to  be  hesitant  about  increasing  their  payrolls  when 
business  was  bad.  Appreciating  their  own  difficulties,  they  were  inclined  to  feel 
that  the  Government  should  help  share  them,  and  that  the  service  men  themselves 
must  share  them.     On  the  other  hand,  this  instinctive  and  perfectly  natural  feeling 

750 


did  not  harmonize  with  the  ideas  in  the  soldiers'  minds.  The  change  in  ambition, 
and  even  in  character,  which  Army  life  had  brought  about  in  service  men  was  some- 
thing which  business  men  and  other  persons  who  stayed  at  home  were  quite  unable 
to  understand.  The  service  man,  as  likely  as  not,  was  unwilling  to  go  back  to 
his  former  occupation,  and  unwilling  to  accept  the  wages  he  had  formerly  received. 
As  between  the  state  of  mind  of  the  employer,  therefore,  and  the  state  of  mind 
of  the  service  man,  there  was  almost  a  deadlock — a  deadlock  which  was  due  not 
to  selfishness,  lack  of  patriotism  or  ignorance,  but  rather  to  the  fact  that  immense 
experience  had  supervened,  and  had  not  only  changed  industrial  and  domestic 
conditions,  but  had  changed  as  well  the  disposition,  the  ambition,  and  the  habits 
of  men  both  in  and  out  of  the  service. 

Still  another  factor  that  affected  the  re-employment  as  much  as  any  other  one 
was  the  ambition  of  labor  as  a  class  to  maintain  the  high  level  of  wages  in  effect 
during  the  war.  This  ambition  was  fortified  by  a  natural  reluctance  to  accept 
reduced  wages  for  any  reason,  and  a  specific  desire  to  maintain  high  wages  when 
the  cost  of  living  was  so  high.  The  outcome  was  a  series  of  threatened  strikes, 
which  created  an  industrial  situation  so  unstable  that  it  was  impossible  to  get  a 
large  number  of  men  promptly  assimilated. 

The  many  Welfare  Organizations,  already  in  the  field,  namely,  the  American 
Red  Cross,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Knights  of  Columbus,  Jewish  Welfare  Association, 
War  Camp  Community  Service,  and  others,  were  struggling  valiantly  with  the 
employment  situation.  It  was,  however,  not  surprising  that  whatever  existing 
agencies  were  at  work  for  the  returning  soldiers,  they  were  unable  to  overcome 
the  difficulties. 

The  United  States  Employment  Service  established  bureaus  for  the  place- 
ment of  the  returning  soldiers,  sailors  and  marines,  in  more  than  2,000  cities  and 
towns  throughout  the  country;  but  it  is  a  fact,  whether  excusable  or  not,  that  the 
service  as  a  whole  did  not  have  the  confidence  of  the  employers  of  the  country. 
But  because  of  the  failure  of  its  appropriation,  early  in  the  year  1919,  whatever 
work  the  service  had  been  able  to  do  was  from  that  time  impaired  by  fiscal  uncer- 
tainties, and  consequently  lowered  esprit  de  corps  as  well  as  by  the  lack  of  confidence 
on  the  part  of  business.  Its  adversities  wrecked  its  morale  and  efficiency  to  a 
great  degree,  and  all  but  deprived  it  of  control  of  many  of  its  local  bureaus. 

Those  who  had  improved  by  their  experiences  in  the  service  were  not  often 
understood  by  those  who  sought  to  secure  employment  for  them.  A  consider- 
able number  of  discharged  men  who  misinterpreted  the  service  rendered  them, 
followed  the  lines  of  least  resistance;  some  begged  money  on  the  streets;  some 
peddled  more  or  less  worthless  articles  on  the  strength  of  the  public  interest  in  and 
appreciation  of  the  uniform ;  some  lived  on  the  hospitality  of  the  people,  and  shirked 
every  opportunity  to  secure  legitimate  employment.  Then,  there  were  those  who 
felt  because  the  Government  had  taken  them  from  a  good  job  the  Government 
should  secure  a  good  job  for  them.  In  some  cases,  the  men  had  grudges  against 
the  Government.  They  exaggerated  the  faults  of  the  service.  They  assumed  the 
attitude  that  the  Government,  in  order  to  square  itself  with  them,  must  give  them 
well-paying  positions.  Each  had  in  mind  the  kind  of  job  he  wanted,  and  it  was 
frequently  one  that  he  was  not  qualified  to  fill. 

These  were  the  conditions  as  found  by  the  War  Department  representatives 
in  Philadelphia  in  March  and  April,  1919.     It  had  already  been  decided  by  Colonel 

751 


Woods  that  efforts  should  be  directed  toward  securing  the  coordination  of  the  many 
existing  job-finding  agencies  and  cooperate  with  them.  It  was  also  decided  that 
the  public  should  be  acquainted  with  the  changed  attitude  of  the  discharged  man 
and  his  needs,  through  a  campaign  of  education  in  the  press. 

The  coordination  of  the  job-finding  agencies  was  not,  however,  feasible  in 
many  localities.  In  Philadelphia  a  large  booth  was  erected  in  the  courtyard  of 
the  City  Hall,  in  which  representatives  of  all  the  welfare  organizations,  together 
with  representatives  of  the  United  States  Employment  Service,  combined  to  sim- 
plify this  great  work.  This  centralization  plan  made  it  possible  for  the  discharged 
man  arriving  at  the  city  to  secure  attention  to  any  legitimate  need  as  well  as  direc- 
tion to  any  job  for  which  he  was  fitted. 

Relations  were  established  with  the  American  Legion.  In  its  plan  of  mutual 
helpfulness  it  had  instituted  an  employment  program  which,  although  it  never 
became  active,  was  able  to  assist  other  better  organized  offices  belonging  to  the 
State  Employment  Service. 

At  this  time,  Captain  John  Parker  Hill,  relieved  from  duty  on  the  General 
Staff  of  the  Army,  was  assigned  to  this  work  for  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  The 
fact  that  Captain  Hill  was  a  native  of  Philadelphia  made  his  progress  less  difficult, 
and  assisted  greatly  in  relieving  the  seriousness  of  the  officers'  situation.  He  was 
aided  by  Lieutenant  J.  B.  Dolphin,  a  native  of  Kane,  Pa.,  the  latter  making  his 
headquarters  at  Pittsburgh. 

After  conferences  with  Governor  William  C.  Sproul  and  former  Lieutenant 
Governor  Frank  B.  McClain,  Executive  Director  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Em- 
ployment Service  and  the  Pennsylvania  and  Philadelphia  Councils  of  National 
Defense,  a  vigorous  campaign  was  launched  in  Philadelphia,  where  the  officers' 
situation  was  most  acute.  At  this  time,  approximately  500  discharged  officers 
were  out  of  employment  in  this  city  alone. 

The  Philadelphia  Chamber  of  Commerce  promptly  accepted  its  share  of 
responsibility,  and  through  its  President,  Ernest  T.  Trigg,  and  the  Industrial 
Committee,  gathered  together  a  general  committee  of  Philadelphia  business  men, 
who  pledged  themselves  to  employ  as  many  of  these  returning  officers  as  possible. 
The  gentlemen  who  served  with  Captain  Hill  in  this  capacity  were:  Walter  F. 
Ballinger,  Samuel  T.  Bodine,  Matthew  C.  Brush,  Edward  G.  Budd,  J.  Howell 
Cummings,  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis,  Alva  C.  Dinkey,  W.  J.  Hagman,  Nathan  T. 
Folwell,  David  Lupton,  Joseph  B.  McCall,  James  W.  Rawle,  Samuel  Rea,  Joseph 
M.  Steele,  Ernest  T.  Trigg,  Samuel  M.  Vauclain,  John  Wanamaker,  and  C.  H. 
Wheeler. 

In  large  newspaper  advertising  space  Philadelphia  employers  were  appealed 
to  by  this  committee. 

As  to  the  results  obtained,  much  can  be  said.  During  the  month  of  September, 
in  Philadelphia  alone,  211  discharged  officers  were  permanently  placed  in  positions 
ranging  in  salary  from  $2,000  to  $8,500  per  year.  This  did  not  include  any 
turn-over. 

The  large  manufacturing  plants  in  and  about  the  city  responded  quickly. 
Hog  Island,  the  Emergency  Fleet  Corporation's  largest  shipyard,  absorbed  many 
ex-soldiers  and  sailors.  During  the  year  1919,  more  than  15,000  ex-service 
men  were  employed  by  this  big  company.  Its  President,  Matthew  C.  Brush, 
issued  instructions  that  preference  in  positions  for  which  they  could  qualify  be 

752 


given  to  the  enlisted  man.  In  addition  to  this,  the  Walter  Reed  Hospital  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  was  visited  by  the  Hog  Island  officials,  and  some  fifty  maimed 
and  wounded  soldiers  were  removed  to  the  shipyard  and  given  employment. 

Another  striking  instance  of  the  interest  of  one  of  Philadelphia's  big  men  in 
taking  care  of  the  discharged  soldiers  was  given  by  Samuel  M.  Vauclain,  of  the 
Baldwin  Locomotive  Works. 

He  made  request  upon  the  Philadelphia  Bureau  for  500  ex-service  men  monthly, 
to  be  absorbed  in  the  company's  plants  at  Philadelphia  and  Eddystone.  Dis- 
charged officers  readily  found  prominent  and  responsible  positions  in  these  organi- 
zations through  Mr.  Vauclain's  personal  influence.  The  Baldwin  Company  had 
extensive  plans  for  world  business  in  locomotives.  Executives  were  needed,  and 
the  men  who  were  most  successful  with  the  Army  forces  abroad  and  at  home 
were  given  preference. 

The  New  York  Shipbuilding  Corporation  at  Camden,  N.  J.,  the  Cramps 
Shipyard,  farther  up  the  river,  gathered  in  these  men.  The  same  was  true  of 
the  Philadelphia  Electric  Company,  the  United  Gas  Improvement  Company, 
the  Brill  Car  Works,  and  the  Wanamaker  Store. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  in  order  to  facilitate  the  work  of  the  employ- 
ment of  the  soldier  after  discharge,  cards  had  been  prepared  and  filled  out  by  the 
troops  while  they  were  on  transports  returning  to  this  country.  These  cards  were 
delivered  to  the  United  States  employment  representatives  at  the  ports  of  de- 
barkation, sorted,  and  forwarded  to  the  proper  states. 

One  of  the  most  pressing  problems,  next  to  the  organization  of  proper  employ- 
ment facilities  throughout  the  city,  was  that  of  peddling  and  panhandling  by  men 
in  uniform.  These  practices  had  arisen  during  the  winter  months  when,  in  many 
cases,  the  men  engaged  in  them  had  really  the  excuse  of  unemployment.  They 
were  carried  on,  however,  because  they  were  found  to  be  quite  profitable,  not 
merely  to  the  soldiers  engaged,  but  even  more  so  to  their  promoters,  who  recog- 
nized the  commercial  value  of  the  discharged  soldiers'  uniform  and  proceeded  un- 
scrupulously to  exploit  it.  The  Federal  law  gave  no  assistance  in  meeting  this 
problem,  inasmuch  as  it  permitted  discharged  soldiers  wearing  the  red  chevron 
to  wear  their  uniforms  indefinitely. 

On  the  prominent  corners  in  Philadelphia  discharged  soldiers  sold  books 
of  so-called  patriotic  songs  and  verses.  In  many  cases  peddlers  in  uniform  were 
imposters,  not  even  service  men.  Arrests  were  made,  and  these  practices  soon 
ceased. 

Another  big  problem  confronting  the  discharged  soldier  was  that  of  radicalism. 
In  view  of  the  radical  tendencies  apparent  everywhere  in  the  world  as  a  result  of 
the  war,  the  influence  of  radicalism  upon  the  discharged  soldiers  was  an  important 
matter  to  observe.  Apparently  the  only  generalization  to  make  is  that  the  Amer- 
can  soldier  took  sides  toward  radicalism,  just  as  other  elements  of  the  population 
did.  Naturally  he  represented  them  all.  Here  and  there  he  identified  himself 
with  Bolshevism  or  some  sort  of  radicalism,  but  far  more  consistently  has  he  aligned 
himself  against  it.  His  sympathies  were  largely  dependent  upon  the  treatment  he 
had  received.  If  he  got  a  job  and  a  prompt  settlement  from  the  Government  for 
compensation,  bonus,  allotment,  or  back  pay,  he  was  unruffled  by  discontent.  If 
he  got  no  job,  or  if  the  Government  bureaus  paid  no  attention  to  his  letters,  he 
quickly  grew  bitter. 

753 


Philadelphia  experienced  very  little  of  the  trouble  of  many  other  cities;  in 
fact,  several  radical  meetings  in  the  smaller  towns  and  cities  of  the  State  were 
completely  broken  up  by  service  and  ex-service  men. 

The  rehabilitation  of  men  disabled  in  service  was  one  of  the  most  important 
measures  of  reconstruction,  it  having  been  prominent  in  the  programs  of  all 
countries  participating  in  the  war.  In  our  own  country,  the  care  of  the  disabled 
man,  both  that  of  training  him  and  of  finding  employment  for  him,  was  placed  by 
Congress  in  the  hands  of  the  Federal  Board  for  Vocational  Education,  a  body 
already  in  existence  before  the  war. 

In  the  hands  of  the  Federal  Board  it  was  found  that  the  problem  was  being 
dealt  with  as  an  educational  rather  than  as  an  economic  one.  There  was  extreme 
slowness  in  considering  applications,  in  determining  awards,  in  starting  training, 
and  in  finding  employment.  The  work  was  inadequately  decentralized,  so  that  men 
were  not  only  forced  to  await  interminably  for  the  settlement  of  their  claims,  but 
were  in  many  cases  left  uninformed  as  to  their  rights  to  training  and  their  means 
of  securing  it.  The  Employment  Bureaus  helped  in  this  respect  in  placing  these 
men  while  waiting  the  long  delayed  action  of  the  Federal  Board. 

Out  of  the  study  of  the  problem  of  aiding  the  disabled  men  grew  the  idea  of 
training  a  man  for  a  better  job  than  he  had  before.  Lack  of  skill  was  as  much 
an  economic  disability  as  the  loss  of  a  hand  or  eyesight.  Unquestionably  there 
was  little  difficulty  in  securing  employment  for  men  who  were  skilled  workers  be- 
fore they  entered  the  service,  but  many  men,  who  were  unskilled,  returned  from 
their  Army  experience  with  a  larger  ambition,  and  so  were  not  satisfied  to  go  back 
to  unskilled  employment.  In  many  of  the  city's  industrial  plants  training  classes 
were  established  where  it  was  possible  to  provide  men  with  training  for  skilled 
work,  and  at  the  same  time  give  them,  while  learning,  a  living  wage.  It  was  found 
that  industrial  training  eliminates  much  labor  turn-over,  and  is  a  big  factor  not  only 
in  increasing  production,  but  also  the  efficiency  of  the  workers  as  well.  The  achieve- 
ment of  this  end  was  especially  necessary  with  a  large  body  of  returning  soldiers 
who  could  never  be  contented  with  the  job  they  had  before  going  into  the  Army. 
It  was  also  economically  necessary  with  men  in  general  who  have  powers  for  pro- 
duction which  society  needs,  but  which  remains  useless  because  of  the  lack  of  train- 
ing for  their  development. 

The  booklet,  "Where  Do  We  Go  From  Here?"  written  by  Major  W.  B. 
Maloney,  of  New  York,  was  distributed  to  the  discharged  enlisted  men  at  all  em- 
ployment bureaus.  It  was  designed  and  prepared  with  the  idea  of  covering  as 
much  as  possible  of  the  first-hand  information  the  returned  soldiers  needed. 
The  fact  that  the  soldiers'  point  of  view  was  considerably  changed  by  their  service, 
that  they  returned  to  civil  life  with  different  ideas  about  what  they  should  do,  and 
that  many  changes  had  come  over  the  civilian  surroundings  they  had  formerly 
known  and  to  which  they  must  be  adjusted  afresh,  constituted  the  basis  of  the 
booklet.  It  endeavored  in  the  first  place  to  tell  the  soldier  where  he  could  get  a 
job.  It  advised  him  that  he  should  take  any  job  he  could  get,  rather  than  await 
indefinitely  for  just  the  right  one  to  turn  up;  and  encouraged  him  to  make  the 
most  of  his  ambitions  and  work  out  of  the  job  he  had,  even  if  he  thought  it  was 
not  up  to  his  desires. 

In  order  to  make  the  return  of  the  soldiers  to  their  former  employment  less 
uncertain,  a  certificate,  commonly  called  the  "Citation,"  was  devised,  in  which 

754 


the  War  and  Navy  Departments  acknowledged  the  assurance  made  by  an  em- 
ployer that  he  would  take  back  into  his  employ  all  returned  service  men  who  had 
formerly  been  with  him.  These  citations  were  numbered  and  engrossed,  and  a 
signed  statement  of  the  company  desiring  one  was  required  in  each  instance,  and 
kept  on  file  by  the  War  Department.  With  but  few  isolated  cases  every  business 
organization  placed  their  request  for  this  citation. 

The  City  Council  authorized  a  loan  of  $45,000,000  for  a  public  works  program 
to  extend  over  a  period  of  two  years.  Conferences  between  the  War  Department 
representatives,  Captain  Hill,  the  Mayor,  and  the  Council's  financial  leaders  had 
considerable  to  do  with  expediting  this  program.  In  the  stimulation  of  public 
works  no  local  publicity  or  promotion  work  was  attempted.  It  was  simply  a  case 
of  trying  to  get  under  contract  immediately  work  which  was  dormant,  but  which 
was  approved  by  the  public  authorities  and  was  popular  with  the  people.  Tact, 
diplomacy,  usefulness  and  cooperation  prevailed  at  all  times. 

This  unusual  if  not  unheard-of  "butting  in"  campaign  was  waged  without 
a  single  complaint  or  discordant  note. 

The  problem  of  bonuses  for  soldiers  haunted,  no  doubt,  the  legislative  halls 
of  every  state  in  the  Union  after  the  war.  Pennsylvania  was  no  exception.  What 
could  the  great  Keystone  State  do  for  the  soldier  in  a  substantial  way?  Towns 
and  cities  were  building  monuments  and  auditoriums,  with  local  pride,  in  memory 
of  those  who  had  heard  the  country's  call  and  of  those  who  had  made  the 
supreme  sacrifice. 

A  bonus  proposition,  namely,  a  gift  in  money,  authorized  by  the  State  Legis- 
lature, was  not  altogether  a  welcome  one  to  the  soldier  who  rather  wanted  prompt 
industrial  relief  and  assimilation  into  civil  life.  The  argument  that  the  Common- 
wealth and  the  country  owed  the  soldiers  a  debt  is  unquestioned.  They  had  left 
their  jobs,  and  gone  away  to  fight,  exposing  themselves  to  danger  and  hardships,  and 
receiving  the  monetary  reward  of  one  dollar  per  day.  Many  of  these  men  went  forth 
from  a  high  impulse  to  save  the  country,  and  the  only  way  to  pay  them  was  to 
honor  them  by  making  the  country  worth  saving.  The  wounded  ones  should  be 
cared  for,  and  the  incapacitated  should  receive  our  most  generous  aid.  The  widows 
and  orphans  have  a  claim  upon  our  pension  funds,  but  the  attempt  by  any  money 
bonus  to  even  up  the  wages  of  these  men  who  risked  their  very  lives,  showed  a 
failure  to  appreciate  values.  One  might  as  well  pay  a  friend  for  his  loyalty,  or 
a  parent  for  his  care,  as  to  pay  any  money  to  a  soldier  for  his  heroism  to  his  state 
and  country. 


755 


THE  AMERICAN  LEGION 


^^2] OR  God  and  Country  we  associate  ourselves  for  the  follow- 
ing purposes:  To  uphold  and  defend  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States  of  America,  to  maintain  law  and  order; 
to  foster  and  perpetuate  a  one  hundred  per  cent  Amer- 
icanism; to  preserve  the  memories  and  incidents  of  our 
association  in  the  Great  War;  to  inculcate  a  sense  of  in- 
dividual obligation  to  the  community,  state  and  nation; 
to  combat  the  autocracy  of  both  the  classes  and  the  masses ; 
to  make  right  the  master  of  might;  to  promote  peace  and 
good  will  on  earth;  to  safeguard  and  transmit  to  posterity 
the  principles  of  justice,  freedom  and  democracy;  to  consecrate  and  sanctify  our 
comradeship  by  our  devotion  to  mutual  helpfulness." 

In  the  early  part  of  1919,  several  thinking  men  wearing  the  uniform  of  the 
United  States  Government  met  in  Paris  to  consider  ways  of  organizing  a  helpful 
instrument  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  dedicated  themselves  to  their  country 
during  the  World  War.  Many  names  for  this  veterans'  organization  were  suggested 
and  that  of  "The  American  Legion"  was  most  popular.  A  caucus  at  a  later  date 
was  arranged  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  which  city  delegates  gathered  from  many  states 
of  the  Union.  Temporary  plans  were  formulated  for  the  establishment  of  posts 
throughout  the  country  and  George  Wentworth  Carr  was  chosen  to  outline  a  plan 
of  organization  for  Philadelphia  and  to  place  before  a  second  meeting  of  the  inter- 
ested World  War  veterans  concrete  suggestions  as  to  how  the  movement  might 
be  promoted. 

Applications  were  being  received  almost  daily  for  charters  for  American  Legion 
Posts  in  Philadelphia  County,  one  of  the  requirements  being  that  fifteen  ex-service 
men  or  women  in  this  city  must  sign  an  application  in  triplicate  and  subscribe 
fifty  cents  for  the  privilege  of  receiving  a  charter.  Philadelphia  led  in  this  work, 
rapidly  increasing  the  number  of  local  posts  until  it  reached  some  seventy- 
five  active  posts. 

The  Legion  made  its  first  appeal  for  city-wide  recognition  in  the  form  of  a 
membership  drive. 

This  effort  was  under  the  direction  of  a  special  com- 
mittee, and  it  was  culminated  in  a  rally  of  ex-service  men 
which  packed  the  Academy  of  Music,  and  was  marked 
by  the  presence  of  Cardinal  Mercier,  the  beloved  Belgian 
prelate.  Cardinal  Mercier  opened  his  heart  to  these  Am- 
erican soldiers,  sailors  and  marines,  and  gave  an  inspiration 
and  an  endorsement  to  the  Legion  which  echoed  from 
coast  to  coast.  The  city  was  awakened  to  the  apprecia- 
tion of  the  fact  that  the  Legion  constituted  a  vital  force 
in  the  community  which  deserved  to  be  recognized;  almost  from  that  day  the 
influence  of  the  Legion  has  impressed  itself  upon  Philadelphia. 

During  the  past  two   years  the  Legion  in  PJuladelphia  County  has  been 

756 


well  represented  at  the  State  conventions  held  in  Harrisburg,  1919,  and  in 
Allentown;  1920,  and  the  National  conventions  held  in  Minneapolis,  1919,  and  in 
Cleveland,  1920. 

A  county  committee  was  organized  with  equal  representation  from  the  various 
posts,  such  an  organization  being  necessary  to  coordinate  the  work  of  the  Legion 
in  a  large  city  and  in  order  also  to  give  the  struggling  posts  the  benefit  of  ideas 
formulated  by  the  more  prosperous  and  more  rapidly  developing  units. 

Early  in  1920  the  French  Government  decided  to  pay  a  lasting  tribute  to  the 
men  who  gave  their  lives  in  the  World  War,  and  designated  the  American  Legion 
to  distribute  on  behalf  of  the  French  Government  Memorial  Certificates.  These 
were  to  be  presented  to  the  families  of  every  American  soldier,  sailor  or  marine 
who  had  given  his  life  in  this  country's  service  during  the  World  War.  Philadelphia 
numbered  among  its  soldier  dead  approximately  2,000.  This  was  no  easy  task, 
for  the  addresses  which  were  provided  by  the  War  Department  were  found 
to  be  frequently  incorrect,  but  the  detail  was  carefully  worked  out  and  the 
certificates  were  delivered  by  the  Legion  at  a  fitting  service  in  the  Metropolitan 
Opera  House.  M.  Jusserand,  the  French  Ambassador,  delivered  a  message  to  the 
American  people. 

A  call  was  issued  through  the  National  Headquarters  to  adopt  the  war  orphans 
and  as  a  result  several  of  the  Legion  posts  in  Philadelphia  are  carrying  as  a  permanent 
expense  to  the  post  $75  per  year  for  the  upkeep  of  one  poor  child  who  has  been  left 
uncared  for  as  a  result  of  the  war. 

The  posts  made  large  contributions  toward  the  fund  recently  sent  to  France 
for  the  care  of  the  fields  where  our  heroes  are  resting.  Whenever  there  has  been 
a  call  for  funds  to  help  here  or  "  Over  There, "  Philadelphia  posts  have  been  and  will 
be  ready  to  do  more  than  their  share. 

Another  of  the  early  problems  of  the  Legion  was  to  arrange  for  firing  squads 
so  that  military  funerals  might  be  conducted  and  the  war  heroes  laid  to  rest  with 
fitting  ceremony. 

An  employment  bureau  was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  com- 
rades to  obtain  employment.  It  is  daily  brought  into  direct  contact  with  men 
who  served  overseas  for  a  period  of  two  years  or  more  who  are  actually  without 
food,  shelter  and  clothing.  A  fund  was  raised  to  help  these  men  to  obtain  relief 
and  hundreds  of  comrades  have  been  assisted  in  this  way.  It  has  been  impossible 
to  place  all  who  applied  for  employment,  but  it  is  estimated  that  it  has  succeeded 
in  placing  at  least  twenty-five  per  cent  in  various  lines  of  employment. 

A  Committee  on  Disabled  Soldiers  and  Medical  Aid  was  organized,  their 
object  being  to  assist  all  comrades  with  physical  or  mental  disabilities  to  secure 
compensation  through  the  War  Risk  Insurance,  Vocational  Training  and  United 
States  Public  Health  Service. 

Other  committees  which  were  formed  for  the  benefit  of  the  ex-service 
men  in  Philadelphia  were  Americanism,  Legal  Aid,  Membership,  Entertain- 
ment, Athletic,  Post  Financial  Appeals,  Memorial  Day,  Armistice  Day  and 
War  Memorial. 

At  the  Harrisburg  Convention  a  suggestion  was  offered  that  a  vessel  con- 
structed by  the  New  York  Shipbuilding  Company  be  named  "The  American 
Legion."  This  was  accomplished  and  the  launching  was  attended  by  Senator 
Freylinhuysen  of  New  Jersey;  by  Franklin  d'Olier,  then  National  Commander 

757 


of  the  Legion;  George  F.  Tyler,  the  Department  Commander,  and  scores  of  Legion 
and  city  notables,  the  ship  being  christened  by  Mrs.  Freylinhuysen. 

Great  work  has  been  accomplished  by  the  Americanism  Committee  of  the 
American  Legion  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  Many  classes  of  instruction  of  vari- 
ous lines  have  been  conducted  by  Legionaires  in  an  effort  to  make  real  American 
citizens  of  those  not  born  in  this  country  and  living  in  this  country  in  obscure 
corners  inhabited  only  by  people  of  their  own  nationality,  where  American  customs 
are  not  in  use. 

The  Philadelphia  County  Committee  decided  to  hold  an  Annual  American 
Legion  Field  Meet  toward  defraying  the  expenses  of  the  committee  and  for 
use  in  assisting  the  ex-service  men.  The  first  meet  was  held  in  September  of 
1920  at  Franklin  Field  and  was  notable  because  of  the  presence  of  the  Olympic 
stars  who  came  direct  from  Antwerp,  and  who  were  acclaimed  by  thousands 
of  admirers. 

The  second  meet  was  held  on  June  4,  1921,  and  was  an  overwhelming  success 
from  an  athletic  standpoint.  The  proceeds  of  the  meet  were  divided  among  the 
various  posts  and  the  County  Committee. 

During  December,  1920,  the  State  First  Vice-Commander,  David  B.  Simpson, 
conducted  a  campaign  to  raise  a  fund  among  the  Legionaires  of  Philadelphia  for 
Christmas  cheer  for  the  disabled  soldiers  and  sailors  who  were  in  hospitals  in 
Philadelphia.  Three  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  were  raised  for  this  purpose; 
numerous  gifts  were  given  to  each  of  the  wounded,  concerts  were  held  at  the  hos- 
pitals where  a  sufficient  number  of  wounded  men  warranted. 

The  next  undertaking  was  holding  an  All- American  Day,  "To  stress  and 
emphasize  the  loyalty  and  need  of  national  service."  Accordingly  the  County 
Chairman  called  a  meeting  in  the  Mayor's  reception  room  of  all  patriotic  and 
civic  organizations  in  the  city.  The  Mayor  addressed  them,  and  a  result  of  this 
meeting  was  the  All-American  Mass  Meeting  and  Parade  on  April  7,  1921.  All  the 
leading  patriotic  and  civic  organizations  participated ;  two  meetings  were  held — one 
at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House  and  the  other  at  the  Academy  of  Music — a 
parade  consisting  of  30,000  members  of  the  various  organizations  and  one  of  the 
largest  displays  of  the  American  flag  ever  known. 

THE  MILITARY  ORDER  OF  FOREIGN  WARS  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES,  PENNSYLVANIA  COMMANDERY 

By  Ogden  D.  Wilkinson,  Secretary 

This  Order  is  a  Military  Organization  with  patriotic  objects  and  covers  the 
period  of  American  History  since  national  independence.  The  conditions  of  mem- 
bership are  restricted  to  actual  service  by  (or  to  descent  in  the  male  line  only,  from) 
commissioned  officers  in  a  foreign  war. 

In  order  to  guarantee  perpetuity  for  a  military  organization  of  this  character, 
it  was  necessary  to  make  it  national  and  to  include  all  wars,  thus  assuring  a  Veteran 
element  in  the  membership. 

The  Pennsylvania  Commandery  was  instituted  April  29,  1895,  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers: 

Commander,  Captain  C.  Ellis  Stevens.     Vice-Commander,  James  Mifflin.     Secretary  and 
Treasurer,  T.  Willing  Balch. 

758 


The  membership  increased  steadily  and  during  the  years  immediately  follow- 
ing the  Spanish-American  War  many  distinguished  officers  were  enrolled.  General 
Pershing  was  admitted  to  Companionship  in  the  Pennsylvania  Commandery  when 
serving  as  First  Lieutenant  of  Cavalry. 

Many  of  the  officers  now  at  the  head  of  several  departments  of  the  various 
branches  of  the  service  were  members  of  the  Pennsylvania  Commandery  in  the 
early  days  of  their  career.  During  the  World  War  there  was  no  service 
rendered  the  United  States  Government,  whether  of  the  simplest  form  or  of  the 
most  vital  importance,  in  which  Companions  of  the  Pennsylvania  Commandery 
did  not  participate. 

Realizing  that  the  Commandery  could  be  of  great  assistance  to  officers  who 
were  strangers  in  Philadelphia  by  providing  a  comfortable  and  attractive  room  in 
which  they  could  stop  to  read  and  rest  or  meet  their  friends,  headquarters  were 
established  on  the  lobby  floor  of  the  Bellevue-Stratford  Hotel  in  November,  1917. 

The  activities  of  the  headquarters  were  varied  and  numerous.  The  homelike 
reception  room  was  appreciated  by  officers  stationed  in  and  near  Philadelphia 
as  well  as  by  those  who  were  spending  a  few  hours  or  days  in  the  city. 

Desirable  accommodations  were  secured  for  officers  and  their  families  and 
much  other  assistance  rendered. 

Medical  attention  was  secured  and  after  bringing  the  matter  to  the  notice 
of  the  office  of  the  Surgeon  General,  a  Medical  Department  of  the  Army  was  finally 
established  in  the  Philadelphia  District. 

The  present  officers  of  the  Pennsylvania  Commandery  are  as  follows : 
Commander,  Admiral  Robert  E.  Coontz,  U.  S.  N.,  Chief  of  Naval  Operations,  Washington, 
D.  C.  Vice-Commanders:  Major  General  Wm.  M.  Black,  U.  S.  A.,  Retired.;  Brigadier  General 
Smedley  D.  Butler,  U.  S.  M.  C;  Brigadier  General  Joseph  A.  Gaston,  U.  S.  A.,  Retired;  Cap- 
tain Mitchell  C.  MacDonald,  U.  S.  N.,  Retired.  Secretary,  Captain  Ogden  D.  Wilkinson,  Q.  M. 
Registrar,  Lieutenant  Albert  L.  Byrnes,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.  Treasurer,  Lieutenant  Colonel  George 
B.  Zane,  Jr.,  N.  G.  P.,  Betired.  Chaplain,  Major  Henry  A.  F.  Hoyt,  N.  G.  P.,  Betired.  Judge 
Advocate,  Major  John  Glover  Muir,  U.  S.  M.  C,  Betired.  Surgeon,  Colonel  Bichard  H.  Harte, 
M.  C. 

MILITARY  ORDER  OF  THE  WORLD  WAR 
By  Captain  Robeson  Lea  Perot 

The  Military  Order  of  the  World  War  is  the  outgrowth  of  a  society  started 
by  a  few  ex-officers  of  the  World  War  in  1919  at  a  meeting  held  in  Detroit,  when 
the  temporary  name  of  "American  Officers  of  the  Great  War"  was  adopted. 

At  the  first  National  Convention,  which  was  also  held  in  the  city  of  Detroit, 
on  September  6,  7,  and  8,  1920,  the  present  name  was  adopted,  as  was  the  follow- 
ing preamble  to  the  Constitution,  which  states  clearly  the  aims  of  the  organization : 
To  cherish  the  memories  and  associations  of  the  World  War  waged  for  humanity; 
To  inculcate  and  stimulate  love  of  our  Country  and  the  Flag; 
To  ever  maintain  law  and  order,  and  to  defend  the  honor,  integrity  and  supremacy  of  our 

National  Government  and  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States; 
To  foster  fraternal  relations  between  all  branches  of  the  Military  and  Naval  Services; 
To  promote  the  cultivation  of  Military  and  Naval  Science,  and  the  adoption  of  a  consistent 

and  suitable  Military  and  Naval  policy  for  the  United  States; 
To  acquire  and  preserve  records  of  individual  services;  to  encourage  and  assist  in  the 
holding  of  commemorations  and  the  establishment  of  memorials  of  the  World  War; 
And  to  transmit  all  of  these  ideals  to  posterity,  we  unite  to  establish  the 
"MILITARY  ORDER  OF  THE  WORLD  WAR." 

759 


Any  commissioned  officer  who  served  in  the  armed  forces  of  the  United  States 
or  its  Allies  during  the  World  War,  and  was  commissioned  before  the  promulgation 
of  peace,  is  eligible  for  nomination  for  membership  in  this  society. 

At  the  first  National  Convention,  at  which  seventy  chapters  were  repre- 
sented by  membership,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Edward  M.  JefTerys  of  Philadelphia  was 
elected  Chaplain  General  of  the  National  Organization  and  Captain  Robeson  Lea 
Perot  was  elected  Commander  of  the  Third  Department. 

The  departments,  which  are  nine  in  number,  correspond  to  the  Army  Corps 
Area  Departments,  in  accordance  with  Army  Reorganization  plans  now  in  process 
of  development. 

The  Greater  Philadelphia  Chapter  was  the  first  to  organize  and  at  a  meeting, 
held  on  August  27,  1919,  twenty-five  local  officers  signed  the  application  for  a 
charter. 

By  courtesy  of  the  management,  the  Hotel  Walton  was  made  permanent 
headquarters  and  all  meetings  are  held  in  its  parlors. 

Many  subjects  of  great  importance  in  connection  with  matters  of  national 
interest  and  for  the  benefit  of  disabled  soldiers  and  sailors,  have  been  discussed 
by  the  chapter  during  the  last  three  years  and  in  several  cases  submitted  with 
recommendations  to  the  Senators  and  Representatives  in  Washington  and 
Harrisburg. 

The  present  officers  are: 

Commander Lieutenant  Colonel  William  E.  Ashton 

Vice-Commander Captain  Frederick  R.  Naile  (Navy) 

Adjutant Captain  Murray  H.  Spahr,  Jr. 

Treasurer Captain  Elwood  W.  Miller 

Assistant  Adjutant Lieutenant  J.  Russell  Long 

Historian Captain  Robeson  Lea  Perot 

Chaplain Rev.  Dr.  Edward  M.  Jefferys 

Staff: 

Lieutenant  Joseph  Ronn  Lieutenant  J.  Russell  Long 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Richard  H.  Harte  Lieutenant  Arthur  McKeogh 

Lieutenant  George  E.  Lippincott  Captain  Howard  H.  McKnight 

NATIONAL  AMERICAN  WAR  MOTHERS 
Philadelphia  Chapter 

The  National  American  War  Mothers  were  organized  in  the  spring  of  1917  in 
Indiana.  Membership  in  the  organization  was  open  to  any  mother  whose  son  or 
daughter  was  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  during  the  period  of  the  World  War. 

The  Philadelphia  Chapter,  of  which  Mrs.  John  M.  Gallagher  is  President,  was 
organized  as  the  result  of  a  convention  of  the  National  American  War  Mothers, 
held  in  Washington,  D.  C,  in  the  fall  of  1919.  Mrs.  Gallagher,  who  attended  the 
convention,  decided  to  organize  the  women  in  and  near  Philadelphia  and  called  two 
meetings  for  that  purpose;  one  at  the  home  of  Mrs.  William  Rateman  of  Wayne, 
and  the  other  at  the  New  Century  Club  in  Philadelphia. 

A  permanent  meeting  place  was  secured  in  the  quarters  of  the  Philadelphia 
Chamber  of  Commerce  and  a  constitution  and  by-laws  were  adopted.  The  follow- 
ing officers  of  the  Philadelphia  Chapter  were  elected:  Mrs.  J.  M.  Gallagher,  Pres- 
ident;   Mrs.  W.  Hancock,  Vice-President;    Mrs.  H.  L.  Cassard,  Vice-President; 

760 


Mrs.  Kirk  W.  Magill,  Recording  Secretary;  Mrs.  L.  Titus,  Corresponding  Sec- 
retary; Mrs.  Wm.  Rock,  Treasurer;  Mrs.  Wm.  Bergner,  Historian;  Mrs.  Alice 
Dougherty,  Auditor;  Mrs.  T.  M.  Baxter,  Director;  Mrs.  J.  Delton,  Director; 
Mrs.  J.  Archer  Rulon,  Director;  Mrs.  E.  Sayen  Schultz,  Director;  Mrs.  Charles 
Young,  Director. 

The  Philadelphia  Chapter  did  a  great  deal  of  work  for  League  Island,  and  at 
Christmas  time  prepared  over  200  packets,  which  were  packed  at  the  home  of  Mrs. 
J.  B.  MacPherson.  A  delegation  of  the  mothers  also  visited  the  Navy  Home  at 
Gray's  Ferry  Road  and  Camp  Dix.  The  chapter  also  cooperated  with  the  War 
Risk  Insurance  officials  in  reference  to  certain  cases  where  incomplete  addresses 
made  the  work  of  the  bureau  difficult. 

On  Memorial  Day  members  of  the  chapter  united  with  the  Legion  posts  and 
Veteran  Organizations  in  decorating  the  graves  in  various  cemeteries  in  and  near 
Philadelphia. 

Members  of  the  chapter  contributed  to  the  fund  which  was  raised  for  the 
MacMonnies  Statue  of  Liberty,  presented  to  France  as  a  gift  from  the  people  of 
America.     Contributions  were  also  made  to  the  Memorial  Chapel  at  Valley  Forge. 

On  June  5,  1920,  the  Philadelphia  Chapter  attended  in  a  body  the  launching  of 
the  steamship  Gold  Star,  named  in  honor  of  the  men  and  women  who  died  in  service. 
Mrs.  Gallagher  acted  as  Sponsor  and  christened  the  ship  as  it  left  the  ways,  at  the 
Harlan  Shipbuilding  Company,  Wilmington,  Del.  The  huge  service  banner 
emblazoned  with  a  large  gold  star  was  draped  over  the  prow  of  the  ship  and  was 
afterwards  presented  to  the  Philadelphia  Chapter  by  the  officials  of  the  company. 

The  present  Officers  (1921)  are:- 

President ...Mrs.  J.  M.  Gallagher 

First  Vice-President Mrs.  Blanche  Bellak 

Second  Vice-President ...Mrs.  E.  Jordan 

Recording  Secretary Mrs.  Kirk  W.  Magill 

Corresponding  Secretary Mrs.  Maud  Cluley 

Treasurer ...Mrs.  William  Rock 

Auditor ...Mrs.  Leo  Titus 

Historian Mrs.  Martha  E.  Rossiter 


761 


PHILADELPHIA'S  SERVICE  FLAG 


"Home  are  the  men,  whose  valiant  line 
Hurled  back  the  Teuton's  mad  advance, 
Save  those  who  guard  the  mighty  Rhine, 
Or  sleep,  forever  blest,  in  France." 

NTIL  the  records  of  the  War  Department  are  completed, 
it  will  be  impossible  to  give  the  exact  number  of  Philadel- 
phia men  and  women  in  the  service  of  their  country. 
Nevertheless,  by  comparing  the  available  lists,  it  has  been 
estimated  that  at  least  90,000  Philadelphians  joined  some 
branch  of  the  Army,  Navy  or  Marine  Corps. 

With  the  demobilization  of  the  28th  and  79th  Divi- 
sions, an  effort  was  made  to  secure  the  service  records  of  the 
men  in  those  two  divisions,  as  well  as  of  all  others  who  had 
been  returned  to  this  country,  whether  they  had  been  dis- 
charged or  not.  The  Philadelphia  Council  of  National  Defense  was  instructed  by 
Mayor  Smith  to  direct  this  work,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  by  Judge  Martin 
to  cooperate  with  the  Pennsylvania  War  History  Commission.  Charles  B.  Hall, 
Secretary  of  the  Councilmanic  Committee  for  the  Relief  and  Sustenance  of  Soldiers' 
Families,  was  appointed  Chairman.  The  Executive  Manager  of  the  Council  of  De- 
fense was  made  Secretary.  The  details  of  the  work  were  developed  as  rapidly  as 
possible,  and  the  activities  of  the  committee  directed  from  the  offices  of  the  Council 
of  Defense  in  the  Liberty  Building. 

Following  the  examples  of  other  cities,  the  Philadelphia  Committee  arranged 
for  a  house-to-house  canvass  by  the  Police  Department,  the  Captain  of  each  of 
the  forty-one  Police  Districts  being  instructed  as  to  any  special  details  and  features 
of  the  work.  Mayor  Smith  issued  a  proclamation  designating  Friday,  June 
27th,  as  the  day  upon  which  the  canvass  should  be  started,  and  called  upon  all 
citizens  to  aid  in  "making  Philadelphia's  war  records  complete".  The  newspapers 
of  the  City  gave  generously  of  their  columns,  and  a  special  appeal  was  made  to  all 
clubs,  societies,  churches,  lodges  and  other  organizations  to  assist  in  this  compre- 
hensive endeavor.  The  original  plan  was  to  have  all  blanks  distributed  on  Friday 
and  Saturday  and  collected  during  the  early  part  of  the  following  week.  The 
magnitude  of  the  work  and  the  size  of  the  area  covered  made  it  impossible 
to  carry  out  such  a  plan,  and  the  actual  time  required  for  the  distribution  and 
collection  was  more  than  two  weeks. 

The  Pennsylvania  War  History  Commission  had  printed  100,000  record  blanks 
which  were  delivered  to  the  Bureau  of  Police  at  City  Hall,  after  which  they  were 
sent  to  the  various  police  stations.  The  territory  covered  was,  of  course,  the 
entire  City,  or  126  square  miles.  Considering  the  difficulties  of  such  work  the  results 
were  satisfactory.  In  many  cases  no  one  was  at  home  when  the  police  called. 
Again,  changes  of  address  complicated  the  work  and  in  a  few  cases  any  response 
was  refused.  However,  when  the  blanks  were  collected  and  arranged  alphabetically 
it  was  found  that  over  50,000  had  been  returned,  of  which  12,000  were  brought 

762 


Courtesy   of  the  Philadelphia  "Press." 

Governor  Sproul  and  General  Beary  arriving  at  the  Grand  Stand.    28lh  Division  Parade. 

in  person  or  mailed  to  the  offices  of  the  Council  of  Defense,  4,500  went  directly  to 
the  Pennsylvania  Commission  and  the  remaining  33,500  were  collected  by  the  police. 
Letters  and  diaries  were  handed  in  and  many  of  them  were  extremely  in- 
teresting. Some  were  full  of  woeful  tales  in  which  the  Medical  Corps  and  various 
welfare  organizations  were  impartially  assigned  to  the  eternal  abode  of  blistering 
heat.  Others  will  add  materially  to  the  sum  total  of  knowledge  of  the  work  of 
the  A.  E.  F.  Excerpts  from  a  few  only  can  be  incorporated  in  this  printed  story 
of  Philadelphia's  participation  in  the  World  War.  They  have  been  largely  taken 
from  letters  from  men  who  served  in  special  units  in  order  to  emphasize  the  wide 
range  of  service  rendered.  Every  one  of  them  breathes  the  true  American  spirit 
of  pluck  and  determination  undismayed  by  temporary  discomfort  or  pain. 


Sergeant  William  V.  Whalen,  3d  Company,  4th  Mechanical  Air  Service, 
wrote  to  his  mother  from  Romorantine,  France,  under  date  of  January  9,  1918: 

"At  last  I  am  able  to  reveal  to  you  the  course  of  events  in  which  I  have  parti- 
cipated since  my  departure  from  the  U.  S.  A.  After  being  two  days  at  sea,  we 
dropped  anchor  in  Halifax  Harbor,  where  we  enjoyed  the  beautiful  scenery  of  the 
old  French  city  and  the  surrounding  country. 

"After  we  sailed  from  Halifax,  all  went  well  until  we  had  been  out  fifteen 
days,  when  suddenly  all  on  board  were  startled  by  a  terrible  thud  caused  by  the 
explosion  of  a  depth-bomb  dropped  by  a  ship  on  our  port  side.  (We  were  one  of  a 
convoy  of  twenty-three  ships.)     It  was  only  a  few  seconds  until  the  decks,  rafts, 

763 


and  riggings  swarmed  with  eager-hearted,  red-blooded  Sammies,  awaiting  a  glimpse 
of  the  first  Hun  'Sub'  whose  periscope  soon  sprang  to  our  view  from  a  breaking  wave. 
Its  course  was  directed  towards  our  ship,  but  was  soon  turned  by  the  fire  from 
our  guns.  Soon  a  fatal  shot  was  fired.  There  was  a  mighty  explosion  and  a 
huge  flash  of  flames.  The  wild  cheers  from  the  enthusiastic  boys  rang  out  from 
the  depth  of  their  hearts. 

"In  England  our  journey  was  through  the  most  picturesque  southern  part  and 
justly  deserves  the  name  of  the  'Garden  Spot  of  the  World'.  Our  first  view  of 
France  was  through  a  heavy  mist  and  fog  early  one  morning  as  we  approached  Le 
Havre.  We  spent  the  first  night  in  camouflaged  tents  to  outwit  any  scouting 
planes  of  the  enemy.  The  following  day  we  started  on  again.  The  scenery 
through  the  Doine  Valley  reminded  us  of  some  of  the  fertile  valleys  at  home,  but 
the  cities  of  Rouen,  Paris  and  Orleans,  as  well  as  the  French  villages,  have  particular 
characteristics  of  their  own  and  are  different  from  any  we  had  seen  before. 

"This  camp  is  known  as  Air  Service  Production  Center  No.  2,  and  is  the 
largest  of  its  kind  in  France.  There  are  a  large  number  of  factories  and  plants  for 
the  assembling,  repairing  and  salvaging  of  planes,  a  work  to  which  many  soldiers 
are  detailed.  French  women  are  also  employed  in  certain  departments,  but  the 
hardest  and  most  undesirable  is  done  by  Chinese  labor.  Men  of  almost  every 
nationality  are  seen  in  the  streets.  The  production  here  surpasses  that  of  any 
manufacturing  city  of  200,000  in  the  states. 

"We  have  here  the  second  largest  refrigerating  plant  in  the  world,  great 
railroad  yards,  miles  of  warehouses  and  extensive  flying  fields.  This  camp  is  in 
direct  communication  with  the  front  at  all  times,  by  wire  and  rail." 

Norman  Hulme,  an  architect,  served  with  the  Staff  of  the  Chief  Engineers, 
First  Army.  In  a  letter  to  Major  General  James  B.  Coryell,  N.  G.  P.  (Retired), 
he  spoke  of  his  experiences  after  leaving  New  York: 

"Never  was  there  brought  together  such  a  body  of  Army  men  and  welfare 
workers  as  composed  the  passenger  fist  of  the  French  liner  Rochambeau,  on  which 
it  was  the  good  fortune  of  my  company,  the  458th  Engineer  Motor  Company,  to 
sail  for  'Over  There.' 

"First,  because  of  their  air  of  importance,  a  Congressional  Committee  on  a 
tour  to  investigate  everything  and  anything  pertaining  to  Army  work;  next,  the 
representatives  of  the  great  welfare  organizations  whose  number  included  the 
President's  son-in-law,  a  member  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  Unit; 
Red  Cross  chaplains,  doctors,  secretaries  and  members  of  that  wonderful  self- 
sacrificing  body  of  Army  nurses,  who  later  justly  earned  the  name  of  'Roses  of 
No  Man's  Land,'  Knights  of  Columbus  Secretaries,  Salvation  Army  lassies  of 
'Doughnut'  fame,  Jewish  Welfare  workers  and  a  number  of  reporters  and  writers 
headed  by  Robert  Collier. 

"As  to  the  motley  assembly  of  fighting  men,  there  were  American  engineer  and 
cavalry  troops,  naval  gunners  and  aviators,  French  chasseurs,  all  wearing  wound 
stripes  and  distinguished  service  medals,  Polish  troops,  recruited  in  Canada,  wearing 
old  British  red-coat  uniforms,  American  Army  and  Navy  officers  on  detached  service, 
members  of  the  French  Diplomatic  Corps,  Polish  officers,  and  Chinese  interpreters 
for  duty  with  British  labor  troops. 

"Despite  the  babble  of  tongues,  it  was  our  good  fortune  to  arrive  safely  at 

764 


Courtesy  of  Frank  W.   Buhler.    Stanley   Co.   of   America. 

Parade  of  the  28th  Division  passing  the  U.  S.  Custom  House. 


the  harbor  of  Bordeaux  with  its  grand  water  frontage  on  the  River  Garonne.  One 
swelled  with  pride  as  he  entered  the  port,  for  there  were  miles  of  wharfage  under 
American  control,  a  large  portion  of  which  was  built  by  our  engineering  troops. 
How  gratifying  it  was  to  see  the  tremendous  work  which  had  been  accomplished 
by  the  American  Advance  Guard. 

"Like  all  American  troops,  upon  disembarking  we  had  to  face  the  hardships 
of  a  five-day  'rest',  consisting  of  continuous  policing  of  camp  and  personal  equip- 
ment. This  prepared  us  for  a  three-day  journey  north  by  freight  to  Le  Havre 
which  gave  an  exceptional  opportunity  to  study  the  condition  of  France  where 
only  women  were  left  to  maintain  the  normal  function  and  routine  of  industry. 
The  outstanding  feature  of  this  trip  was  a  wonderfully  equipped  United  States 
Army  Hospital  train  on  its  way  to  a  base  hospital.  At  once  interest  was  lost  in 
its  mechanical  perfection,  because  its  human  freight  of  wounded  doughboys  con- 
veyed a  message  that  made  one  thrill.  How  they  smiled  through  bandages  and 
splints,  and  displayed  'Iron  Crosses'  and  other  trophies  taken  from  the  Boche,  and 
were  optimistic  as  to  their  ability  to  go  him  one  better  at  their  next  meeting.  After 
our  troops  saw  such  painstaking  provision  for  the  'return,'  should  one  be  necessary, 
there  was  no  further  complaint  regarding  the  'Chevaux  Limited'  in  which  we. 
were  going  forward. 

"According  to  novelists,  France  always  appears  sunny,  however,  she  received 
us  with  rain  and  continued  her  welcome  in  such  fashion  on  alternate  days  for  three 

765 


successive  months.  Of  course,  it  has  its  compensation,  for  the  country  blooms  like 
a  garden  and  so  one  can  understand  the  pride  the  Frenchman  takes  in  '  La  Belle 
France.'  " 

Some  idea  of  the  problem  of  providing  food  for  an  Army  is  given  by  Corporal 
Howard  J.  Gill,  Q.  M.  C.  of  Bakery  Company  No.  102,  who  sent  with  his  service 
record  a  report  prepared  by  Captain  Harold  B.  West,  Q.  M.  C,  the  officer  in  charge 
of  the  bakeries  at  Is-sur-Tille,  France,  where  the  A.  E.  F.  established  the  largest 
bakery  in  the  world.    The  story  of  this  plant  reads  like  a  fairy  tale: 

"With  a  capacity  for  output  of  800,000  pounds  of  bread  per  day,  it  was  housed 
in  two  immense  ordnance  buildings,  constructed  of  steel  and  corrugated  iron,  each 
380  feet  long  by  240  feet  wide,  connected  by  a  covered  run-way.  Besides  containing 
the  appliances  for  making  bread,  these  buildings  had  storage  space  for  19,000,000 
pounds  of  raw  material,  including  flour,  salt,  lard  substitutes,  sugar,  bread  sacks,  etc. 
In  a  two-story  power  house,  90  feet  by  60  feet,  two  750  horsepower  turbo  gener- 
ators were  installed  which  guaranteed  sufficient  electricity  for  power  and  lighting. 

"A  double  track  railroad  spur,  capable  of  holding  forty  American  freight  cars 
at  one  time,  ran  along  the  north  side  of  the  building.  These  cars  which  held  approxi- 
mately 65,000  pounds  of  flour,  were  constantly  changing,  and  on  one  occasion 
2,037,824  pounds  of  material  were  unloaded  in  twelve  hours. 

"When  in  full  operation,  the  bakery  used  600,000  pounds  of  flour,  10,000 
pounds  of  salt  and  1,000  pounds  of  yeast  per  day.  This  vast  amount  of  material 
was  handled  almost  exclusively  by  machinery,  and  its  metamorphosis  from  the  raw 
state  into  the  finished  product  was  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  A.  E.  F.  Every  pre- 
caution was  taken  to  insure  the  proper  kneading,  baking,  packing  and  shipping 
of  the  bread  so  that  it  would  be  of  uniform  quality  and  size. 

"The  personnel  required  for  the  full  operation  of  the  plant  was  20  officers, 
514  soldiers  and  200  (colored)  stevedores." 

Alfred  E.  Dahne  was  with  the  Headquarters  Troop  of  the  3d  Division  and 
gives  an  account  of  delivering  messages  under  fire: 

"My  comrade  and  I  were  sleeping  back  to  back.  Strange  to  say  when  we 
heard  the  shells  with  their  '  Zowie-bang,'  both  of  us  were  on  our  feet  facing  each 
other. 

"In  came  an  orderly  and  handed  me  a  bunch  of  messages.  My  comrade  and 
I  started  on  an  awful  trip.  It  seemed  as  though  the  air  was  singing  with  shells 
which  broke  all  around,  but  my  name  was  not  on  any  of  them.  Along  the  roads 
the  scenes  were  fierce — horses  and  men  lying  dead  and  dying.  Some  poor  fellows 
had  their  gas  masks  half  on,  but  were  so  weak  from  wounds  that  they  had  not  the 
strength  to  put  them  on  and  they  died  that  way. 

"The  next  day  the  barrage  had  died  down  to  normal  and  on  the  third  day  out, 
the  boys  started  their  victorious  counter  attack.  They  chased  the  Huns  over  the 
Marne  and  just  kept  them  going." 

The  experiences  of  a  "runner"  are  recounted  by  Private  F.  W.  Lund  of  Com- 
pany M,  145th  United  States  Infantry,  who  says: 

"  One  thing  I'll  never  forget  is  the  glorious  sight  on  the  morning  we  were  waiting 
to  'go  over.'     Everyone  must  have  thought  of  the  Star  Spangled  Banner.     There 

766 


Courtesy   of   the   Philadelphia   "Press." 

Slate  Officials  on  Grand  Stand  opposite  Independence  Hall.     28th  Division  Parade. 


was  the  'Dawn's  early  light,  the  rocket's  red  glare,  and  the  bombs  bursting  in  the 
air.'  Everybody  seemed  thrilled  and  the  captains  were  yelling  to  keep  the  men  from 
crowding  over  too  fast. 

"Very  soon  another  runner  and  I  were  sent  ahead  on  a  trip.  Of  course,  our 
destinations  were  moving  ahead  all  the  time  and  we  traveled  a  couple  of  hours 
before  we  caught  up  to  them.  Returning,  however,  it  was  just  the  opposite,  and 
we  could  have  been  back  in  less  than  half  the  time,  but  we  were  interrupted.  First 
interruption  on  the  way  back  was  a  meek  little  'Deutscher'  who  seemed  to  spring 
from  nowhere,  his  hands  up  and  yelling  'Kamerad.'  I  don't  think  runners  are 
supposed  to  take  prisoners,  but  when  they  are  thrust  upon  us  and  we  are  bound  for 
the  rear  it  seemed  O.  K.  This  fellow  said  he  had  a  friend  in  a  dugout  who  wanted 
to  get  captured.  A  couple  of  our  boys  came  along  just  then  and  we  all  went  over 
to  the  dugout.  The  other  Boche  was  right  on  the  job  and  tickled  to  death  to  be 
captured.  The  other  boys  had  to  go  ahead,  so  we  hiked  away  with  our  two  birds. 
Just  went  back  till  we  met  another  bunch  of  prisoners,  when  we  pushed  ours  in  with 
them  and  beat  it  back  to  our  H.  Q. 

"That  afternoon  I  had  a  sweet  job — I  was  ordered  to  stay  with  the  colonel. 
All  went  well  while  he  walked,  but  then  he  got  on  a  horse  with  long  legs  and  I  was 
not  with  him  again  until  he  got  off. 

"Next  morning  the  colonel,  or  I,  got  lost.  At  least,  we  were  not  together  and 
it  was  up  to  me  to  locate  him.  Not  such  a  job,  for  all  I  had  to  do  was  to  go  forward. 
After  locating  him  I  had  it  pretty  easy,  compared  to  the  previous  day.     Just  a 

767 


few  short  trips.  Of  course,  machine  gun  bullets,  shells  and  air  planes  were  flying 
everywhere,  but  nobody  seemed  to  give  them  a  thought.  We  would  sit  there  on 
the  hillside  watching  the  high  explosives  land  just  a  few  yards  away. 

"About  5  p.m.  a  couple  of  shells  dropped  twenty  or  thirty  yards  away.  I  did 
not  stop  to  see  what  the  others  did.  I  just  dropped  flat,  and  was  barely  down  when 
shell  No.  3  comes  over  and  a  piece  of  it  gets  me  on  the  back  of  the  right  hand. 
Didn't  hurt  a  bit  when  it  hit,  but  felt  like  something  very  big  had  bumped  against 
me.  I  could  wiggle  all  my  fingers  so  I  knew  that  no  bones  or  tendons  were  broken. 
When  Heinie  ceased  firing  I  beat  it  (lown  the  hill  and  ran  into  some  lieutenant  who 
opened  my  first  aid  packet  and  tied  me  up.  I  went  up  the  hill  and  got  my  pack 
and  raincoat.  Also  several  things  in  my  pack  that  I  wanted.  No  one  else  in  our 
bunch  was  hurt.  Wasn't  that  lucky?  I  got  a  drink  of  water  and  started  back 
to  the  dressing  station.  About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  I  was  stopped  by  a  medical  man 
who  looked  at  my  hand,  tied  it  up  again  and  put  a  tag  on  me. 

"Soon  I  overtook  a  lieutenant  who  was  hiking  back  to  some  H.  Q.  He  wasn't 
very  husky  looking,  still  he  insisted  on  carrying  my  pack  for  me.  That  was  the 
beginning  of  a  number  of  kindnesses  which  I  had  never  thought  existed  in  the 
Army.  Before  leaving,  he  lightened  my  pack  by  taking  out  my  bayonet  and 
shovel  and  I  then  hiked  on  merrily. 

"What  a  sight  along  that  road!  Ammunition  wagons,  ambulances,  reserve 
troops  going  up,  bunches  of  wounded  and  prisoners,  and  further  back  supply 
wagons  and  rolling  kitchens.  Every  now  and  then  a  bunch  of  engineers  who 
worked  night  and  day  with  shells  dropping  all  around.  I'll  take  back  what  I  used 
to  sing  about  the  lazy  engineers. 

"About  half  way  back  the  pleasant  odors  of  a  kitchen  greeted  me  and  I 
stopped.  Some  engineers  were  getting  supper.  More  kindness.  Nice  steak,  gravy, 
prunes,  bread  and  coffee.     (And  they  cut  my  steak,  too.)     My,  but  it  was  good!" 

Private  Lund  then  gives  his  impression  of  the  splendid  medical  attention  which 
was  immediately  given  him : 

"  Couldn't  walk  extra  fast  in  the  mud  and  darkness,  but  I  reached  the  dressing 
station  at  8  p.m.  (about  seven  or  eight  miles).  Got  right  into  an  ambulance  with 
some  fellows,  who  could  sit  up,  and  continued  the  journey.  It  was  after  midnight 
when  we  arrived  at  the  field  hospital,  but  I  don't  think  we  traveled  far  for  there  were 
so  many  terrible  delays.  There  I  received  a  shot  of  antitetanus  serum,  also  some 
hot  cocoa  and  cookies  from  the  American  Red  Cross.  Next  we  crawled  into  some 
nice  warm  blankets  and  it  did  not  take  long  to  fall  asleep. 

"We  were  awakened  at  6  a.m.  More  hot  cocoa  and  cookies  and  then  we  got 
on  a  truck  and  rode  a  couple  of  hours  to  a  bigger  field  hospital.  There  our  wounds 
were  redressed  and  we  got  sponge  baths  and  they  took  all  our  clothing  away.  They 
gave  us  pajamas  to  wear,  then  I  was  put  in  Ward  No.  13,  nice  long  room  with  a 
stove  in  the  middle.  Very  few  stayed  in  their  cots,  but  wrapped  blankets  around 
them  and  gathered  at  the  stove.     Looked  like  a  bunch  of  Indians. 

"Some  cheerful  bunch  of  cripples  around  that  stove.  Everyone  telling  when 
and  where  he  got  it.  We  refought  the  whole  war  sitting  around  that  stove.  They 
gave  us  all  we  could  eat  at  meal  time.     Who  wouldn't  be  cheerful? 

"We  got  on  a  train  that  forenoon,  but  it  was  no  '40  hommes,  8  chevaux'  affair 
at  that  time.  A  new  American  Red  Cross  train  as  comfortable  and  easy  riding 
as  a  Pullman.     Next  day  I  received  a  complete  new  outfit  of  clothes — even  heavy 

768 


Courtesy  of  the  Philadelphia  "Press." 

Saluting  the  Liberty  Bell.   28th  Division  Parade. 


woolens.  C'est  la  guerre.  Had  a  hot  shower  bath — first  in  a  long  time.  Next 
morning  I  located  the  barber  shop  and  was  relieved  of  a  week's  whiskers.  Barber 
sure  was  busy  shaving.     I  had  to  return  the  following  day  for  a  hair  cut. 

"Had  movies  at  the  Red  Cross  hut  a  couple  of  nights.  Dorothy  Gish  in  the 
'  Little  School  Ma'am '  was  pretty  good. 

"Keep  well  and  happy  and  remember  that  you  are  not  to  worry  any  more.'" 

Captain  Cornelius  T.  McCarthy  was  with  the  American  Engineers  at  Cambrai 
in  1917,  and  was  the  first  American  medical  officer  to  receive  the  British  Military 
Cross  and  Bar.  He  served  as  an  American  Medical  Officer  with  the  9th  Essex 
(British)  Regiment.  His  citations  commented  upon  his  heroism  in  working 
during  gas  attacks  without  his  mask,  the  more  readily  to  render  aid. 

Captain  McCarthy  relates  a  thrilling  experience  which  occurred  on  May  27, 
1918,  while  up  at  the  front: 

"Reaching  the  Auchon-Viller's  and  Mailly-Maillet  roads,  a  high  explosive  bar- 
rage caught  our  last  company.  It  was  pitch  dark,  but,  having  an  electric  torch,  I 
could  see  here  and  there  a  battered  mass  of  humanity.  Lying  beside  a  young  boy, 
I  felt  the  warm  blood  spurting  from  an  artery  of  his  leg.  I  tightly  adjusted  his  first 
aid  dressing  around  his  thigh.  A  gas  shell  burst  near  by.  Before  I  could  adjust 
my  mask  I  received  the  contents  in  my  face.  Finally,  getting  the  mask  on,  I 
staggered  across  the  road,  stumbling  over  the  mangled  body  of  my  orderly.  Re- 
moving the  mask,  I  shouted  for  Corporal  Poole.    A  voice  answered :  'I  am  here,  but 

769 


my  leg  is  broken.  I  can't  move.'  I  asked:  'Where's  Garrett?'  He  replied: 
'By  my  side.  Look  at  him,  he  is  bleeding  from  the  neck.'  Stumbling  to  his  side, 
I  found  him  dying,  muttering:  'They  got  me  after  three  years.' 

"As  I  lay  beside  Garrett  a  helpless  feeling  gripped  me.  However,  as  Medical 
Officer,  it  was  my  duty  to  get  them  to  the  dressing  station.  On  my  way  to  find 
the  stretcher  bearers  I  ordered  the  men  to  stay  where  they  were  as  quietly  as 
possible.  In  response,  one  voice  feebly  sang  out:  'Don't  be  long  Doc,  I'm 
slipping.' 

"The  village  through  which  I  passed  to  the  dressing  station  was  under  bom- 
bardment. At  the  station  I  secured  Private  Haley  and  eight  stretcher  bearers. 
Returning  with  the  wounded  I  heard  groans  from  the  cellar  of  a  demolished  house. 
Private  Haley  and  I  rushed  to  the  gas-filled  cave,  finding  Sergeant  Baxter,  with  both 
legs  severed.  In  the  darkness  I  dimly  saw  brave  Haley,  with  his  mask  off,  un- 
selfishly helping  Baxter.  Although  I  shouted  to  him  to  adjust  his  mask,  his  delay 
in  doing  so  caused  his  death  later. 

"The  last  man  being  dressed,  and  now  badly  gassed  myself,  I  crawled  into  an 
ambulance,  much  in  need  of  a  little  first  aid  myself." 

Lieutenant  John  Emil  Eigenauer,  who  served  with  the  60th  U.  S.  Infantry, 
forwarded  a  copy  of  The  Diamond,  the  weekly  publication  of  the  5th  Division, 
in  which  a  number  of  Philadelphia  men  served.  This  copy  was  printed  in  Luxem- 
bourg, April  29,  1919,  and,  inter  aha,  contains  the  following  statement  of  interest 
to  the  people  of  Philadelphia: 

"The  division  was  first  commanded  by  Major  General  Charles  H.  Muir,  who 
was  directed  by  General  Order  No.  135  War  Department,  December  8,  1917,  to 
proceed  to  Camp  Logan,  Houston,  Tex.,  to  command  the  5th  Division  (regular), 
but  telegraphic  instructions  from  the  War  Department,  dated  December  25,  1917, 
directed  Major  General  Muir  to  proceed  from  Camp  Logan,  Houston,  Tex.,  to 
Camp  Hancock,  Georgia,  to  command  the  28th  Division." 

The  work  of  the  Signal  Platoon  of  Headquarters  Company  109,  U.  S.  Infantry 
is  told  by  Corporal  Henry  D.  Cox: 

"It  was  the  duty  of  this  body  of  men  (average  platoon  strength,  sixty-five 
men)  to  keep  all  signal  apparatus  in  working  order,  instal  and  operate  all  instru- 
ments, including  telephones,  buzzerphones,  wireless,  T.  P.  S.,  and  other  forms  of 
communication  and  to  maintain  this  service  at  all  times  within  the  regiment,  as 
well  as  lines  running  to  brigade  and  division  headquarters  and  the  units  on  our 
right  and  left.     Of  course,  this  means  hard  work. 

"This  platoon  worked  under  direct  shell  fire  for  the  first  time  on  July  7,  1918, 
in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Agnes,  Nonde-en-Brie,  Chateau-Thierry  and  Grande  Foun- 
tain. 

"Telephones  lines  were  laid  and  maintained,  besides  buzzerphone  lines,  in 
the  heaviest  of  the  shell  fire  and  gas  at  these  points.  One  man,  Sergeant  Herben, 
of  the  Signal  Platoon,  and  formerly  of  Company  K,  1st  Regiment  N.  G.  P.,  sent 
and  received  367  messages  in  three  days'  time,  during  the  most  trying  and  critical 
period  of  this  operation.     (Crossing  the  Vesle  River.) 

"Sergeant  Raymond  (Platoon  Sergeant),  also  did  exceptional  work  here  and  in 
the  Argonne  offensive,  and  received  a  commission  while  in  France.  He  is 
married,  lives  in  Philadelphia,  and  is  an  old  N.  G.  P,  man." 

770 


Photo  by  L.   E.   Snow. 


General  Price  saluting  the  Liberty  Bell.    28th  Division  Parade. 


Private  Albert  Dick,  who  served  with  the  95th  Aero  Squadron,  which  was 
known  as  the  "Flying  Circus,"  sent  home  the  following  interesting  account  of  his 
experiences: 

"This  is  the  first  American  Pursuit  Squadron  on  the  front  and  has  a  very  high 
record  for  victories  over  the  Hun,  having  brought  down  about  seventy-five  German 
balloons  and  planes.  Our  squadron  has  taken  prominent  parts  in  all  the  big  drives. 
They  were  on  the  front  of  the  Chalons  (Champagne  sector)  during  the  big 
German  offensive  in  March.  This  squadron  did  effective  work  in  directing 
artillery  fire  and  in  bringing  down  many  observation  and  bombing  planes  and 
balloons  in  the  Chateau-Thierry,  St.  Mihiel  and  Argonne  Woods,  north  of  Verdun. 
This  squadron  has  had  with  it  such  prominent  flyers  as  Major  Lufberry,  Captain 
Eddie  Rickenbacker,  Captain  Douglass  Campbell  and  Lieutenant  Quentin 
Roosevelt." 


The  letter  of  Personnel  Corporal  Raymond  A.  Sholl,  Headquarters  Company, 
54th  Pioneer  Infantry,  gives  his  unexpected  experiences  at  the  front.  The  54th — 
the  3d  Rattalion  of  which  was  commanded  by  Major  David  R.  Simpson,  of  this 
city — had  been  ordered  to  a  certain  camp  for  training,  but  the  orders  were  cancelled 
and  the  regiment  sent  to  the  front.  Writing  from  Dun-sur-Meuse,  France,  Corporal 
Sholl  says: 

"The  Stars  and  Stripes,  the  A.  E.  F.  paper  printed  in  France  for  the  Americans 
here,  has  gotten  up  a  sort  of  letter  writing  day  to  Dad.  They  are  asking  every 
American  here  to  write  home  to  Dad  on  November  24th.  They  also  want  each 
man  to  tell  his  experiences  in  France,  and  also  to  state  just  where  he  is  located  at 
the  time  of  writing,  so  here  goes: 

771 


"We  were  on  the  ocean  just  two  weeks  and  Thursday  morning,  September 
12th,  we  sighted  land.  Running  up  a  bay  lined  on  either  side  by  great  rocks,  we 
finally  docked  at  Brest,  France.  Here  we  marched  after  getting  off  ship  through 
Brest  and  out  into  the  country  to  a  rest  camp.  We  got  into  camp  at  about  6.30 
in  the  evening.  It  was  already  dark  and  we  had  to  pitch  pup  tents  and  sleep  in 
the  mud.  We  remained  in  this  place  (rest  camp  is  the  big  joke,  as  the  fellows 
worked  about  twelve  hours  a  day)  for  a  few  days. 

"Later,  we  were  again  placed  forty  men  in  one  car  and  taken  north.  We  did 
not  know  where  we  were  going,  but  toward  evening  we  began  to  hear  a  dull  rumbling. 
At  first  I  didn't  know  what  it  meant,  but  it  soon  dawned  upon  us  that  our  train 
was  approaching  the  western  front.  We  rode  all  night  and  in  the  morning  we  were 
again  dumped  off  our  train  at  a  place  called  Fleury.  In  the  afternoon  I  received 
my  first  gas  mask  instructions. 

"While  several  of  us  were  gathered  there,  someone  looked  up  and  pointed  out 
some  tiny  clouds  bursting  far  above  us.  No  one  knew  what  it  meant  until  it  was 
explained  to  us  that  a  German  plane  was  overhead  and  was  being  shelled  by  our 
anti-aircraft  guns.  This  was  my  first  sight  of  a  German  plane,  but  it  was  not  the 
last  sight  by  a  long  shot. 

"We  saw  a  lot  of  Fritz  in  the  air  and,  in  fact,  it  became  a  common  sight  to  see 
Hun  planes  come  over  in  numbers  from  one,  to  possibly  a  dozen,  but  our  anti-air- 
craft, usually  kept  them  up  pretty  high,  so  that  they  were  harmless  during  the  day. 
They  came  over  on  several  occasions  at  night  while  we  were  camped  here,  and  after 
dropping  a  few  bombs  turned  around  and  went  back  home.  They  came  over  so 
often  that  I  could  tell  the  purr  of  their  motors  when  they  were  miles  away.  They 
sound  entirely  different  from  any  other  motor. 

"On  Saturday,  October  12th,  we  packed  up  and  hiked  back  to  Aubreville, 
which  is  about  fifteen  miles  northwest  of  Verdun.  Here  five  of  us  lived  together 
in  a  little  shanty  by  the  side  of  the  stable.  We  had  several  night  raids,  too,  but 
I  took  no  chances.  As  soon  as  I  saw  old  Fritz  coming  I  knew  it  was  best  to  beat 
it  into  a  dugout. 

"On  Friday  morning,  November  1st,  I  was  awakened  by  a  great  rumbling 
and  trembling  of  our  little  house,  and  I  knew  that  another  drive  had  started  in  the 
Argonne.  At  about  3  a.m.  I  got  up,  went  outside,  and  saw  that  the  whole  sky  was 
aflame  with  a  great  light  and  the  noise  of  the  barrage  was  terrible.  I  learned  the 
following  morning  that  it  was  the  greatest  and  most  deadly  barrage  ever  put  over 
during  the  war.  The  Germans  that  were  left  flew  so  fast  that  our  men  had  to 
chase  them  in  auto  trucks.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  end  for,  once  more, 
Germany's  best  men  were  beaten  and  were  licked  for  the  last  time. 

"And  now  I  am  sitting  in  a  little  room  in  an  old  hotel  which,  several  weeks 
ago,  was  occupied  by  the  Germans.  It  is  situated  in  the  town  of  Dun  and  right 
along  the  river.  There  is  not  much  more  to  tell,  but  I  am  glad  that  the  censor's 
lid  is  lifted  so  that  I  can  tell  you  where  I  am.  Our  entrance  into  the  zone  of  action 
was  a  great  surprise  to  me,  as  we  were  to  go  into  training,  but  at  a  moment's  notice 
orders  were  changed  with  the  result  that  I  have  seen  a  lot  more  than  I  would  ever 
have  seen  in  a  training  camp.  Our  men  deserve  a  lot  of  praise,  too,  as  they  worked 
right  in  the  Argonne  on  roads  which  had  to  be  kept  open  in  order  to  make  the  big 
drive  a  success,  and  many  a  day  they  worked  under  shell  fire  for  eight  hours  and 
longer." 

772 


While  on  the  subject  of  pioneers,  the  following  poem — author  unknown — is 
of  interest.  It  was  sent  with  the  Service  Record  of  Private  W.  G.  Affleck,  Company 
A,  59th  Pioneer  Infantry. 

THE  PIONEERS 

We  read  about  the  doughboys  and  their  valor,  which  is  true, 

And  of  the  gallant  part  they  played  for  the  old  Red,  White  and  Blue: 

We  read  about  the  H.  F.  A.  and  their  ever-roaring  guns, 

Also  the  heavy  part  they  played  in  blowing  up  the  Huns; 

The  Infantry,  the  Cavalry,  the  hardy  Engineers, 

But  we  never  read  a  single  word  about  "The  Pioneers." 

They  slept  in  pup  tents  in  the  cold  and  worked  in  mud  and  mire, 
They  filled  up  shell  holes  in  the  roads,  'most  always  under  fire; 
Far  o'er  the  lines  the  scout  plane  goes,  directing  the  barrage, 
Just  as  the  zero  hour  draws  nigh,  or  just  before  the  charge. 
As  o  'er  the  top  the  doughboy  goes,  to  put  the  Hun  to  tears, 
But  who  went  out  and  cut  the  Wire?     "The  Husky  Pioneers." 

They  buried  beaucoup  horses,  and  carried  beaucoup  shells, 

From  every  dump  on  every  front,  the  kind  of  work  that  tells. 

A  heavy  pack  on  every  back,  on  every  track  in  France, 

They  never  wore  the  "Croix  de  Guerre" — They  never  had  the  chance. 

And  as  the  heavy  trucks  rolled  by,  they  worked  to  calm  their  fears. 

Who  made  the  rocky  road  so  smooth?     "The  same  old  Pioneers." 

Each  branch  deserves  much  credit,  and  I  like  to  read  their  praise, 
We  helped  them  all,  both  great  and  small,  in  many  different  ways; 
The  Shock  Troops,  and  the  brave  Marines,  the  Ammunition  Train, 
The  Signal  Corps,  the  Tank  Corps,  and  the  Observation  Plane. 
The  War  is  won,  the  work  is  done,  so  here's  three  hearty  cheers, 
For  the  outfit  that  I  soldiered  with,  "The  Good  Old  PIONEERS." 

(One  of  Them.) 

In  two  long  letters,  Charles  Frederick  West  shows  war  at  its  best  and  at  its 
worst.     Of  the  former  condition  he  writes : 

"  In  some  of  the  towns  where  we  stayed,  the  women  and  girls  came  out  to  kiss 
us,  and  gave  us  chicken  dinners  and  all  the  milk  and  wine  we  could  drink.  At  one 
village  where  we  were  quartered,  I  met  a  French  woman  who  invited  me  to  her 
house  and  who  gave  me  a  big  dinner.  When  I  got  to  the  house  I  had  to  kiss  the  old 
lady  and  her  two  girls,  and  when  I  left  I  had  to  do  the  same  thing.  During  the  meal 
they  had  the  laugh  on  me  because  I  did  not  drink  any  wine.  They  told  me  that 
I  was  the  first  one  that  they  had  met  who  did  not  drink.  I  told  them  I  liked  milk, 
so  one  of  the  girls  went  out  into  the  barn  and  milked  the  cow,  so  I  could  have  all  I 
could  possibly  drink.     After  that  nice  meal,  I  was  there  for  supper  every  night." 

Private  West  then  sketches  another  scene  in  the  theatre  of  war.  He  says, 
that  later  on,  while  waiting  for  things  to  happen  we  were  billeted  in  barns, 
barracks  and  broken  buildings  where  the  French  soldiers  slept,  and  they  were 
full  of  cooties. 

77:} 


"You  may  not  think  this  is  true,  but  the  cooties  who  are  with  the  boys  are 
game,  courageous  and  true.  They  will  stick  to  a  man  under  shell  fire  and  they 
keep  him  in  motion  when  he  longs  to  sleep.  Machine  gunners  who  know  how  to 
sweep  the  enemy  front  with  their  rat-a-tat-tat  machines,  have  yet  to  learn  the  law 
of  separation,  from  some  old  cooties.  They  are  there  to  the  last.  The  cooty  is 
not  an  optical  illusion.  One  of  the  boys  who  has  been  up  the  line  and  who  saw 
plenty  of  the  fireworks  told  me  very  soberly  that  he  had  not  seen  a  single  cooty 
in  France.  He  was  right,  because  they  are  not  single!  They  are  all  married  and 
have  large  families." 

Private  (later  Sergeant)  Samuel  G.  Rossiter  was  kept  on  the  move,  as  chauffeur 
for  Brigadier  General  Thomas  W.  Darrah,  commanding  the  55th  Infantry  Brigade 
of  the  28th  Division.  Rossiter  enlisted  in  the  1st  Brigade,  7th  Division,  on  June 
20,  1917,  and  when  the  Guard  was  federalized  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Hancock  and 
assigned  as  chauffeur  for  the  Brigade  car  of  Brigadier  General  F.  W.  Stillwell. 

After  the  Brigade  reached  France,  Colonel  George  E.  Kemp,  of  Philadelphia, 
was  Acting  Brigade  Commander  until  July  3d,  when  General  Darrah  assumed  com- 
mand at  midnight.  Half  an  hour  later,  the  entire  Brigade  was  ordered  forward 
in  a  defensive  operation  on  the  Marne.  Rossiter  was  thereafter  continuously  under 
fire  until  the  signing  of  the  armistice. 

In  his  letters  home,  Rossiter  describes  some  of  the  narrow  escapes  and  wild 
rides  that  were  his.  In  one  letter  he  says:  "During  the  night  of  August  8th-9th, 
while  sleeping  in  the  car,  it  was  struck  by  shrapnel,  one  piece  of  which  tore  a  hole 
through  the  door,  while  smaller  prices  ripped  up  the  upholstery." 

In  relating  what  he  considers  his  most  exciting  experience,  he  wrote,  late  in 

July,  1918: 

"Last  Sunday  night,  at  about  seven  o'clock,  I  was  driving  the  General  from  Courmont  to 
Fresnes,  and  when  we  came  to  an  intersection  of  three  roads  he  ordered  me  to  take  the  one  to  the 
right.  We  had  gone  but  a  very  short  distance  when  we  came  to  front  line  trenches  occupied  by 
our  own  Brigade.  Realizing  that  we  had  made  a  mistake,  the  General  ordered  me  to  turn  back 
in  order  to  get  on  the  other  road.  By  this  time  the  Germans  had  recognized  a  Staff  car  and  were 
throwing  shells  at  us  with  speed  and  ever-increasing  accuracy.  When  I  approached  the  inter- 
section of  the  three  roads,  it  was  being  swept  by  shell-fire,  so  I  turned  across  the  fields  and  was 
lucky  to  get  on  the  road  to  Fresnes  without  being  hit.  I  had  not  gone  more  than  500  yards  when 
I  found  that  the  bridge,  crossing  one  of  the  branches  of  the  Ourcq,  had  been  destroyed  by  the 
Germans  in  their  retreat,  so  once  again  I  had  to  take  to  the  fields  and  follow  the  stream  for  several 
hundred  yards  until  I  found  another  bridge.  By  this  time  every  window  in  the  car  had  been 
blown  out  by  the  force  of  concussion,  but  otherwise  no  serious  damage  was  done." 

A  large  number  of  colored  men  from  Philadelphia  served  during  the  war  and 
had  many  and  varied  experiences. 

Minyard  William  Newsome,  a  resident  of  this  city,  was  a  student  in  the 
theological  department  of  Lincoln  University  when  the  war  started.  He  was  sent 
to  Camp  Taylor  in  June,  1918,  where  he  joined  the  532d  Engineers,  a  unit  in  which 
a  number  of  other  Philadelphia  men  were  enrolled. 

Newsome,  who  was  a  good  musician,  became  a  member  of  the  band  and  went 
with  the  regiment  to  France,  where  it  was  attached  to  the  S.  0.  S.  For  a  short 
time  the  532d  Engineers  were  at  Is-sur-Tille  and  later  at  Ancy-la-France.  Here 
the  men  built  the  barracks  and  performed  the  many  duties  required  by  the  S.  0.  S. 
Although  not  at  any  time  at  the  extreme  front,  the  men  were  in  the  advance  sector 
at  the  time  of  the  armistice. 

■      774 


The  regiment  came  home  on  the  U.  S.  S.  Troy,  and  with  his  service  record 
Newsome  handed  in  a  copy  of  the  Trojan  Journal,  the  newspaper  published  on 
board  ship  for  Sunday  June  29,  1919.  To  the  left  of  the  heading — "Almost 
There"— are  the  words:  "Brest  Cafe— 2,821  miles";  and  to  the  right:  "42d  & 
Broadway — 339  miles." 

A  statement  in  the  journal  speaks  of  the  work  of  the  band  in  the  following 
words:  "The  532d  Engineers  has  some  jazz  band.  It  sure  can  tear  off  the  wildest 
sort  of  jazz — that  creepy,  shuffly  sort.  This  same  regiment  also  had  an  entertain- 
ment section  known  as  the  'Dixie  Minstrels  of  the  A.  E.  F.,'  which  put  on  a  series 
of  fifty  or  more  shows  in  the  36th,  78th  and  80th  Divisional  areas  to  audiences  of 
over  25,000  doughboys.  At  an  entertainment  on  shipboard,  the  'Harmony  Four' 
of  the  'Dixie  Minstrels'  won  second  prize." 

Robert  H.  Nones,  Jr.,  a  Major  in  the  Dental  Corps,  was  one  of  those  who  had 
an  opportunity  of  helping  Army  men,  whose  features  were  destroyed  by  wounds. 
The  following  statements  give  some  idea  of  the  way  in  which  he  and  his  associates 
were  able  to  accomplish  remarkable  results: 

"At  the  entrance  of  America  into  the  Great  War,  one  of  the  chief  problems  which  presented 
itself  to  the  Surgeon  General  of  the  United  States  Army  was  how  properly  to  train  officers  to 
take  care  of  and  make  over  those  victims  of  warfare  whose  faces  were  so  badly  shattered  as  to 
make  their  appearance  in  public  a  hardship.  These  wounds  had  to  be  operated  upon  and 
treated  so  that  the  men  would  not  be  ashamed  to  go  among  their  fellows.  I  may  say  that  this 
condition  was  one  of  the  most  horrible  of  warfare. 

"Through  the  three  years'  experience  of  both  the  French  and  British  Medical  Corps,  we 
were  enabled  to  gain  much  knowledge  and,  therefore,  put  that  knowledge  to  practice. 

"The  Surgeon  General  established  courses  covering  oral  and  plastic  surgery  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  Washington  University  in  St.  Louis,  and  Northwestern  University  in 
Chicago.  Men  who  were  known  for  their  adaptability,  and  who  had  special  training  in  this  line 
of  work,  were  sent  to  these  Army  schools  for  training  of  four  or  five  weeks.  The  idea  was  to  organ- 
ize teams  of  a  surgeon  and  a  dentist  to  work  together  on  the  cases. 

"On  April  4,  1918.  the  first  oral  and  plastic  surgery  unit,  under  command  of  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Vilray  P.  Blair,  of  St.  Louis,  set  sail  on  the  transport  America.  There  were  thirty-five 
surgeons  and  dental  surgeons  in  this  unit.  They  arrived  two  weeks  later  at  the  port  of  Brest 
in  France,  were  immediately  sent  to  Blois,  and  there  received  orders  distributing  them  to  their 
different  hospitals  and  stations.  The  majority  of  the  unit  went  to  Sidcup  and  Queen's  hospitals, 
London,  England.  Eight  others,  of  whom  the  writer  was  one,  were  sent  to  No.  18  General  Hos- 
pital, British  Expeditionary  Forces,  on  the  British  front.  They  spent  some  time  observing  and 
working  with  the  surgeons,  profiting  much  by  their  great  experience.  Visits  were  paid  and  ob- 
servations were  made  at  various  other  hospitals,  and  much  work  was  done.  The  British  Army 
was  enduring  some  heavy  fighting  and  suffering  heavy  casualties. 

"In  a  few  weeks,  orders  were  received,  and  that  small  body  of  eight  men  was  broken  up 
and  sent  to  different  hospitals  on  the  front.  I  was  ordered  to  American  Bed  Cross  Military 
Hospital  No.  5,  a  huge  tent  hospital  of  2,400  beds,  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  France,  one  that 
could  be  picked  up  and  moved  in  forty-eight  hours.  Cases  were  coming  in  continuously  through 
the  drives,  and  much  work  was  done.  The  greatest  amount  of  oral  plastic  work  done  at  that 
time  was  probably  performed  at  No.  1  Hospital,  the  American  Ambulance  at  Neuilly. 

"A  few  weeks  after  the  arrival  of  the  first  unit,  a  second  unit,  under  command  of  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Bobert  H.  Ivy,  of  Philadelphia,  arrived,  and  opened  headquarters  at  Vichy,  which  place 
became  a  center  for  all  oral  and  plastic  surgery  work. 

"The  duties  of  the  dentists  in  these  units  were  twofold;  first,  they  had  to  possess  mechan- 
ical skill  to  construct  the  proper  appliances  for  holding  shattered  parts  together,  then  they 
must  assist  the  surgeon  at  the  actual  operation,  working  with  him  at  all  times  until  the  case 
was  finally  dismissed,  which  might  be,  as  I  have  seen  in  many  cases,  after  twenty-five  operations 
or  more  had  been  performed  on  one  man's  face. 

775 


"Along  with  all  this  work  the  dentist  had  to  take  care  of  the  mouths  and  teeth  of  the  patients 
in  the  hospitals,  and  in  many  cases,  my  own  for  instance,  in  more  than  one  hospital  I  had 
to  take  care  of  many  commands  outside  of  my  station,  ambulance  drivers,  troops  under  arms, 
air  service,  etc. 

"Several  of  the  original  unit  were  in  evacuation  hospital  units,  which  were  constantly 
under  shell  fire.  They  were  able  by  their  skill  to  give  immediate  attention  to  the  face  cases, 
thereby  lessening  the  chances  of  fatal  results,  and  great  credit  must  be  given  to  the  skill  and  valor 
of  these  men,  as  upon  them  rested  the  future  of  the  results  obtained  in  the  hospitals  farther  back. 

"The  wonderful  part  of  all  this  work  was  the  great  confidence  the  patient  had  in  the  sur- 
geon. At  all  times  during  the  operation  he  was  without  pain  through  the  use  of  local  anesthetics 
and  seemed  to  be  happy  in  the  thought  of  the  promise  that  his  looks  would  be  restored  to  nearly 
normal.  After  all,  a  man  may  lose  an  arm  or  a  leg,  and  people  will  not  shudder,  but  let  him 
go  before  his  fellows  with  a  face  torn  beyond  recognition  and  people  will  turn  away,  forgetting 
the  great  good  he  did,  and  the  great  work  he  performed  so  that  those  same  people  could  enjoy 
the  fruits  of  his  labor. 

"Fortunately  for  America,  and  the  men  of  the  American  Army,  the  war  ended  soon,  so  that 
our  face  cases  were  not  nearly  so  many  as  those  of  the  other  Armies. 

"After  the  armistice,  many  of  the  original  oral  and  plastic  units  received  their  orders  to 
return  home,  accompanying  the  wounded.  In  this  way  the  man  familiar  with  the  work  could 
take  care  of  the  cases  without  interruption,  and  when  they  were  received  on  this  side  the  work 
could  be  carried  on  without  danger  of  serious  effects,  such  as  infection,  etc." 

Included  in  the  personnel  of  the  first  Oral  and  Plastic  Surgery  Unit,  were  the 
following  Philadelphians:  Major  Thomas  C.  Stellwagen,  M.  C;  Major  George  M. 
Dorrance,  M.  C;  Major  Edward  F.  Lafitte,  D.  C;  Major  Robert  H.  Nones,  Jr., 
D.  C.J  Captain  John  W.  Bransfield,  M.  C. 

Sergeant  Gilmore  Berry,  Chief  Quartermaster,  U.  S.  N.,  served  during  the  late 
war  on  the  U.  S.  S.  Benham.     He  gives  some  idea  of  life  on  a  destroyer  as  follows: 

"On  the  date  that  a  state  of  war  was  declared  to  exist  between  the  United  States  and  tbt 
German  Empire,  I  was  serving  on  board  the  destroyer  Benham,  at  that  time  doing  patrol  duty 
off  the  Virginia  Capes. 

"  On  the  7th  of  April,  1917,  we  were  ordered,  by  radio,  to  proceed  to  the  Navy  Yard  at  Norfolk. 
Va.,  for  repairs,  fuel  oil  and  provisions.  On  the  14th  of  April,  1917,  the  ship  sailed  from  Norfolk. 
Va.,  to  the  Navy  Yard  at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  where  two  anti-aircraft  guns  were  mounted  on  board. 

"At  nudnight,  on  the  17th  of  April,  1917,  we  sailed  from  St.  George,  Staten  Island,  con- 
voying the  S.  S.  La  Lorraine,  in  company  with  the  French  cruiser  Almirante  Aube,  and  the  U.  S. 
7th  Destroyer  Division,  consisting  of  the  U.  S.  S.  Cushing,  U.  S.  S.  Cassin,  U.  S.  S.  Benham. 
U.  S.  S.  Wainwrighl,  and  the  U.  S.  S.  Cummings. 

"When  clear  of  Nantucket  Shoals  Light  Vessel,  the  destroyers  left  the  French  ships  and 
set  a  course  for  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  arriving  on  the  18th  of  April,  1917.  After  the  division 
had  taken  capacity  loads  of  fuel  oil,  we  left  Halifax  and  set  a  course  for  Queenstown,  Ireland. 

"On  the  24th  of  April,  1917,  we  arrived  at  Queenstown,  after  an  uneventful  voyage.  Our 
first  five  days  there  were  spent  in  having  depth  charge  racks  and  releasing  gear  installed  by  the 
men  from  our  tender,  the  U.  S.  S.  Melville  (Admiral  Sims'  Flagship),  and  general  instructions 
to  the  crew. 

"On  the  sixth  day  in  Queenstown,  we  were  allotted  a  patrol  district  off  the  south  Irish  coast 
over  which  we  scouted  for  enemy  submarines,  convoying  all  merchant  ships  sighted,  to  the  boun- 
daries of  our  district,  and  only  returning  to  our  base  for  fuel  and  provisions.  This  duty  lasted 
until  the  system  of  convoy  was  changed. 

"In  June,  1917,  our  division  met  and  convoyed  into  St.  Nazaire,  France,  the  U.  S.  S.  Seattle 
and  transports  bearing  the  United  States  Marine  Corps  and  1st  Division,  A.  E.  F.  On  our 
return  to  Queenstown  from  this  duty,  we  engaged  an  enemy  submarine  off  the  coast  of  France, 
but  before  we  could  get  fairly  into  action  with  our  depth  charges  she  had  submerged  and  dis- 
appeared. 

"On  numerous  occasions  we  picked  up  the  survivors  of  ships  that  had  been  torpedoed,  who 
had  to  l>e  fed,  clothed,  billeted,  and  doctored  until  we  reached  port. 

776 


"The  day  that  the  U.  S.  S.  Jacob  Jones  was  torpedoed,  we  had  been  in  her  company,  en 
route  from  St.  Nazaire,  France.  At  2  p.m.  she  stopped  for  target  practice.  At  8  p.m.  we  received 
a  radio  message  from  the  Land's  End  Radio  Station  saying  she  had  been  torpedoed,  and  that  her 
survivors  were  adrift  in  rafts  and  boats.  We  put  about  and  ran  at  full  speed  to  the  scene  of  the 
disaster,  but  her  crew  had  already  been  rescued  by  the  British  cruiser  Zinnia. 

"On  the  30th  day  of  July,  1917,  we  engaged  an  enemy  submarine  off  Land's  End,  England, 
in  the  act  of  submerging.  After  fifteen  minutes  of  gun-lire  and  depth-charge  attack,  the  amount 
of  waste  matter  and  fuel  oil  that  arose  to  the  water's  surface  was  sufficient  evidence  that  she 
had  been  destroyed  and  our  captain  reported  it  as  such.  This  engagement  won  the  ship  a  letter 
of  commendation  from  Admiral  Sims,  and  the  British  Admiralty. 

"On  the  21st  of  August,  1917,  while  en  route  to  meet  a  convoy,  the  Benham  was  rammed 
amidships  by  the  British  cruiser  Zinnia.  The  night  was  exceptionally  dark  and  foggy,  and  the 
absence  of  running  lights  on  either  ship  was  no  doubt  the  cause  of  the  collision.  The  engine-room , 
after  fireroom  and  after  magazine  filled  rapidly,  and  although  the  collision  mat  was  put  over  the 
side  immediately,  it  was  too  small  to  cover  the  hole  made  in  her  side.  The  ship  settled  until 
her  stern  and  after  gun  were  under  water.  Not  knowing  what  moment  the  forward  bulkheads 
would  buckle  and  fill  the  ship  with  water,  the  captain  ordered  all  hands  to  abandon  the  ship, 
and  officers  and  crew  took  to  the  boats  and  life  rafts,  excepting  Captain  Lyons,  Lieutenant  W.  A. 
Riedel,  J.  J.  Dallier,  Chief  Gunner's  Mate  John  Schnell,  Chief  Machinist's  Mate  Thomas  J. 
Flaherty,  Boatswain's  Mate,  First  Class,  B.  R.  Alexander,  Fireman,  First  Class,  and  myself, 
who  remained  until  the  ship  reached  port. 

"Our  officers  and  crew  were  picked  up  by  the  Zinnia,  and  after  she  had  effected  temporary 
repairs  to  her  bow,  she  towed  us  to  Queenstown,  accompanied  by  the  U.  S.  Destroyers  Trippe 
and  Drayton. 

"  Upon  arrival  in  Queenstown,  a  temporary  wooden  patch  was  put  over  the  hole,  and  the  ship 
made  her  own  way  to  Newport,  Monmouthshire,  South  Wales,  where  all  necessary  repairs  were 
effected.     On  the  1st  of  November,  1917,  the  ship  was  again  on  the  high  seas  and  ready  for  duty. 

"On  the  13th  of  December,  1917,  a  terrible  gale  swept  the  south  coasts  of  England  and 
Ireland,  which  did  much  damage  to  all  the  destroyers  then  at  sea.  Our  own  damage  amounted 
to  the  loss  of  half  of  each  mast  and  radio  aerials,  boats  stove  in,  and  all  frail  deck  gear  smashed. 
We  were  at  this  time  in  the  English  Channel,  off  Davenport  Light.  During  this  storm,  which 
alternated  between  hail  and  snow,  we  picked  up  forty-one  survivors  from  a  torpedoed  British 
tanker,  of  whom  thirty-nine  were  Singalese,  one  a  boy  of  the  English  Naval  Gun  Crew,  and  the 
first  mate.  The  remainder  of  her  crew  and  officers  were  picked  up  by  the  U.  S.  S.  Trippe. 
The  ferocity  of  the  storm  forced  us  to  take  refuge  in  the  harbor  of  Falmouth,  England,  and  even 
here  the  wind  was  so  strong  our  anchors  would  not  hold  ground.  We  left  Falmouth  on  the  24th 
of  December,  1917. 

"On  Christmas  Day,  1917,  off  Land's  End,  England,  we  sighted  the  English  destroyer  H-01, 
with  masts  and  stacks  gone,  no  compasses,  her  decks  a  heap  of  twisted  wreckage,  and  her  ensign 
flying  at  half  mast.  This  vessel  had  tried  to  weather  out  the  storm.  We  towed  her  into  Penzance, 
England,  and  as  we  left  the  harbor,  we  were  attacked  by  an  enemy  submarine,  one  torpedo 
missing  our  bow  by  a  scant  three  or  four  yards.  We  circled,  and  attacked  her  approximate  posi- 
tion with  depth  charges,  but  without  visible  results. 

"On  the  17tb  of  May,  1918,  I  was  transferred  to  Base  No.  6,  with  twenty-four  other  men, 
to  form  Nucleus  Crew  No.  17,  which  would  return  to  the  United  States,  and  commission  a  new 
destroyer.  We  proceeded  by  American  Line  Steamer  from  Liverpool,  England,  to  New  York 
City,  thence  overland  to  the  Mare  Island,  Cal.,  Navy  Yard;  where  we  were  assigned  to  the 
destroyer  Kilty,  then  building. 

"While  waiting  for  our  ship  to  be  commissioned,  I  was  detailed  as  instructor  in  the  Officers' 
Material  School,  teaching  the  students  the  working  of  the  compass,  log,  deadline,  and  signals. 

"Just  prior  to  the  commissioning  of  the  Kilty,  the  keel  was  laid  for  the  destroyer  Ward, 
No.  139,  and  the  Kilty's  crew  was  transferred  to  her.  As  this  was  during  the  Fourth  Liberty 
Loan  drive,  they  dubbed  the  Ward,  Liberty  Destroyer  No.  139,  and  set  out  to  make  a  record  on 
her  construction.  Fourteen  and  a  half  days  after  her  keel  was  laid,  she  took  to  the  water  and 
ninety  days  later  she  steamed  away  from  the  Navy  Yard  complete,  and  in  full  commission.  How- 
ever, due  to  the  installation  of  an  inferior  grade  of  pumps  the  Ward  was  forced  to  return  to  the 
Navy  Yard  for  repairs. 

777 


"One  day  after  the  armistice  was  signed,  we  again  left  Mare  Island,  and  in  the  record  time 
of  eleven  days,  eight  hours  and  forty-six  minutes  made  the  trip,  via  the  Panama  Canal,  to  Nor- 
folk, Va.  Captain  Milton  S.  Davis,  commanding  the  Ward,  brought  her  through  the  Canal  in 
four  hours  and  five  minutes,  beating  his  own  previous  world's  record,  made  by  the  U.  S.  S.  Shaw, 
by  twenty-five  minutes.  The  Ward  made  nearly  thirty-six  knots  per  hour  for  six  hours  and  a 
little  better  than  thirty-eight  knots  for  her  best  hour  on  trials." 

One  of  the  most  interesting  Units  with  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces 
was  the  1st  Gas  Regiment,  popularly  known  as  the  Hell  Fire  Battalion.  Major  W. 
Griffin  Gribbel  of  this  city  was  one  of  the  officers  of  the  first  battalion,  and  among 
the  other  Philadelphians  were:  Sergeant  Frank  L.  Fleming,  Corporal  Edwin 
Jepson,  and  Privates  (1st  Class)  Harry  J.  Brown,  Alfred  B.  Grayson  and 
Michael  Sheerin. 

The  regiment,  originally  organized  as  the  30th  Engineers,  assembled  at  Camp 
American  University,  Washington,  D.  C,  and  at  Fort  Myer,  Virginia.  Its  first 
battalion  sailed  from  Hoboken  on  Christmas  Day,  1917,  on  the  U.  S.  S.  President 
Grant. 

Within  three  weeks  the  men  were  actually  in  the  line  brigaded  with  a  platoon 
of  the  Royal  (British)  Engineers,  and  participated  in  the  preparation  and  execution 
of  gas  attacks  in  almost  every  point  in  the  British  line  from  Ypres  to  Erquighnem 
until  the  enemy  offensive  beginning  April  8, 1918.  During  this  period  the  battalion 
was  provisioned  solely  by  the  British  Quartermaster  Department.  It  was  early 
apparent  that  the  British  ration  was  small  as  compared  to  the  American,  and  the 
men  had  great  difficulty  in  accustoming  themselves  to  the  absence  of  such  staples 
as  beans,  coifee  and  oatmeal.  In  speaking  of  his  impressions  with  the  British 
troops,  Major  Gribbel  says: 

"  It  was  our  impression  that  the  British  were  tiring.  On  sober  second  thought, 
this  did  not  seem  entirely  surprising,  in  view  of  the  four  years  of  exhaustive  duty 
that  they  had  uncomplainingly  passed  through.  By  contrast,  our  enlisted  personnel 
might  be  likened  to  a  new  broom.  This,  I  think,  is  a  fair  comparison.  I  have 
frequently  doubted  whether  our  green,  youthful  troops  could  have  withstood  the 
incessant  pressure  along  the  western  front  which  the  phlegmatic  and  rather  stoical 
British  temperament  had  learned  to  successfully  endure  with  an  almost  uncanny 
cheerfulness  under  any  and  all  conditions.  Conversely,  I  may  be  pardoned  if  I 
hazard  the  assertion  that  the  British  troops  at  the  beginning  of  the  final  offensive 
could  not  have  carried  through  the  swift  and  effective  thrusts  starting  with  Chateau- 
Thierry  and  ending  on  November  11,  1918. 

"After  the  enemy  offensive  of  April,  aimed  at  the  British,  we  were  withdrawn 
from  the  British  Expeditionary  Force  and  were  moved  to  tbej)i)r±ioii  of  the  French 
front  taken  over  by  the  American  Expeditionary  Force.  The  first  American  gas 
attacks  were  made  at  Flirey,  and  at  a  point  west  of  Seichprey  on  the  night  of  June 
18-19, 1918.  Whether  as  a  result  of  extraordinary  French  intelligence  information 
guiding  us,  or  as  a  result  of  pure  chance,  both  of  these  operations  were  extremely 
timely.  In  the  case  of  Company  A,  their  gas  discharge  nipped  in  the  bud  an 
enemy  movement  then  about  to  be  launched  at  us;  and  in  the  ease  of  Company 
B,  a  divisional  relief  in  the  enemy  lines.  The  prompt  withdrawal  of  personnel 
from  the  exposed  locations  of  these  two  attacks  avoided  the  loss  of  a  single 
man. 

778 


"Subsequently,  attacks  were  made  in  the  Vosges  and  at  Chateau-Thierry. 
From  this  latter  point  the  movements  were  so  swift  that  we  were  limited  to  the 
use  of  the  portable  '4'  Stokes  Mortar,  and  could  not  use  the  methods  of  putting 
over  a  heavier  concentration  which  was  adapted  to  a  fixed  front. 

"Prior  to  this  time,  the  2d  and  3d  Battalion  had  arrived  in  France,  and  by  a 
process  of  personnel  assimilation  were  brought  up  to  an  effectiveness  identical  with 
the  1st  Battalion.  From  this  point  on  the  regiment  participated  in  all  major 
offensives,  being  a  considerable  assistance  to  the  infantry  in  our  Thermite  attacks 
on  enemy  strong  points. 

"The  signing  of  the  armistice,  welcomed  though  it  was  by  the  European  Allies, 
prevented  the  full  development  of  American  effectiveness.  In  our  own  Chemical 
Welfare  Service  it  resulted  in  several  very  important  and  effective  lethal  gases 
not  being  used  by  our  troops.  These  agencies  had  been  developed,  but  could  not 
be  brought  into  action  as  a  result.  To  my  knowledge  the  gases,  both  lethal  and 
lachrymator,  used  by  the  1st  Gas  Regiment,  were  supplied  altogether  by  the  British 
and  the  French.  These  were  effective  and  are  not  in  any  sense  to  be  despised. 
It  is  only  natural,  however,  that  we  should  have  felt  a  little  reluctant  at  the  early 
signing  of  the  armistice  having  interfered  with  the  employment  of  our  own  ma- 
terial. It  was  believed  that  the  use  of  lethal  gases,  as  practiced  by  the  1st  Gas 
Regiment,  was  a  very  much  cheaper  method  of  killing  Boche  than  was  the  use  of 
artillery  shell  fire;  and  while  to  some  minds  it  seemed  an  unholy  and  awful  senti- 
ment, I  sincerely  hope  that  our  Government  will  continue  research  along  these 
lines  so  that  we  may  be  in  a  position  to  meet  any  future  enemy  with  tools  as  sharp 
as  his  own." 

When  the  42d  Division  was  mobilized  at  Camp  Mills,  Long  Island,  in  August, 
1917,  its  enlisted  personnel  represented  National  Guard  units  of  some  twenty-six 
(26)  states. 

The  Pennsylvania  Unit,  which  was  the  Divisional  Machine  Gun  Battalion 
had  very  few  Philadelphians,  but  a  number  of  men  from  this  city  served  as  officers 
with  the  division.  Among  these  was  Captain  William  W.  Bodine,  Battery  A, 
149th  Field  Artillery. 

In  speaking  of  his  experiences,  Captain  Bodine  writes:  "As  the  Champagne 
Defense  of  July  14-17,  1918,  was  the  heaviest  defensive  engagement  of  the  division, 
and  to  the  minds  of  many  of  us  the  most  important,  because  the  success  of  this 
defense  rendered  possible  the  Ainse-Marne  offensive,  it  may  be  interesting  to  give 
a  few  facts  relative  to  this  operation. 

"In  June,  1918,  the  Rainbow  Division  in  the  Baccarat  sector  was  relieved  by 
the  61st  French  Division  with  the  77th  American  Division  as  a  reinforcing  element. 
For  four  months  we  had  served  without  relief,  but  we  were  all  anxious  to  get  into 
the  actual  fighting,  and  orders  to  proceed  to  the  line  of  the  Moselle  with  the  imme- 
diate entraining  for  destinations  unknown  were  welcomed.  After  a  brief  journey 
and  a  four-day  respite,  we  were  suddenly  transferred  to  the  4th  French  Army  under 
the  command  of  General  Gouraud. 

"We  found  ourselves  in  a  place  which  although  one  time  the  scene  of  most 
sanguinary  engagements  was  now  a  region  of  unusual  quiet.  Nevertheless,  we 
were  organized  and  prepared  to  resist  the  attack  which  we  believed  to  be  only  a 
matter  of  time. 

779 


"It  was  the  privilege  of  the  Rainbow  Division  to  be  the  only  large  American 
Unit  serving  under  General  Gouraud,  and  on  July  7th  he  published  the  following 
order: 

"To  the  French  and  American  Soldiers  of  the  4th  Army: 

We  may  be  attacked  at  any  moment. 

You  all  know  that  a  defensive  battle  was  never  engaged  under  more  favorable  conditions. 
We  are  awake  and  on  our  guard. 

We  are  powerfully  reenforced  with  infantry  and  artillery. 

You  will  fight  on  a  terrain  that  you  have  transformed  by  your  work  and  your  perseverance 
into  a  redoubtable  fortress.     This  invincible  fortress,  and  all  its  passages  are  well  guarded. 
The  bombardment  will  be  terrible.     You  will  stand  it  without  weakness. 
The  assault  will  be  fierce,  in  a  cloud  of  smoke,  dust  and  gas. 
But  your  positions  and  your  armament  are  formidable. 
In  your  breasts  beat  the  brave  and  strong  hearts  of  free  men. 
None  shall  look  to  the  rear;  none  shall  yield  a  step. 

Each  shall  have  but  one  thought;  to  kill  a-plenty,  until  they  have  had  their  fill. 
Therefore,  your  general  says  to  you:  You  will  break  this  assault,  and  it  will  be  a  happy  day." 

(Signed)  Gouraud. 
By  Authority  of  the  Chief  of  Staff. 

Pettelat. 

"On  Bastile  Day,  1918,  the  division  was  signaled — Francois  570 — which 
meant  that  a  general  attack  on  an  extended  front  was  expected  by  the  enemy. 
Before  midnight  the  artillery  on  both  sides  began  to  let  loose  a  tremendous  fire. 
As  the  Germans  advanced  they  were  met  with  a  defense  that  hurled  them  back, 
and  each  assault  was  repulsed  with  such  vigor  that  after  ten  hours  the  infantry 
attacks  died  out.  "Among  the  troops  of  the  German  Army  with  which  we  fought 
at  this  time  were  the  10th  German  Division,  the  4th  Prussian  Guard  Calvary 
Division  (dismounted),  the  1st  and  2d  Bavarian  Divisions,  and  the  72d  Reserve 
and  30th  German  Divisions. 

"When  our  division  withdrew  from  the  Champagne  front,  General  Noulin, 
commanding  the  21st  French  Army  Corps  complimented  its  work  in  the  following 
order : 

"At  the  moment  when  the  42d  American  Division  is  on  the  point  of  leaving  the  21st  Army 
Corps,  I  desire  to  express  my  keen  satisfaction  and  my  sincere  thanks  for  the  services  which  it 
has  rendered  under  all  conditions. 

"By  its  valor,  ardor  and  its  spirit,  it  has  very  particularly  distinguished  itself  on  July  15th 
and  16th  in  the  course  of  the  great  battle  where  the  4th  Army  broke  the  German  offensive  on  the 
Champagne  front. 

"I  am  proud  to  have  had  it  under  my  orders  during  this  period;  and  my  prayers  accompany 
it  in  the  great  struggle  engaged  in  for  the  liberty  of  the  world." 

"  The  work  of  our  own  regiment  was  commended  by  the  colonel  commanding 
the  Divisional  Field  Artillery  of  the  170th  French  Division  in  the  following  report": 

" The  149th  Field  Artillery  has  shown  qualities  of  the  first  order.  I  do  not  speak  of  the  spirit 
of  the  regiment,  of  its  high  sense  of  duty,  of  its  superb  courage  which  are  the  characteristics  of 
all  American  troops,  but  of  its  technical  value,  of  its  careful  attention  to  detail,  of  its  knowl- 
edge of  correct  methods.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  battalions  fired  without  a  preliminary  fire 
of  adjustment  and  with  only  a  topographical  preparation,  their  fire  has  been  remarkable  for 
precision  from  the  beginning  and  for  suppleness  throughout  the  combat." 

Captain  (then  Lieutenant)  Bodine  was  executive  officer  of  his  battery,  and 
took  command  of  it  on  July  14,  1918,  when  the  battery  commander  was  wounded. 

780 


Not  every  young  "shave-tail"  who  went  up  in  the  air  at  the  beginning  of  his 
military  career  managed  to  land  safely  on  both  feet.  However,  George  Scott 
Stewart,  Jr.,  a  member  of  the  Philadelphia  Bar,  after  receiving  his  commission  in 
the  first  officers'  training  camp  in  1917,  served  first  with  the  54th  Field  Artillery 
Brigade  as  a  balloon  observer  and,  after  twelve  months  overseas,  returned  as 
Lieutenant  Colonel  and  Adjutant  of  the  29th  Division. 

Colonel  Stewart  summarizes  some  of  his  experiences  as  an  officer  as  follows : 

"Those  of  us  who  had  0.  R.  C.  tacked  on  our  names  came  to  believe  that  those 
initials  stood  for  '  On  Railroad  Cars, '  for  we  were  moved  about  from  place  to  place 
with  disconcerting  frequency.  In  October,  1917,  after  serving  as  Assistant 
Division  Judge  Advocate,  I  faced  the  possibilities  of  one  more  transfer,  but  the 
Bureau  of  War  Risk  Insurance  saved  the  situation,  for  I  was  promoted  to  a  First 
Lieutenancy  and  assigned  as  Division  Insurance  Officer.  Our  division  raised 
$235,000,000.00  of  insurance,  which  was  quite  a  task,  especially  to  convince  many 
of  the  soldiers  of  the  wisdom  of  being  insured.  When  I  was  appointed  Aide-de- 
Camp  to  Major  General  Charles  G.  Morton,  Division  Commander  in  February, 
1918,  I  found  that  an  aide's  duties  ranged  from  receiving  the  President's 
daughter  and  arranging  for  her  to  sing  to  the  soldiers,  to  directing  the  naturalization 
of  750  foreign-born  soldiers  in  three  days.  Incidentally,  it  was  necessary  for  me 
to  edit  and  publish  a  pamphlet  on  Embarkation  Rules  and  Regulations. 

"On  June  7,  1918  (Stewart  was  than  a  captain),  I  received  an  order  to 
proceed  to  Wilmington,  Del.,  for  duty  with  a  Coast  Artillery  Brigade.  Fortu- 
nately we  sailed  before  the  War  Department  had  time  to  act  upon  my  telegram 
refusing  the  appointment. 

"While  on  our  way  to  Europe  I  understood  more  fully  the  remarkable  part 
which  our  Navy  was  playing.  For  hours  at  a  time  while  in  command  of  a  detail 
in  the  crow's  nest,  we  could  see  the  ships  which  were  convoying  us  steaming  here 
and  there,  ever  ready  to  repel  any  attack. 

"After  landing  in  France  it  was  my  privilege  to  act  as  liaison  officer  to  the  58th 
Infantry  Brigade,  and  I  was  with  the  combat  troops  during  the  largest  operation 
in  which  the  A.  E.  F.  participated." 

Captain  Stewart  received  his  promotion  to  the  rank  of  Major  on  November  4, 
1918,  and  to  the  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  in  May,  1919.  He  was  cited  by 
Major  General  Morton  as  a  result  of  the  report  of  his  work  made  by  the  Chief  of 
Staff  of  the  29th  Division. 

The  man  who  carried  a  camera  had,  at  times,  as  many  thrills  as  the  man  with 
a  gun,  for  war  photography  is  no  "Pink  Tea"  sport.  It  involves  danger  and  hard- 
ship and  long  hours.  The  first  Photographic  Unit  of  the  Signal  Corps  was  organized 
at  Camp  Vail,  New  Jersey,  in  September,  1917  with  a  personnel  of  80.  After 
a  brief  introduction  to  the  rudiments  of  military  training,  the  unit  was  broken 
up  and  sent  to  various  Photo-training  schools  in  camps  all  over  the  united  States. 

Charles  Darwin,  of  this  city,  was  one  of  the  men  who  reported  to  Camp  Vail 
and  was  soon  sent  to  Columbia  University,  New  York  City.  Here  he  acted  as  an 
Instructor  for  nine  months.  Upon  receiving  a  Commission,  Darwin  was  sent  out 
in  command  of  a  unit  consisting  of  one  sergeant,  first  class,  and  one  private, 
first  class,  and  attached  to  the  31st  (Dixie)  Division.  When  he  reached  France, 
he  was  reassigned  to  the  28th  Division. 

7»l 


Courtesy  of  Lt.  Charles  Darwin. 


Cooper  and  his  seven  prisoners. 


In  talking  over  some  of  his  experiences,  Lieutenant  Darwin  recalled  the  fact 
that,  although  only  one  war  photographer  was  killed,  many  of  the  men  were 
wounded  and  gassed.  Of  their  initiative  he  added,  "Private  Campbell,  a  Phila- 
delphia man,  found  himself  far  behind  the  lines  with  no  prospect  of  getting  up  with 
his  equipment.  However,  the  car  of  General  Petain  was  near  by  and  the  chauffeur 
did  not  seem  to  be  busy,  so  Campbell  calmly  commandeered  the  limousine  and  rode 
in  fine  style  to  rejoin  the  Division.  Lieutenant  Edwin  H.  Cooper,  also  of  this 
city,  was  grinding  out  films  on  his  moving-picture  camera  when  he  was  startled  to 
see  seven  'Heinies'  come  out  of  a  shell  hole.  Before  Cooper  knew  it  he  had  seven 
perfectly  good  prisoners,  who  had  mistaken  his  camera  for  a  machine  gun.  Per- 
sonally, I  covered  the  work  of  the  Argonne,  operating  from  G.  H.  Q.  in  one  of 
the  ten  units  under  command  of  Major  Griffin,  G-2,  G.  H.  Q.  Many  of  the 
pictures  were  filmed  from  an  aeroplane,  from  which  it  was  possible  to  secure  remark- 
able results." 


Although  the  Cavalry  was  not  largely  employed  in  the  World  War,  neverthe- 
less, certain  troops  were  used  for  special  service.  The  old  Second  Cavalry  with 
Headquarters  at  Fort  Myer,  Virginia,  and  the  Second  and  Third  Squadrons  at 
Fort  Ethan  Allen,  Vermont,  were  sent  to  France  in  the  late  spring  of  1918. 
Among  the  Philadelphians  in  this  regiment  was  W.  V.  Friel,  who  served  in 
Troop  H. 

Reminiscing  over  his  experiences,  Friel  asserted  that  the  number  of 
horses  wounded  and  killed  was  very  great,  but  that  the  Army  was  able  to 
replace  the  animals  with  remarkable  speed.  Continuing,  he  said,  "Our  Squadron 
was  used  as  a  Cavalry  Unit  at  St.  Mihiel  and  for  one  day  in  the  Argonne.  Afterwards 
we  were  used  as  mounted  messengers  and  patrols.    There  were  about  seventeen 

782 


Philadelphians  in  Troop  H,  and  we  had  the  excitement  of  our  lives  one  day  just 
after  we  had  entered  a  woodland  and  prepared  to  camp.  A  German  aviator  flew 
down  within  a  few  hundred  feet  and,  giving  the  signal  to  his  batteries,  we  were  soon 
deluged  with  shells.  It  was  at  this  time  that  probably  seventy-five  per  cent  of 
the  horses  were  killed  or  wounded.  However,  the  Philadelphia  boys  came  through 
very  well." 

While  "the  home  folks"  were  thinking  of  their  dear  ones  with  the  A.  E.  F. 
those  same  boys  were  not  unmindful  of  families  in  "God's  Own  Country,"  for 
many  of  them  had  helped  to  share  in  the  family's  fortune  before  they  marched 
away.  In  an  intimate  letter  to  his  brother,  which  asks  for  information  about  each 
member  of  the  home  circle,  Private  Raymond  Sweeney,  Headquarters  Company, 
76th  Field  Artillery,  expressed  the  interest  of  many  when  he  adds: 

"  Did  mother  ever  get  those  Liberty  bonds  and  my  insurance?  Let  me  know, 
so  that  if  she  did  not,  I  can  see  about  it." 

Discomfort,  danger,  wounds,  the  very  hand  of  death  itself,  never  drove  from 
the  heart  and  mind  of  the  men  of  the  A.  E.  F.  the  finest  and  truest  devotion  to  those 
who  also,  in  full  measure,  sacrificed  in  the  cause  of  righteousness. 

While  many  Philadelphia  men  were  overseas,  others  were  doing  their  duty  at 
home.  In  some  cases  those  who  never  reached  an  embarkation  camp  faced  perils 
more  dangerous  than  submarines  and  shell  fire.  The  men  in  the  Chemical  Welfare 
Section  in  the  manufacturing  centers  faced  death  from  poison  gas  daily,  not 
that  which  was  sent  over  by  the  enemy,  of  which  usually  some  warning  was 
given,  but  the  ever-present  fumes  in  the  laboratories. 

In  the  final  edition  of  the  Gas-Ette,  issued  at  the  Edgewood  Arsenal  (Stamford), 
Conn.,  Plant,  Lieutenant  Victor  E.  Fishburn,  C.  W.  S.  Commanding,  speaks  of 
the  work  of  his  men  in  the  following  terms: 

"  In  this,  the  last  issue  of  the  Gas-Ette,  I  am  again  attempting  to  express  my 
appreciation  for  the  services  rendered  by  you  while  at  Stamford.  It  is  only 
an  attempt  on  my  part,  as  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  express  in  writing,  or  in  any 
other  way,  exactly  what  the  work  is  that  you  have  done  here.  Let  us  hope  that 
the  peace  terms  include  a  stipulation  against  the  manufacture  of  poison  gas  in  the 
future. 

"  For  almost  a  year  the  men  of  this  arsenal  have  been  in  daily  contact  with 
the  poison  gas.  I  believe  that  every  man  stationed  here  can  say  that  he  has  been 
gassed.  The  men  on  the  bleach  gang  put  in  many  disagreeable  hours  rolling 
bleach  drums  on  hot  summer  days,  often  when  it  was  too  hot  to  wear  masks. 

"It  took  grit  and  courage  to  inhale  chloride  and  bleach  dust  during  this  hot 
weather.  There  was  never  a  complaint  from  you  men,  and  the  operations  were 
never  held  up  because  there  was  not  enough  bleach  unloaded. 

"  In  the  picric  acid  plant,  you  men  were  required  to  breathe  nitrous  fumes  night 
after  night.  Quite  often  you  got  more  than  you  could  stand.  A  good  many  of 
you  received  severe  burns  from  nitric  and  sulphuric  acid.  There  were  many  days 
when  you  could  hardly  eat,  due  to  the  picric  acid  dust  that  you  had  swallowed. 
None  of  those  hardships  ever  interfered  with  production. 

"The  men  in  France  had  the  excitement  of  battle  to  urge  them  on  and  to  keep 
up  their  spirits.    The  glory  to  be  gained  on  the  battlefield  was  not  an  opportunity 

783 


offered  the  men  at  Stamford.  Every  man  wanted  to  go  across.  It  is  wonderful 
to  know  that  with  the  opportunities  to  win  the  glory  on  the  battlefield  gone,  and 
only  months  of  unpleasant  work  to  look  forward  to,  every  man  here  came  to  work, 
eager  to  do  all  in  his  power.  If  you  men,  as  I  am  sure  you  will,  go  back  to  work  in 
civil  life  with  the  same  spirit  that  you  have  shown  here,  your  success  in  the  future 
is  assured." 

The  copy  from  which  the  foregoing  excerpt  was  taken  was  sent  in  by  Private 
First  Class,  Wm.  F.  Connelly,  C.  W.  S.,  who  was  sent  from  Camp  Lee,  Virginia, 
to  the  Edgewood  Arsenal.  He  also  enclosed  with  his  other  records  a  copy  of  a 
poem  written  by  Private  Alexander  London,  C.  W.  S.,  entitled: 

THE  BATTLE  OF  EDGEWOOD 

"The  great  War  had  been  over  for  more  than  forty  years, 

And  people  had  forgotten  its  sorrows  and  its  tears. 

The  Soldier's  Home  was  crowded  with  heroes  of  the  past 

Who  had  fought  beneath  Old  Glory  that  Liberty  might  last. 

Around  the  gray-haired  veteran  from  the  rock-bound  coast  of  Maine, 

Were  some  comrades  he  had  fought  with  in  the  valley  of  Champagne. 

They  talked  of  Lens  and  Lille — They  talked  of  old  Verdun, 

They  fought  the  same  old  battles,  as  they  sat  there  in  the  sun. 

They  painted  vivid  pictures  of  the  battle  of  Arras, 

They  talked  of  Tanks  and  Aeroplanes  and  of  the  poison  gas. 
'  Come  here,  you  gray-haired  Dizzy '  the  old  man  cried  with  glee, 

To  a  sad  eyed  man  who  stood  alone  beneath  an  apple  tree. 
'  Don't  stand  there,  you  old  Fogey,  as  if  you're  in  a  trance, 

But  come  here  quick  and  tell  us  of  what  you  did  in  France.' 

The  old  man  slowly  tottered  to  where  the  other  stood, 

And  said,  'Boys  let  me  tell  you  of  the  battle  of  Edgewood. 

We  marched  away  from  hearth  and  home  without  a  big  brass  band, 

They  sent  us  first  to  Syracuse  and  then  to  Maryland, 

I  met  boys  there  from  Kansas  and  from  the  Golden  Gate, 

Boys  from  far  Wyoming  and  from  every  other  State. 

They  worked  from  early  morning,  until  the  sun  had  died, 

They  worked  and  gave  the  best  they  had  to  keep  you  boys  supplied. 

We  made  Chloride  and  Phosphorus,  and  made  the  dread  M.  O., 

We  were  always  out  there  battling  with  that  dreaded  unseen  foe. 

If  a  little  drop  of  any  Gas  would  touch  the  hand  or  face 

It  meant  a  speedy  auto  ride  and  a  long  stay  at  the  Base. 

They  did  their  very  biggest  bit,  as  I  know  I  did  mine,  . 

To  help  to  drive  the  enemy,  across  the  mighty  Rhine. 

So  take  your  hats  off  to  the  boys  at  home,  who  had  no  chance, 

To  fight  with  you  across  the  sea  on  the  battlefield  of  France. 

So  let  us  get  together,  as  soldiers  tried  and  true, 

And  give  three  ringing  cheers—  and  more,  for  the  old  Red,  White  and  Blue.' " 

Philadelphia  is  proud  of  her  men.  They  fought  on  every  field  and  in  every 
branch  of  the  service.  To  those  who  returned,  the  city  opened  her  arms  in  welcome 
and  sought  to  articulate  her  deepest  emotions.     Some  never  will  return.     Perhaps 

784 


all  that  is  mortal  will  be  brought  home,  to  rest  with  their  comrades-in-arms  at 
Arlington  or  in  the  peaceful  beauty  of  a  tiny  "God's  acre"  far  from  the  noise  and 
confusion  of  life. 

Many  will  sleep  their  long  sleep  in  foreign  lands.  Over  their  graves  are  the 
tiny  crosses  "row  on  row,"  symbolic  of  vicarious  sacrifice.  On  those  crosses  might 
well  be  inscribed  "non-ministrari,"  for  surely  those  who  rest  beneath  them  truly 
ministered,  and  gave  their  lives  a  ransom  for  many. 

In  all  humility  and  reverence  may  we  draw  aside  the  veil  and  find  revealed 
the  spirit  that  sustained  these  men  to  the  last.  Is  it  not  fitting  that  so  intimate 
a  revelation  should  have  been  made  by  a  son  to  his  mother,  for  who  in  all  the  world 
paid  a  greater  price  during  the  days  of  uncertainty  and  strife  than  the  mothers 
of  all  lands?     So  we  read: 

American  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

On  Active  Service,  with  the 

American  Expeditionary  Force 

Saturday,  Sept.  20,  1918. 
"Dearest  Mother: 

"Just  a  few  lines  to  let  you  know  that  all  is  well  and  I  am  enjoying  the  best 
of  health  and  hope  that  you  are  enjoying  the  same. 

"Up  to  date  I  have  been  having  considerable  experience,  and  I  will  have  so 
much  to  talk  about  that  I  will  keep  you  up  many  a  night  telling  you  the  little 
tales  of  a  soldier,  and  his  experiences.  I  sincerely  hope  that  you  have  given  up 
worrying  about  me  by  this  time,  for  too  well  you  know  that  there  is  One  above 
to  watch  over  us  and  provide  for  us,  and  if  it  is  His  will  He  will  again  restore  us 
to  our  own  beloved  ones.  Too  well  you  know  how  He  has  pulled  me  through 
when  I  was  quite  young  and  I  am  sure  that  I  will  not  be  forsaken.  God's  will  be 
done,  and  not  ours.     So  all  we  have  to  do  is  wait. 

"Do  your  best  to  keep  in  the  best  of  spirits,  as  I  am  doing,  and  all  will  be 

welL  '  (Private)  Joseph  O.  Yehle, 

Company  D,  315  Infantry, 

A.  P.  0.  771,  A.  E.  F. 

The  writer  of  this  letter  fell  on  the  field  of  honor  September  29,  1918 — nine 
days  later. 

"There  is  One  above  to  watch.  All  will  be  well."  Spoken  or  unexpressed, 
that  was  the  sentiment  that  found  lodgment  in  the  hearts  and  minds  of  the  A.  E.  F. 
Their's  was  a  virile  faith.  With  such  confidence,  victory  for  them  and  for  their 
cause  was  inevitable. 


7B5 


877015 


5  JO 


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